A Wrinkle in Time isn't smooth sailing through the universe

Movie Title:    

A Wrinkle in Time

Grade:   C+

Rating: PG, 1 hour 49 minutes

In a Nutshell: Despite its best intentions, A Wrinkle in Time is disappointing as a film, although kids will probably still like it.

Based on the very popular book A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet) by Madeleine L'Engle , it doesn't quite deliver the magic I hoped for, especially since screenwriter Jennifer Lee had done such great work with Disney's Frozen , Zootopia (DVD) Wreck-It Ralph and even Frozen Fever. 

                                                  

Tips for Parents:

• LOTS of moral lessons kids and parents can feel good about.
• Kids in peril
• Mrs. Whatsit uses the word “prodigious.”  In case your kids ask you what it means, you can tell them “remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree.”  Your kids will be so impressed that you know. 
• Bullying
• No profanity.  Thank you!
• Multi-racial family

                                               

Uplifting theme: 

• The only way to defeat the darkness is to become the light.
• Love rescues
• “Be a warrior.” – Mrs. Which  (Oprah)
• Center yourself.  Become one with the universe and yourself.
• “The wound is the place where the light enters you.” – Mrs. Who

Things I liked:

• Chris Pine!  I love him in anything.
• Storm Reid is adorable and did a pretty good job, although a bit straight-faced during most of the movie.  Her best scene, by far, was with Chris Pine towards the end.
• It's a colorful ride.  The gossiping flower scene was the best part of the film.
• Fun hairstyles on the Mrs.'s.
• Zach Galifinakus was pretty funny and did a lot with the very small role he was given.
• I think frequencies and energy are so interesting. If you're fascinated by science, check out A Wrinkle in Time Book of Fun, Facts, and Science  Energy is everything.
• Some of the scenes were shot in gorgeous New Zealand.

Things I didn’t like:

• While director DuVernay was very enthusiastic and creative, her vision was probably overly ambitious, resulting in a choppy mess.
• A lot of the green screens look fake with some special effects that don't really work. 
• Some weird moments with missing details.  Sometimes I really wish directors would let me see their movies before they released them so that I could point out some of the mistakes that could be quickly fixed.
• Deric McCabe as Charles Wallace is super cute, but sometimes it was hard to understand what he was saying.
• I couldn’t understand a word Storm Reid was saying during the tornado scene in the woods.
• Cliched scene where someone says, “Do you trust me?”
• Mindy Kaling looked so awkward trying to run in her ridiculous dress.  What was her character's purpose?  She didn’t actually do anything to help.  
• Over-the-top make-up.  The costumes were creative, but they looked like costumes.The “Mrs’s” looked more fake than magical. 
• You don’t need to pay extra money to see this in IMAX.  It's fine on the regular screen.  Better yet, watch it when it comes out on Netflix.
• The dialogue may sound good in the book, but it's awkward in the movie.
• Lots of close-ups that don't really work.
• A scene in the second trailer was completely cut out of the movie.
• I actually looked at the clock on my cell phone.  That's never a good sign.
• There's no real villain.  There's only a wispy, menacing "it." 
• Kids who haven't read the book might think that Oprah's character's name is Mrs. Witch.  While Oprah really is bigger than life (I laughed when Mrs. Which was gigantic), her acting is not good.  I heard her speak to a room full  of 10,000 a number of years ago at the California Governor's Conference for Women and she was mesmerizing.
• Surprisingly, some of the acting was not good by quite a few of the other actors too.  It felt forced and contrived.

Interesting lines:

• “You can do this.  You’re choosing not to.” – Happy Medium (Zach Galifianakis)
• “It’s ok to fear the answers, Meg, but you have to face them.” – Happy Medium
• “What if we are not just in the universe, but the universe is in us?” – Mr. Murry (Chris Pine)
• “You just have to find the right frequency and have faith in who you are.” – Mrs. Which (Oprah)
• “We can’t take credit for our talents.  It’s how we use them that counts.” - Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon)
• “Your house is so warm.  You’ve done a good job keeping the darkness out.” – Mrs. Whatsit
• “Love is always there, even if you don’t feel it.  It’s always there for you.” – Mr. Murry
• “Don’t give up hope.” - Mrs. Murry (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) 

                                   

                                               @trinaboice

The Case for Christ challenges viewers before Easter

Movie Title:  The Case for Christ

Grade:  B+

Rating:   PG, 112 minutes

In a Nutshell: Perfectly timed for Easter, this Christian film attempts to demonstrate that Jesus Christ lived and was resurrected by challenging viewers to explore the evidence for themselves.  

Based on a true story and the book by Lee Strobel called The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (Case for ... Series) , the film walks you through one man’s journey from atheism to Christianity.  As he says in the beginning of the movie, “The only way to truth is through facts.”  When his wife becomes a Christian, he resists violently, beginning his personal quest to prove religion wrong.  As a journalist by profession, he realizes he can no longer dispute the growing evidence.

So many people, including members of my own family proudly proclaim “I believe in science”, yet won’t take an honest look at what science has said about the existence of Jesus Christ and the resurrection.  This film addresses some of those pieces of evidence.  It also illustrates that you CAN believe in science AND God.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Believing in God…not believing in God.  Either way, it still takes a leap of faith.” – Kenny London (Mike Pniewski)
• “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance.  The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” – C.S. Lewis (as quoted by Kenny)
• Believe plus receive equals become.” – Leslie Strobel (Erika Christensen)
• “Open your heart and take a chance.” – Pastor (Jordan Cox)
• ‘If you look expectantly for whispers, you’ll hear them.” – Pastor
• “When is enough evidence enough?” - Ray Nelson (Brett Rice)

Things I liked:

• I’m glad that the number of Christian films out there is on the rise.  They are generally improving in quality and it gives those who want to watch “clean” films in a fun movie theater environment a good option.
• The movie shows an experience that reminds us that God uses us to bless others, to answer people’s prayers.
• It was good to see Faye Dunaway in a movie again.
• I always like it when information about the real people in the movie is shown at the end.  You get to see pictures of Lee and Leslie Strobel and learn about their books, ministry, and even what their children are doing.
• It shows flawed Christians. In other words, just because you're Christian doesn't mean you're perfect.  "Church is a hospital for the sick, not a museum for saints." (Abigail Van Buren)
• It does a good job illustrating that conversion is a process and an ongoing one at that, not a one-time event.
• A psychologist in the film, played by Faye Dunaway)  talks about a phenomenon called a “father wound”, which she says all of the famous atheists in history had.  It refers to some kind of dysfunctional relationship with their biological father, making it difficult for them to believe in a loving heavenly father.  Interesting.

Things I didn’t like:

• Lee and Leslie Strobel argue a lot about Christianity.  I never enjoy watching people fight and bicker in real life or in the movies, so that became exhausting to watch.  Marriage is hard, but if each spouse supports the journey of growth and discovery that we all take during our lives, marriage would be so much easier.
• Like a lot of Christian films, this one is pretty slow moving.
• Atheists always get so angry with Christians.  Why is that?  They scream for tolerance, yet they don’t offer any to those who think differently than they do.  Of course, this is just a movie, but I’ve definitely noticed that attitude in real life.  
• There is mention of the “Christ Cult”, which is just plain offensive to Christians who are doing their best to be good people.

Interesting lines:

• “There is no ‘what if’ with God.” – Alfie Davis (L. Scott Caldwell)
• “Listen?  Do THAT.” – Alfie
• “Churches aren’t perfect.  Pastors aren’t perfect.  That’s not God.  That’s people.” – Pastor
• “It’s not luck.  It’s Jesus.” - Alfie
• “In his time and in his way, God always keeps his promises.” – Alfie
• “I missed the truth.  I didn’t see it.” – Stroebel

“You didn’t want to see it.” - James Dixon (Renell Gibbs) 

• “What if it IS true?  Wouldn’t you want to know that?” – Leslie Strobel (Erika Christensen)
• “Shouldn’t we go to church?” – Lee (referring to where he should have his first prayer)

“Right here.  Right now.  This is church.” – Leslie

• SPOILER:  “I don’t know everything.  I never will know everything.  But I know enough and I believe.” – Lee Strobel (his touching prayer at the end of the movie)

• Tips for parents: 
• There is a graphic conversation when a doctor discusses flogging and crucifixion and shows images.
•  Young children will be bored.  There is a lot of "talking" and no action. 

@trinaboice 

Life straddles science fiction and horror genres

Movie Title:  Life

Grade:  B+

Rating: R, 103 minutes

In a Nutshell: This is an extremely suspenseful and entertaining film that tries to straddle both the science fiction and horror genres.  

It presents an interesting “what if” scenario that is fairly believable and realistic.

The outstanding cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rebecca Ferguson, Ariyon Bakare, and Olga Dihovichnaya. 

If you can’t get enough of aliens, you’ll be glad to know that Alien Covenant is coming out May 19 in the United States.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Its curiosity outweighs fear.” – Hugh Derry (Ariyon Bakare)
• Life, survival, sacrifice, loyalty, friendship, curiosity

Things I liked:

• The CGI is excellent.  It definitely doesn’t look like they put actors in front of a green screen.  Everything is really believable.
• Named after Calvin Coolidge, the alien first elicits “awww’s” from the audience and then “EEK!”  You get to see plenty of the alien.  My son’s name is also Calvin, named after his grandfather and great-grandfather, who were also aliens.  Just kidding…about the alien part.
• There is an extremely impressive shot that is very long without cuts, showing the space station and the people working inside.
• The book Goodnight Moon book takes on new meaning when read while circling around the moon.
• Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese also wrote Deadpool and were happy to work with Ryan Reynolds again, who has all of the snappy one-liners in the flick. He was going to play the lead character, but his schedule conflicted with his role in the upcoming movie "The Hitman's Bodyguard", so he had to take a supporting role instead.  This is also the second time Ryan Reynolds has worked with Director Daniel Espinosa (Safe House).  By the way, have you seen the special, short clip of Deadpool before the movie Logan plays on screen in theaters?  Hilarious.
• I’m always fascinated with how they make space movies and show actors almost swimming through the space station.  I love it when items float in the air, especially tears.  In the film you often see drops of blood float, symbolism the very essence of life.  By the way, the actors said that the best thing about filming a space movie is wearing a Onesie and socks all day.  ha ha

Things I didn’t like:

• There are some really disgusting moments and super gory deaths that made the audience I sat with groan and moan.
• I really like Jake Gyllenhaal and find him almost mesmerizing to watch in all of his movies, but his character in this film seemed underdeveloped and one dimensional. 
• Rumors have been swirling that this is a prequel for a future marvel "Venom" movie.  Nope.  Not true, although it would be a good back story.

Interesting lines:

• “We’re looking at the first proof of life before earth.” –  Hugh Derry
• “What I feel is not rational.  It’s not scientific.  I feel hate.” – Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson)
• “No life support, no life.” – Hugh
• “Life’s existence requires destruction.” – Hugh
• “Calvin doesn’t hate us, but he has to kill us in order to survive.” – Hugh
• “I can’t stand what we do to each other down there.” – David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal)
• “It’s hard to watch people die…like fireworks.” - David

Funny lines:

• “Woo!  Cue Instagram!” – Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds)
• “This is some re-animator shxx!” – Rory

“That’s some kind of obscure reference!” – Miranda

“Not if you’re a nerd.” – Rory

• “Control, if you’re listening and I know you are because you’re creepy that way…” – Rory
• “Seriously, that kid had blue eyes.” – Rory
• “It was all going so well.” – Hugh

Tips for parents:

• Profanity, including F-bombs
• Bloody, violent, gruesome deaths.
• The alien itself isn’t that scary looking.  It kind of looks like an octopus in the end.

The Space Between Us has a lot of empty spaces in theater seats

Movie Title:   The Space Between Us

Grade:   B

Rating:  PG-13, 120 minutes

• In a Nutshell:  This is kind of a modern version of the old Starman film about STAR-crossed lovers. Writer/Director  Peter Chelsom has given us some truly mediocre films.  Sadly, this is another one.  Fun fact: He voices Centaur in the movie.

For a movie about science, there wasn't a lot of chemistry on the screen.

Uplifting theme: 

• Our most valuable resource on Earth is courage.
• “Just because something sounds crazy, doesn’t mean it’s not true.” – Gardner
• “You don’t know how far away you are until there’s someone you want to be near.” – Gardner
• What is your favorite thing about Earth?
• We live on a truly magnificent planet and need to enjoy every minute we get to live on it.
• Humanity, friendship, loneliness
• Both Gardner and Tulsa want to feel close to someone and be a part of a family.  In the great universe of space, there is small part of every human's soul to want to belong.

Things I liked:

• Disney is in love with Britt Robertson.  She’s definitely adorable and makes us believe she’s truly in love with whoever the lead actor is.  Her romantic leads have been much older men in other movies, so I wonder how she felt being with the young Asa Butterfield.  
• Asa Butterfield does a good job walking “heavy” in the beginning, as he tries to get used to gravity.
• Carla Gugino looks like she has been living at the gym lately and looks fantastic.  Her character’s name is Kendra.  If I had a daughter, I would have named her Kendra. 
• There are some really beautiful images of outer space, Earth, and everything in between.
• You can SEE the sonic boom as the spaceship takes off through the atmosphere. That was cool.
• That clear laptop used by Sarah’s brother (played by Colin Egglesfield) looked awesome.
• There is a tiny twist that helped save the ending for me.
• It cracked me up when Gardner was in Las Vegas (where I live) and made the following accurate observation, “It’s like a big toy.  It’s not real.”  True.  My oldest son didn’t grow up in Las Vegas and calls the city a “gold-encrusted turd.” 
• I liked when Tulsa looked up at all of the hot air balloons in the sky and finally grinned, recognizing that this earth we live on is pretty special.
• Self-driving car!  Yes!
• Aurora Borealis!  That’s on my Bucket List!
• The stunt double for both Britt Robertson and Carla Gugino is named Trina!  Woohoo!  Great name!
• It’s appropriate that the name of the Mars project is Genesis.
• Did you notice the pretty frosted glass chairs in the hangar at the beginning of the movie? 
• I chuckled out loud when I saw “Kick me” written on the back of Gardner’s robot.

Things I didn’t like:

• It almost pulled tears out of my eyes, but my tear ducts felt too manipulated and refused to cooperate with the director's plan.
• Tulsa and Gardner go on a romantic crime spree, stealing cars and other things while they try to run from their "mean" pursuers.
• Quite a few parts of the story line are absolutely ridiculous.
• This movie had a LOT of very young-looking Extras, which made it look like a movie, rather than real life.
• It always bugs me when the movie trailer has lines or moments that never actually show up in the movie.  That being said, the trailer pretty much sums up the movie, minus the small twist at the end.

Interesting lines:

• “The world doesn’t give you exactly what you want.” – Tulsa
• “Just because people lied to you before doesn’t mean I’m lying to you.” – Gardner
• “We’re running out of time and Mother Nature does not negotiate.” – Nathaniel Shepherd (Gary Oldman)

Funny lines:

• “I’m on a road trip with an insane person.” – Tulsa
• “You’re taller than I thought you’d be.” – Tulsa

“You’re meaner than I thought you’d be.” - Gardner

Romantic lines:

• What’s your favorite thing about earth?” – Gardner

“You are, Gardner.” – Tulsa

• “How did you become more beautiful in 20 seconds?” - Gardner
• “You make me human.” – Gardner

Tips for parents:   

• Pre-marital relations between teenagers.
• Teens steal cars and participate in other illegal and irresponsible behavior, all free of consequences.
• Discussion about foster care and Social Services.
• Pre-teens who often feel disenfranchised or misunderstood will enjoy this film.

Victor Frankenstein features spit and stitches

Movie:    Victor Frankenstein

Rating:    PG-13, 1 hour 49 minutes

Grade:   C-

In a Nutshell:    “You know this story….” Says the narrator (Igor),  except that this version isn’t as good as others we’ve seen before.  

The twist is that it’s told through the eyes of Igor, played by Daniel Radcliffe.   He and James MacAvoy give good performances and have a certain…forgive me..spark when they’re together.

It’s supposed to be a “re-imagining”, but overall, it’s an unnecessary remake.   I find it odd that Director Paul McGuigan said that he thought Mary Kelly’s original Frankenstein story was “dull as dishwater”, so why would he want to direct a movie that didn’t inspire him?  Ironically, his own film falls in the dull category.

Uplifting Theme:

·         “The greatest creation is your own life.” – Igor

Things I liked:

·         I liked learning a backstory about Igor.

·         Good for Daniel Radcliffe for trying to reinvent himself and move on from Harry Potter.

·         There is some light humor.

·         Those who love steam-punk will appreciate all the gears and gadgets and turn-of-the-century machinery backdrops.

Things I didn’t like:

·         James McAvoy has been criticized for over-acting in this film.   I wonder what the spit count is.  He screams most of his lines with saliva splattering everywhere.

·         Frankenstein's famous monster only gets 7 minutes of screen time and it's not worth waiting for.

·         Yawn.  I kept looking at my watch.  I don’t wear a watch.  Yawn.
      The story didn't flow well.  It felt...forgive me again...poorly stitched together.
      Too bad this movie didn't come out in time for Halloween.

Interesting lines:  

·         “That man is in allegiance with Satan and must be stopped.”  - Roderick Turpin (Andrew Scott)

·         “I will turn the tide of human existence tonight.” = Frankenstein

·         “You and I are on the threshold of immortality.” – Finnegan (Freddie Fox)

·         “There’s no Satan, no God, only humanity, only me.” – Frankenstein

·         “We’re weak.  We’re fragile and we’re destined to die.” – Frankenstein
       "Life is a temporary condition.  Why should death be any different?" - Frankenstein

Tips for Parents:

·         As you can imagine, there are body parts and tissue sewn together, so you see blood and guts and icky stuff.  Some kids may think that’s really cool, while others may be frightened. 

·         There are some creepy moments which might scare younger audiences.

·         Some profanity and violence.

Four Blood Moons now available on Netflix

Movie:  Four Blood Moons

Rating:  PG

2 hours 30 minutes

Grade:    B-

In a Nutshell:   This documentary was a one-day theatrical release in a limited number of cities back in March 2015.  Now it is available to everyone on Netflix and Amazon.  

Based on the New York Times Bestseller of the same name, author and pastor John Hagee explained,  “The thing that compelled me to write “The Four Blood Moons” was when I saw the scientific information that NASA was putting out:  that it (4 blood moons) happened in 1493, that it happened in 1949, that it happened in 1967 and was going to happen in 2015.  Knowing history, I knew that these 3 dates  applied to Israel and are the Jewish people.”   John Hague

If you don’t know history, those dates correspond with the expulsion of the Jewish people from Spain, the creation of the Israel nation, and the Arab/Israeli 6^th day war.  The movie walks you through each of those significant events, pointing to an equally important event to occur Fall of 2015.

Uplifting Theme:   

*  The Bible announces that God made the sun and the moon to be used as signs in the heavens.   “What we notice in science is the more you research the record of nature, the more evidences you find for the handiwork of God and so, it’s not a surprise that we see increasing numbers of scientists looking at that evidence.” – Hugh Ross, Astrophysicist/Author

*  The tagline for the movie is: Something is about to change.  If he's right, what are you doing to prepare?

          

Things I liked:

* I liked the variety of experts in science, history, and religion sharing their "take" on this fascinating symbolism.  The format of the movie is documentary-style interviews, followed by dramatic reenactments to illustrate each of the pivotal moments in history.

*  The information is extremely interesting and should leave you hanging with anticipation to see what unfolds within the next few months.  Pay attention to the news!

*  Writer and Director Keith Merrill has made several beautiful films for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; however, this is NOT a Mormon movie.  In fact, no LDS theology is even mentioned, focusing, instead on doctrine and symbolism explained by Jewish rabbis and pastor John Hagee, who founded "Christians United for Israel." 

·          

Things I didn’t like:

·    At the end of the movie, you see that the majority of the reenactments were filmed in North Carolina; however, you won't be surprised that the film was produced in the Middle East somewhere, because the majority of the actors look like Americans with bad wigs and fake beards.  The actors looked like they were recruited by a small casting company who only hired locals who wanted to dress up in costumes.  In other words, the acting was pretty bad.

*  The scientific and historical evidence is presented to an audience that is pretty much already Christian and Jewish "believers".  

*  There is no strong call-to-action at the end of the movie, only that "something" is coming.  I would have liked to learn about several theories that the experts think might happen and then hear their ideas on how to be best prepared for certain scenarios.

Interesting lines:

·         “The Talmud states clearly that the eclipse of the sun is difficult for the nations of the world.  The eclipse of the moon is difficult for the Jewish people and express a difficulty for the Jewish people.” – Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

·          

Tips for Parents:  

*  Young children will mostly be bored.  

*  Teens who are interested in the subject matter will learn a little bit more about historical events.  There are inspiring and miraculous stories that are reenacted, which could be a good launching pad for faith-building discussions.

·          

Would you like to know more? You can read the New York Times best-seller by John Hagee:

 

 Here's another one that is a fascinating read by Jonathan Cahn. You'll find a ton of interesting videos on YouTube by him as well:

 

Self/Less asks what legacy will you leave

Movie:    Self/less

PG-13, 1 hour 57 minutes

Grade:    B

In a Nutshell:    The talented Ben Kingsley plays a dying real estate tycoon who buys a younger body, that of Ryan Reynolds.  Nice choice.

Critics have been pretty negative about this movie, claiming that it didn’t dig deep enough.  While that may be true, I still enjoyed the ride. I love movie titles that have double meanings and this one gives cause to reflect.  When is someone else's life more important than your own?  What makes you, YOU?

Uplifting Theme:

·         “Every medical advance has a cost.” – Albright

·         What would you do with your life if you could do it over again?

·         Every one of us is going to die.  What will be your legacy?

Things I liked:

·         Fans of Downton Abbey Season 1-3 will be happy to see Michelle Dockery as Claire.

·         Fans of Natalie Martinez will enjoy watching her play Madeline.  I first saw her in the Stephen King thriller Under the Dome: Season 1 .  It held my interest for the first season, but then I moved on.

·         I loved watching the water jet pack sport Ryan Reynolds' character did.  Awesome.  I found a company near my house in Las Vegas that offers classes!  Check out www.JetpackAmerica.com to find locations where you can actually do it!

·         Wow, that New York City view from the older Damien's dining room!

·         It was nice to see a vibrant New Orleans scene.

·         Matthew Goode just a great job as the ice cold handler behind the science.

·         Little Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen is adorable as Anna.

Things I didn’t like:

·         I love Ben Kingsley and think he’s an excellent actor.  I remember the moment when he won an Oscar for Gandhi .  I thought his New York accent was spot on in this movie, but it just didn’t seem to match his look.

Funny lines:

·         “So much for wisdom and experience.” – Martin (Victor Garber)

·         “I understand you’re disappointed.  You thought you were buying a new car, but instead, you got one with a few miles on it.” – Anton (Derek Luke)

·         What’s that?”   Damien

“It’s something to stop your heart.” – medical worker

·         “I have the physical dexterity of a toddler.” -  Young Damien

Interesting lines:

·         “I’m the only one standing between you and oblivion.” – Albright

·         “Just think of all the great minds we lost, simply because their bodies were failing them:  Edison, Einstein, Steve Jobs.  Imagine what he could have accomplished if he had another 50 years left.” - Albright

Tips for Parents:

·         You see Ryan Reynolds shirtless and bedding a LOT of young women in a “I’m young and hot again” montage.

·         1 F-bomb and other profanity.

·         Some car crashes, blood, and fight scenes.