Well, ‘tis the season to see movies. At least, it is for me. I usually dive right into the holiday blitz of new films – hook, line, and popcorn. So, for what it’s worth, here are some very brief movie reviews, followed by some opinions from a totally unaccredited critic (me).
Alvin and the Chipmunks – Brain candy. Don’t get hung up on the silly plot. Just load up the kids, turn off the “artsy, critical” part of your mind, and have some fun. And make sure that you sway back and forth when they sing “Christmas, Christmas-time is here. . .” It’s much more fun that way. AAAAALLLVIIIIIIN!!!!
I Am Legend – A can of Red Bull. Leave the kiddos at home, but go see this one. It is a thrilling, sometimes scary romp through a deserted New York City, at a time when a killer super-virus has wiped out almost everyone, and left most of the survivors as rabid zombies. As I wrote that last sentence, I realized that I may have given the impression that this movie has no substance. However, some very cool themes abound. I know Christians these days seem to find themes of redemption in everything from "Casablanca” to “George of the Jungle”; but “I Am Legend” really does have some neat things to say about God’s purpose for our lives and giving of ourselves for others. A little scary and a little ghoulish – yeah. But it ends well and is definitely worth seeing. Oh yeah – and big ups to Will Smith. One of our finest, most versatile leading men right now, in my opinion.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets – A big, juicy casserole. I use that particular food metaphor because this film has a little bit of everything thrown in. Likeable characters – check. Non-stop action – check. Interesting plot line with lots of twists and turns – check. I took my 9-year-old to see this one, and he loved it. What’s there not to like about a good old-fashioned treasure hunt movie? Oh yeah, and I counted zero curse words. It must be PG for action sequences and perilous situations. I especially recommend this one as a good father/son movie.
Bee Movie – A Twinkie without the cream filling. This one didn’t deliver enough magic to match the hype. I’m not saying it was a waste of money, but it wasn’t as entertaining as I’d hoped. They tried to do too much with the plot. This movie reminds me why I compare every animated movie to Pixar, the standard-bearers; because Pixar remembers that no matter how good the animation is (and the “Bee Movie” animation was great) – nothing can substitute for a really good story with characters that you care about. So I’ll have to give this one “two stingers down.”
Th-th-that’s all folks. . .
Easy casserole recipes
