Description
"Narnia may be a more savage place than you remember!" There's no may about it. This time around, Narnia's more like Lord of the Rings. Prince Caspian's uncle Miraz is the usurper of the Narnian throne, and when Miraz's son is born, Miraz sets out to kill Caspian, as Caspian is the true heir to the throne. With the help of his professor, Caspian escapes. He rides for the woods, trying to lose his pursuers. But when he is knocked from his horse, with his pursuers right behind him, he blows his magic horn, summoning Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy into Narnia to help him as he fights for Narnia's freedom.
Good Things
I hate it when this happens. On some movies I just don't know where to start. And this is one of them. Despite all the negative reviews of Prince Caspian, I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. No. That wasn't a joke. The characters are constantly risking their lives for each other. At one point, Edmund saves Peter by knocking an archer over the wall and almost getting himself filled with arrows in the process. And that's just one example out of many. The movie is filled with many good messages. In the beginning of the film, Peter is very immature, picking fights for almost no reason. In Narnia, he tries to prove himself to everyone, and fails. But by the end of the film, he has learned that he is nothing without Aslan, and that's a message we should all take to heart. In most of the film, Aslan is absent, prompting Lucy to ask him why he didn't come save them. He tells her that things never happen the same way twice, and that they should have trusted him and waited for his guidance. Every time Peter tries to do things without Aslan's consent, he always pays for it dearly. The fight scenes are terrific. And so are the visual effects. (Spoiler warning!) The movie also portrays mercy very clearly. After Peter has defeated Miraz in a duel, Miraz asks if he's too cowardly to take his life. Peter looks at him and says: "It's not mine to take." He hands the sword to Caspian, and though Miraz killed his father, Caspian plunges the sword into the ground, rather than killing him. There are many other good things, but it would take too long to mention them all. I must say that the end of the movie is fantastic, minus a kiss (see following section), and was very well done.
Bad Things
And now we come to the bad things. Sadly, nearly every movie has them. Thankfully, the problems with this film were not abundant. The worst thing is the fact that Susan fights in all the battles. Thankfully, there are only two large-scale battles. Other things worth mentioning are the violence and magic. The violence isn't all that bad. There are a lot of battles, but blood only shows up twice in the movie. Once when Caspian gets his hand cut open, and then when Peter cuts Miraz's leg. And the latter is kind of unnoticeable. But the first scene I mentioned is the same one in which the magic happens. Caspian walks into a room in Aslan's How, and a werewolf emerges from the shadows along with a hag who looks more like a bird. They are on the verge of summoning the White Witch back to life, and the witch claims that all she needs is a drop of Caspian's blood, which is when the hag cuts his hand. I'm afraid I can't recommend that scene for children. There really isn't much violence in the film, and though there are a lot of battles, there's next to no blood. Also, Susan and Caspian are attracted to each other, and at the very end of the film, they kiss. Also, Susan lies about her name in the beginning of the movie to escape the attention of a geeky boy. Lastly, there are a few female centaurs in the movie, but they are clothed, so it's not really anything to worry about.
Conclusion
I normally don't have a conclusion section, but I felt like I should have one for this film. Though the movie does depart from the book, I thought it was done very well. There are a few more things to worry about here than in the other Narnia films, but overall, I have to recommend this movie. Whether the younger people in your family should watch it or not is your decision, but I think it's well worth seeing. I give it 9.5/10 stars.
The Fellowship of The Ring
Description
"The Ring is trying to get back to it's master." After losing the One Ring, Sauron desperately searches for "that which was his in ages past." The Ring is in the hands of a Hobbit, Frodo Baggins, who has set out to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. On the way he will be met by Ringwraiths, orcs, Uruk-Hai and much more. Watch as his eight companions defend him and the Ring, as it's destruction is the only hope of Middle-Earth.
Good Things
This film has many good themes in it. Such as friendship, loyalty, and many other things. There are too many good things to list individually. It has next to no Biblical significance, but it is still a very good movie.
Bad Things
The only real problems I have with this movie are *ahem* an unnecessary act of romance between Aragorn and Arwen, and some magic. I will say, though I don't consider it a bad thing, that there are some potentially frightening scenes, and some violence that got this movie it's PG-13 rating. The violence includes quite a few heads being cut off, blood, and many other ways of disposing of the forces of evil. I must say that overall, I recommend this film more than any other film I have reviewed. I award it 9.5/10 stars. (The only things that keep me from awarding it 10/10 stars are the magic, and an unnecessary kiss between Arwen and Aragorn.)
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Description
"Return to hope." "Return to magic." "Return to Narnia!"
Narnia truly has returned to magic. And to hope. This is a fantastic film! It's perfect for a family movie night. The visuals are stunning. The actors are stunning. (Will Poulter as Eustace is excellent). Plus, plenty of humor is thrown in. There's not much more you could hope for in a movie. In my opinion, this film is a significant improvement over the other two. Not that the others were bad..... Well, Prince Caspian has it's problems, sadly. Anyway, the music (I'll update this section more later, as I intend to get it soon, Lord willing.) is actually quite good. Especially the Narnia theme, which thankfully is present. Some of the locations are breathtaking. And you'll probably be on the edge of your seat throughout most of the movie.
Good Things
There are many reasons that make this film worth watching. One of the most important is that I felt as if it had more biblical significance than the previous two. There are many statements such as Reepicheep saying "We have nothing, if not belief." Another is the fact presented in the movie that, left to ourselves, we cannot win over temptation. Eustace states: "No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do it myself." This statement refers to Aslan, and has biblical significance as we can do nothing without the Savior.
Bad Things
There is only one thing I can remember that was wrong with the film. Eustace does take God's name in vain once in the film. I highly recommend this film if you have some way to filter the language. I award the film 9.5/10 stars. (The only thing that keeps me from awarding it 10/10 stars is God's name being taken in vain which, I will say should give it a 0/10, but it had many good things in it, therefore I gave it a 9.5/10).
The Widow's Might
Description
"John Moore and Cameron Cavillo are buddies and aspiring filmmakers with the dream of winning the prestigious American Viewfinder film festival. When an acquaintance of Cameron’s, an elderly Widow, faces losing her home to the outrageous property taxes in her area (due to plans for a new highway), the Moore family takes action, along with their friends, the Morton family. Through political smears, misleading press reports, on set mishaps, and a wild western ride, these families band together in a classic black hat/white hat tale of heroism."
Good Things
Wow! For a fourth film, this is excellent! It was filmed brilliantly, along with superb soundtrack! I think it quite deserved it when it took home the Grand Prize at the SAICFF. It has a wonderful message about perseverance in the last half of the film. It has no language, drug or alcohol use. I have no problems with this film. I award the film 8.5/10 stars.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Description
The evil White Witch, Jadis, has cast a wicked spell over the magical land of Narnia, ruled by the Great Lion, Aslan. Jadis claims to be the true queen of Narnia, and has many on her side. In our world, the year is 1940, and four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie have left the city because of the bombing raids. They have been sent to the countryside, to be watched over by professor Digory Kirke. As soon as they arrive, they begin to play a game of hide-and-seek. Lucy hides in a wardrobe. A magical wardrobe, to be precise. She backs up in it, and soon falls out the back of it into a magical world covered with snow, which is Narnia. She decides to explore, and soon finds a lamppost. She meets a faun, whose name is Mr. Tumnus, and he asks her to tea. She agrees to go with him, and they are soon at his house, and he serves her some food. He then plays a tune, which makes her fall asleep. She awakes to find him crying, and he tells her that he had intended to turn her over to the white Witch. He apologizes, and she quickly leaves Narnia, the two of them still friends. When she comes back, she finds not time has passed at all, and none of her siblings believe her. That night, both her and Edmund get into Narnia, and Edmund meets the white Witch. Lucy finds out that no harm has come to Mr. Tumnus, he having told her he could get in trouble for not turning her in. Edmund and Lucy return and Edmund lies that they haven't been anywhere. The next day, they begin to play a game of cricket. Edmund accidentally hits the ball through the window, and are chased by the housekeeper, Ms. Macready, the professors housekeeper. They all run into the wardrobe to hide, and find themselves in Narnia. They soon learn from two talking beavers that Mr. Tumnus has been captured by the Witch. Soon, in addition to learning this, Edmund goes to the white Witch like she told him to, and betrays his siblings who she wants to kill! The three siblings soon learn that there is a prophecy that four humans would come into Narnia and reign for years and years, after they conquered the white Witch. Peter takes charge and tries to lead them to Aslan, to beg him to rescue Edmund. It is unknown to them however, that the white Witch plans to destroy all resistance in Narnia!
Good Things
This movie is very exciting! While it isn't my personal favorite, I still enjoy watching it. There are many good themes to this movie. Later on in the movie, one character gives his life to save another. This movie represents Christianity in many good ways. All throughout the movie characters are risking their lives for each other. It isn't as impressive visually as Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, but it's still pretty good. It has a pretty good battle at the end. And, it has a great ending.
Bad Things
There are only a few things bad about this film. There was an irreverent use of God's name by Mr. Beaver. Also, Mr. Beaver does drink wine in one scene. The Witch does turn people to stone, and there are a few scary looking creatures. Overall, this is a great film, and I highly recommend it! I award the film 8/10 stars.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Description
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.........
The evil Trade Federation organizes a blockade around the lush, peaceful planet of Naboo as an answer to taxation on trade routes. Two Jedi Knights, the "guardians of peace and justice" set out to warn the Naboo of an attack on their planet. They arrive too late. The droids of the Trade Federation have already captured Queen Amidala, the ruler of Naboo, and are forcing her to sign a treaty to make their invasion legal. After a quick and daring rescue by two Jedi knights, namely Qui-Gon Jinn, and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, they attempt to escort the queen to Coruscant to plead her case to the Senate. After their starship is shot by a blockade of the Trade Federation, they lose power, and it looks like all is lost. However, after a good droid, who goes by the name R2-D2, temporarily repairs the ship, they have enough power to land on another planet, Tatooine, where they can repair their starship. They meet a slave, by the name of Anakin Skywalker, who works for the only owner of the hyper drive they need to repair the ship. However, the owner of the parts refuses to accept Republic credits, and they know they could be stuck there for "a very long time". What they don't know, however, is that a menacing Sith warrior is out to kill Queen Amidala!
Good Things
This movie is visually stunning. From fascinating light saber duels to lush planets, to pod races, to desert sands, this movie is packed with action and beautiful locations. However, that's not the important part of it. This movie does have a good theme to it. The friends constantly put themselves' in danger to save each other. Sacrifice is portrayed clearly all throughout the film. The film has absolutely no language, and, it has no drug or alcohol use. It has no romance either. Another thing that might be worth mentioning is some statements that have biblical significance (even though I know George Lucas didn't mean it that way) such as: "You can't stop the change....... any more than you can keep the suns from setting." I had very few problems with the film. Another thing that might be worth mentioning is that some people think it is the worst film that was ever made because they were expecting it to be something....... shall I say very different? I can't help but think some people watched it expecting to see Lord of the Rings 2. It is, after all made for children.
Bad Things
There are only a few things I didn't like about this film. For one thing, it is stated in the film that Anakin had a virgin birth. This is quite insane. George Lucas said that in mythology a god or main hero will sometimes have a virgin birth. However, this is no excuse. Another problem is the use of the Non-living Force. Basically, if you are unfamiliar with Star Wars, the Force is kind of pictured as a god. It gives Jedi knights the ability to move objects with the mere outstretching of their hand. There are a few places the Force is used and mentioned. Thirdly, there is a little violence at the end in which a character is cut in half and you see his body splitting in two. And, lastly, there is an alien pictured very briefly that is wearing a slave girl outfit, which you could hardly call an outfit. Overall, I highly recommend this film. I award the film 7.5/10 stars.
