Reaching for Justice

Last updated on: December 21, 2012 at 6:32 am By Coyle Neal

Review of Jack Reacher, Directed by Christopher McQuarrie By COYLE NEAL Tom Cruise’s latest movie is both unfortunately and fortunately timed. It is unfortunately timed because of how it opens—with a sniper randomly shooting people in Pittsburgh. Suspect James Barr is quickly caught, and before being put in a coma by a brutal prison beating, he tells the authorities to “get Jack Reacher.” Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) promptly shows up, punches everyone in Pittsburgh, delivers a slew of one-liners, and... Read more

Grace Accepted; Grace Rejected—A Review of Les Misérables

Last updated on: December 20, 2012 at 6:58 am By Alexis Neal

Review of Les Misérables, Directed by Tom Hooper By ALEXIS NEAL After years of imprisonment and hard labor, one-time thief Jean Valjean is finally released from prison, only to discover that, for an ex-con life on the outside is harder than he expected. When the Bishop of Digne unexpectedly takes pity on him, Valjean promptly repays the Bishop’s kindness by making off with all the silver he can carry. Valjean is apprehended by the authorities, of course, but the Bishop... Read more

This Is 40: Hollywood on Aging

Last updated on: December 19, 2012 at 6:51 am By Kendrick Kuo

Review of This Is 40, Directed by Judd Apatow By KENDRICK KUO Pete (Paul Rudd) got Debbie (Leslie Mann) pregnant, got married, and a few years later, they have two kids and they are 40 years old. Well…Debbie thinks she is 38, but later we discover she is actually 40. This Is 40 is a spinoff of Knocked Up, where Pete and Debbie were supporting characters. First off, as an evangelical, let me say that This Is 40 is not... Read more

Faith, Reason, and the Man in the Big Red Suit

Last updated on: December 18, 2012 at 6:25 am By Alexis Neal

Review of Miracle on 34th Street, Directed by George Seaton By ALEXIS NEAL Young Susan Walker is an intensely practical child. Her mother Doris has only ever told her the truth—her childhood has been uniformly free of such frivolous and fictitious nonsense as fairy stories, happily-ever-afters, make believe, and most importantly (for our purposes, anyway): Santa Claus. And Doris is quite satisfied with this state of affairs. It’s best to be realistic, after all—saves wear and tear on the emotions.... Read more

Shakespeare’s Enchanting Dream

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 at 6:21 am By Paul D. Miller

A Review of Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare By PAUL D. MILLER I played a bit part in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in my sixth-grade English class (I was Peter Quince). My freshman year of high school I saw a full production—the first live Shakespeare play I ever saw—and fell completely in love with the theater. I had the joy of revisiting this play at the Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C., over Thanksgiving weekend. Midsummer (c. 1596) is one... Read more

Seeking a Better Country Than Middle Earth

Last updated on: December 14, 2012 at 6:39 am By Paul D. Miller

A Review of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Directed by Peter Jackson By PAUL D. MILLER I previouslyblogged about the surprising darkness and pessimism in J.R.R. Tolkien’s book The Hobbit. That book is often mistakenly called a children’s book, and even though there is nothing childlike about its tales of genocidal war and cynical realpolitik, it will continue to be considered beloved work of fiction no matter how it is labeled. However on second reading I found it to be... Read more

Lord of the Rings: A Timeless Trilogy

Last updated on: December 13, 2012 at 6:41 am By Paul D. Miller

Review of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Directed by Peter Jackson By PAUL D. MILLER It is hard to remember how firmly entrenched the conventional wisdom was that The Lord of the Rings was unfilmable. A disastrous animated attempt in 1978, stuffed full of 70’s cheese, covered just half the story. The film only made $30 million, studio executives refused to fund the planned sequel, and a generation of children were condemned to confusion when the film ends and... Read more

The Hopeless Innocence of Amelie

Last updated on: December 12, 2012 at 6:31 am By Kendrick Kuo

Review of Amélie, Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet By KENDRICK KUO I’ve known about Amélie (2001) for a long time, but only recently decided to sit down and watch it after a co-worker of mine said it was one of her favorite movies. This French film follows a woman named Amélie Poulain from her mother’s tragic (if rather darkly comedic) death in her youth to her adult life coping with her reclusive father and waiting tables at the Two Windmills café.... Read more

I’m Dreaming of a Selflessly Sacrificial Christmas

Last updated on: December 11, 2012 at 7:28 am By Alexis Neal

Review of White Christmas, Directed by Michael Curtiz By ALEXIS NEAL Once upon a time, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis were in the Army together. On Christmas Eve in 1944, Davis (an aspiring performer) saved the life of Wallace (an established Broadway star) and the rest, as they say, is history. After the war, the two embark on a highly successful career culminating in the production of their own musical. Along the way, Wallace and Davis meet the charming Haynes... Read more

Smug Seuss Cinema Sells Story Short

Last updated on: December 10, 2012 at 6:34 am By Paul D. Miller

Review of The Lorax, Directed by Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda By PAUL D. MILLER I am torn by movies like The Lorax (2012). It is a nicely-animated, moderately-fun kid’s movie with a pro-environment message. It is also horribly preachy. Why does environmentalism seem stuck in a stance of permanent sanctimony? Sneed-ville is a walled city so artificial that the trees are made of plastic. A boy decides he must find out what happened to the trees (to impress a... Read more