I wonder how long Tim Burton has waited so that this movie could be released on yesterday’s date.  I would guess that he has had the story in mind for a few years.  On second thought, maybe he just decided a couple of years ago to save the number nine gunny sack character.  I do not know what they are really called.  One of my 5th graders saw it last night.  He gave me a brief synopsis about the first part of the story–how some of the gunny sack characters (spoiler alert) died.

Originally, there are the gunny sack characters–one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.  About 4 are destroyed early on, but I will not tell you who they are.  (My 5th grader did.  But I pleaded with him to not give away the ending. He did not.)  He told me about the spark of life and characters trading their souls and getting them sucked out through their eyes, something like that.  I really love the concept of the spark of life.  For most of the world, the idea that something or someone (God)  greater than ourselves gave us breath, life, and animation is fairly universal.

From what I saw of the trailer and what my 5th grader told me, the idea of playing with life forces, especially those that were created by a higher power and manipulating and tampering with it seems like a futuristic progressive concept.  You see it proposed as possible in cloning cells and so forth.  It totally reminds me of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and all the moral implications of that.

The one thing to realize is that humankind may be able to modify plants and animals making hybrids and cloning sheep.  However, there is one thing humans cannot do. They cannot put breath into these organisms or as Nine terms it: the spark of life.

Only God who created them can do that. I hope to see the show within the month so I can give a content breakdown. Oh, by the way, I have admired a lot of Tim Burton’s work.  Some of you are old enough that you remember as I did one of the first movies, if not the first movie he ever directed–Edward Scissorshands starring Johnny Depp. I like Burton, because even though his movies tend to be dark, he manages to play into the sensitivities of the human spirit and condition.  Did I mention Burton’s movies are extremely entertaining, too? I hope this movie is a financial blockbuster.  If not, the moral message needs to be heard and reheard, even if only by 100,000 people.  Hopefully, those that do experience the movie Nine will be touched by a spark and share the light of the message with others.

After you watch<em> Nine</em>, I would like to hear what you thought of it.  Simply click the link “LEAVE A COMMENT” and reply.  (It’s located on the line above the tags on the right just below the post if you are having difficulty finding it.)

“Hook” was directed by Steven Spielberg and released in theaters on December 11, 1991.

I watched “Hook” (starring Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts as “Tinkerbell” and Bob Hoskins as “Smee”) yesterday at my home on DVD.  There was some mild profanity I hadn’t remembered the previous times I have watched before.  I have a sentimental connection to the film because it was one of the few theatrical releases my parents watched (at the theater) in the last 2 to 3 decades that they actually liked.

The real reason, though, is that my parents saw that within a year that my mother passed away in September of 1992.

Profanity:

Peter (Robin Williams) says H*** about 2 times and D*** about 2 times feeling frustrated at his family members.  The Lost Boys have a dinner scene where some very crude comments and insults like “slime,” “maggots” and “side of flies”  are exchanged, without resorting to cuss words.

Violence:

Several acts of violence, related to pirates and others on a pirate ship including verbal threats take place. (As far as I remember blood is not drawn more than once, if at all.)  One pirate who wrongs Captain Hook has to deal with a box of scorpions (suggested momentarily).  A baseball hits Peter on his head knocking him back out his I-can’t-remember-that-I’m-Peter-Pan mode.

Immorality:

There are a lot of men and boys in this movie, so female immodesty is minimum, if not non-existent.  The men and boys are always wearing trousers, at least.  Most, if not all,  are wearing shirts. Even Tinkerbell is wearing a full-leather outfit.

Summary:

This film is great fun to watch and has a message about the importance of families.  To miss that message, you’d have to fall asleep during much of it.

I highly recommend “Hook” because of its adventure, but mostly because of its focus on how dads should protect and support their wives and children.  Because of the violent content, it might be too intense for small children.  (Hook is rated PG.)

To all you dedicated visitors, just dropping a line, though my blog has been inactive (no posts) for a few weeks, that I still care about you and this blog is still alive and well. Life has just been busy. Later…

See, I have been busy.

The webmaster of this site just had a healthy baby on Monday.  What a beautiful early Christmas gift from heaven and spouse!  Merry CHRISTmas to all of you!!! We hope you are surrounded by much family and many friends this day even if they are far away. God be with the troops and their families fighting for and defending freedom in the Middle East and throughout the world.  And may heavenly angels strengthen all the missionaries throughout the earth who bring glad tidings of great joy of the good news, the gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

With love and sincerity,

The LDSreviews4movies Family

This is a fun action film–it recycles the idea that Indy is afraid of snakes, among other things. It has a lot of visual advantages since the first one (“Raiders”) one came out…especially in the CGI department. CONTENT BREAKDOWN coming SOON…

It may go without saying than this movies containes a lot of mayhem and violence, mostly missile weaponry, and people in suits of armor taking down the bad guys or dueling each other.  I remember one scene (I closed my eyes for 95% of the scene) that was a bedroom scene and a woman gets up out of bed basically wearing a bedsheet.  Other than using deity’s name in vain (I hate that; I’d rather hear the F-bomb than that), I only recall four uses of profanity.  MORE DETAILED breakdown of content COMING SOON…

I’ll start off saying that this is very well done. The creative force behind it did very well giving it the same camera shots, etc. as “24″ does, which it spoofs. You can download the movie for free. It’s fairly violent, only one shot where the audience sees blood; It’s the aftermath of a gunshot wound to the head. It had more profanity than I thought it might, but was minimal on immorality. MORE SPECIFIED breakdown on the content COMING SOON…

I attended a screening of “Nim’s Island” Friday, June 5, 2008 at a second-run theater.  What a great story.  The most famous actor is Jodie Foster, but the lesser known actors were great, too.  The storyline is well-scripted and at a great pace.  The character arc of Jodie Foster’s role is excellent as are the way the 3 main characters lives interweave.

A Review will be coming soon!  But, til then, just one thing: I recommend this movie to all, ages 5 and up.  Stay tuned and check back soon!

I attended a screening of “Happy Valley,” directed and produced by Ron Williams, at the Wynnsong in Provo.  It was on a whim and my wife let me pick.  I scanned the movie posters and it looked to be the most interesting.  “Happy Valley” is a well-made documentary, mostly about prescription drug abuse in Utah County.  I was pleasantly surprised.  It informed me and it moved me.  It is well crafted, edited and a needed dialogue.  The main reason for its rating [PG-13] is that it chronicles drug abuse.  It shows one character, whom the Ron is trying to convince to get rehabilitation, taking the drugs.  One character, a young woman, now serving time for homicide, retells how her she didn’t help her best friend by calling 9-1-1, who had collapsed from taking too many drugs.  She herself was under the influence at the time and not thinking clearly.  It is probably too intense for younger viewers.

PROFANITY: 2 or 3 times, “he**” and “da**”

IMMORALITY: none

VIOLENCE: retold stories of homicide and covering it up among other acts done under the influence.  Otherwise, there are no visuals of the violent acts themselves.

WORD OF WISDOM:  repeated drug use described with its attending problems, also a man shown inhaling marijuana in his cluttered basement apartment

Overall, this movie, while documenting drug abuse has a message of hope and forgiveness.  The ending especially shares this.  You may be surprised by the ending, too.

Recommendation:  Watch it (if you are 15 or older).  It will change the way you view this problem.