There is a good database that offers factual reviews of films. I'm sure I can list more of such sites when I find them. For now, this very limited database would have to do.
Unlike books reviews, I shall aggregate my own general films reviews here. As there is no need to have a individual detail entry for most films.
Some Movies/TVs reviews sites worth using for suggestions:
https://www.pluggedin.com/
17 Again (2009)
My rating: 3/5
Starring Zac Efron, Michelle Trachtenberg, Matthew Perry.
About a high school boy (Efron) threw away his basketball future for the sake of his pregnant girlfriend. They got married.
He (Perry) regretted that decision all those years and he finally got his wish, sort of, to relive those moment but not in the past. He has his youthful 17 year old body again while everything else stays current.
So there are inappropriate indications that he is hitting on his own wife as his young self, spinning to other awkward relationship such as his own daughter (Trachtenberg) was attracted to his younger self. All of it without the knowledge who he really was except for himself and his best friend who has become very rich from a high school nerd.
Drama doesn't solve the problem. A true act of care would. Hence I think though this movie is inspiring, it easily put viewers in a passive mode. As if something dramatic has to happen in one's life for something to change in this "what if" experiment.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)
My rating: 2/5
Trying to historically twist Abraham Lincoln's political agenda into vampire hunting coverup. And that Lincoln passed up a chance to be one of the immortal vampire on his last day.
With all these vampire stories in films these days, this movie is just up for some quick bucks.
Ella Enchanted (2004)
My rating: 3/5
Starring Anne Hathaway.
Another Cinderella movie with a different twist. Like that of "Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998).
Ella was given a gift (or curse?) when she was born. The gift of "obedience". Which caused her a series of suffering as she grew while she remained heart strong, until she fell in love with the prince. She was "commanded" to kill the prince and she finally broke the curse by telling herself to break the curse in the mirror.
So all these time, she could have commanded herself out of this "gift" in front of the mirror?
This is another of those "follow your heart" movies. The autonomous attitude in the liberals.
Kurbaan (2009)
My rating: 4/5
Indian Hindi Bollywood film.
Centered on debate between American ideal vs. Middle Eastern harmony.
Though the hero in the film fought against Muslim terrorists (mainly because his fiance was killed by a terrorist attack), he upheld Muslim views and deflected American blames on Middle Easterners back to them, especially in an American college class on Muslim related subject.
Debate clip on youtube:
Storyline is about a U.S. citizen Indian got tricked into marrying a terrorist who used her status to get into the States and commit terrorist attack.
It's a fresh view to see for once something about terrorism that is not from an American standpoint. But since this is a Muslim view, there is little to say about forgiveness, hence there is no true lesson in stopping this battle.
Looper (2012)
My rating: 3/5
Starring Bruce Willis.
Time traveling movie. A new crime boss in the future sending victims to be killed in the past. Such killers are called loopers. When loopers kill their future selves, so that this business remains secret, the "loop" is closed.
One looper hesitated to kill himself, letting his future self got away. This then split the timeline into two. The second timeline is that he did killed himself and lived on a good life, got married. But then his life was to be ended, his wife was killed and he got sent back to the past to be killed by his own self, thus continued to the first timeline where his younger self failed to shoot him.
All this mess has to do with the new crime boss in the future. It was revealed that this boss was actually an innocent little boy whose mother got killed by this looper from the future (for revenge) and grew up wrong. So to prevent this circle of suffering, the younger looper shot himself dead and the older self disappeared as he was about to pull the trigger on the mother.
Films with self sacrificing content always have certain undeniable quality.
Nowhere Boy (2009)
My rating: 1/5
John Lennon's young life.
I skipped a lot, enough to know, like the real person, there's nothing interesting. Just a bunch of spiritually intoxicating drama about a hedonistic lifestyle.
Outlander (2008)
My rating: 4/5
Alien human crash landed in Nordic culture in ancient time. Helped them from alien monster he was hunting. Refused to return to his home world and became king of the tribe.
Melancholic nostalgia: Kissing goodbye to his dead wife preserved in coffin he brought from his world. Embraced a new family on Earth.
I identify myself to this sort of loneliness a lot, in the past.
The Babymakers (2012)
My rating: 2/5
A guy robs a sperm bank to get his sperm back since he has become sterile in his older age.
Typical American view towards sex and life.
This is example of high school Americans stay childish and never grow up.
The Time Machine (2002)
My rating: 4/5
H.G. Wells' work. Starring Guy Pearce, Sienna Guillory.
Very impressive graphic effects on time lapse as the scientist cruises through time in his time machine.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)
My rating: 2/5
Timothy Green is the wish child of a couple who love to have children but were barren. So this miracle child came into their lives and turn things around. But his time is up and is gone shortly. Giving the couple a new hope to adopt.
Disney's quality has really gone down. This happens when you don't give credit to God for all that is good. Makes me feel like Disney is a new form of charismatic church.
Dredd (2012)
My rating: 3/5
Comic adaptation. Another similar movie was Judge Dredd (1995) starring Sylvester Stallone.
The future is policed by a single unit whose members have the authority of judge, jury and executioner.
No surprising this is based on a British comic. A place where there's no separation of church and state. A place where monarchy still triumphs.
The Tall Man (2012)
My rating: 2/5
Played by Jessica Biel.
revolutionizes parenthood, in a bad liberal way.
Poor, abusive real parents can't treat their children better, unknowingly have their children smuggled by some "do-goooder" (biel) to richer cities for those who love to adopt and provide them better home.
Parents suffer from losing their flesh and blood, adopters justify themselves for having part in such kidnapping by providing good education for the kids. One girl (Jodelle Ferland) considers herself having 3 mothers in the end, while justifying herself for not going back to her real mom by indicating one can choose a better life regardless of current situations.
Antboy (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Danish film. Like Spiderman, a boy got ant power. Amateur type film, but good filming technique, hence my points.
No Strings Attached 2011
Played by Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. It is now not just separation of sex from marriage, but from friendship, love. An attempt not successful in the storyline...but attempted. All in the name of love. Degrading family value. Waste of time. I'd expect much from a Harvard graduated philanthropist.
Ted 2012
My rating: 0/5
A child's wish companion became true: a living doll bear.
The bear's voice changed from cute little kid's to a foul mouth adult's.
Centralizing on friendship, modern American style. Ethics based on feelings. Thus, vulgarity is good as long as it feels okay. A waste of time.
Ted 2 (2015)
My rating: 0/5
Alex Cross 2012
My rating: 2/5
Based on novels by James Patterson.
For losing his wife, the psychologist and police in one man, Dr. Alex Cross sought unjust revenge in the end on the one master mind behind all the crimes. And since the businessman loves his reputation so much even at the death of others (by hiring an assassin) and got away to enjoy his life in Indonesia (I think). Dr. Cross had illegal drugs (death sentence for offenders in that country) planted at Mercier's resort.
One can have a good anthropocentric human standard as the way Cross' nana had brought him up, but vengeance is God's. This shows the godlessness even in the best protagonists of the show.
There are two other Patterson's series made into movies, which I have yet to review: Kiss the Girls (1997) and Along Came a Spider (2001), both played by Morgan Freeman.
Margaret (2011)
My rating: 1/5
A look into a drama queen teenager's life of today. Gets hugged by her mother in the end, nothing is solved.
Sex scene in the show strips Anna Paquin's dignity even more since her last (I think) nudity display in HBO's True Blood.
If injustice is done, use wisdom to fight it, not dramatic emotions.
Nudity is getting common again in Hollywood as things like homosexualism, abortion, premarital and marital problems rise.
Zeitgeist (2007)
My rating: 2/5
Zeitgeist is German term for "time-spirit". Sometimes known as acts of some angelic beings.
This film tries to run a few conspiracy theories based on ancient myths mixed with some false claims. This is worse than Dan Brown, in a sense that the producers are more confused, I would imagine. They made this film in the format of a documentary. Of course, probably unlike them, Dan Brown knew full well whom he was betraying.
I first heard of the movie from the How Stuff Works podcast. Then someone from my church gave it a high remark on Facebook. So I looked into it.
I have not finished this film as it just fills with too much lies only a fool would love it. But hey, maybe this is better for them than taking drugs for hallucination.
Since the movie, there have been plenty of sites debunking, refuting, disproving the content of the movie. I shall leave such work to them.
Cloud Atlas (2012)
My rating: 3/5
Focuses on reincarnation. The only interesting part of the film is the attempt to make the same actors playing different ethnic roles. I supposed the cosmetic technology of today is only mildly apart from that of the time of "Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)".
Plot: Lives struggling from 19th century to some 23rd century ending on living on another planet (within the Milky Way). An allegory of heaven, I supposed. But one that's more of a drifter's satisfaction instead of God's eternal glory.
Amish Grace (2010)
My rating: 3/5
Based on true story of the Amish school killing in 2006.
A lesson in forgiveness. I am sure some Christians would criticize it, not just non-Christians, due to shallow understanding of the meaning of forgiveness, arguing that forgiveness is inappropriate when no remorse has been expressed.
Although, to someone who's dead, I do not see how to forgive nor not to forgive. As for the family of the criminal, having care and love toward them is unnecessary of forgiveness. For there is nothing to forgive.
The Last Mimzy (2007)
My rating: 3/5
Based on the book "Mimsy were the Borogoves" by Henry Kuttner & C.L. Moore.
Story about distant future scientist sending advanced toy back in time to extract pure DNA to save the future from genetic corruption. In the movie, the cured future is perceived as paradise and the people living in harmony with supernatural powers.
I'd say, if you want to know what ideal world peace is without God, watch Mimzy.
Mirror Mirror (2012)
My rating: 3/5
Remake of the Snow White tale with a pinch of comedy. Snow White did not eat the apple but requoted the queen's lesson: "It is important to know when you've been beaten, yes?". The happy ending finished with a cute Hindi dance by Snow.
This film attempts to do away with all macho maleness and replaces it with wits and love.
Pitch Perfect (2012)
My rating: 3/5
Singing competition in a capella style. Singers sing very well. But content is shallow. More focus on attitude than singing.
Quo Vadis (1951)
My rating: 4/5
One of the rare classic films merging fiction with New Testament history. However, I think there's too much Roman Catholicism emphasis in it. Repentance is not the main theme of the gospel it's trying to preach, but love. Relationship with God seems anthropocentric.
I do not know why Michael recommended it. I have purchased from ebay a copy for Lyna for her "collection".
Quo Vadis, meaning "Where are you going?" is Henryk Sienkiewicz's title reflecting (From apocryphal Acts of Peter) Peter asking Jesus "Where are you going, Lord?" as he saw post-resurrection Jesus heading into Rome while where he was fleeing from.
Skyfall (2012)
My rating: 2/5
James Bond movie. Where "M" dies in the end. Unfortunately, the show attempts to do away with fancy gadgets, which were the norm of the series. It's more about explosions and blood, with the new pinch of betrayal and loneliness.
The Pacifier (2005)
My rating: 2/5
Vin Diesel gets to be soft and comedic. Seal turns babysitter. Typical Disney style drama. Seems that Disney loves to find Rambos from other films and show their soft side.
The Expendables 2 (2012)
My rating: 3/5
Same style as first episode in 2010. Lots of actions. Not surprising. This time Arnold makes more appearance, while Jet Li left after the intro. Guest appearance is Chuck Norris, but not much show from him other than shooting here and there.
The team is the family kind of thing. It's good to see no betrayal element once in a while in today's movies. For me, it pops the question of toleration of variety in a fellowship group, how far is too far?
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
My rating: 2/5
3D animation. Vampire shields daughter from humans and fails because humans aren't as bad as he'd imagined/seen before.
Incredibly liberal view of life.
Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Brother and sister grew up to be witch hunters after killing their first witch in the candy house. Showing two kinds of witches, the dark ugly and the white pretty kinds. The siblings learn their mother was a grand white witch, the type that doesn't harm humans no matter what.
Action film with a pinch of motherly love drama. Nothing much.
Animal Farm (1999, 1954)
My rating: 4/5
1954 version is animation. I didn't find the need to watch it after seeing the 1999 version.
Based on George Orwell's novel. Very nice allegory of communism. The pigs are are the leaders, interesting analogy.
The 1999 version ends with hope of new leadership, while 1954 ends with revolution, which was Orwell's inspiration to write the novel.
I got introduced to this title by Alex in his facebook when he compared Chinese pianist Lang Lang to the pigs. I wonder if he was referring to Snowball or Napoleon or both.
The Number 23 (2007)
My rating: 3/5
One of the few non-comedic film by Jim Carrey.
Obsession of the number 23 in life. This is one of those surprise in the end film like Sixth Sense. Carrey turns out to be the very murderer he was looking for.
The ending was a responsible one as the real murderer (Carrey) gave himself in in the end while the accused finally set free after how many years.
Interesting ending line: "Be sure your sin will find you out" Numbers 32:23
The Three Stooges (2012)
My rating: 3/5
From the classics comedy series. My mother (and father?) used to have a great laugh at this show.
This new movie is able to retain the essence of the show but like many movies these days, the content is simple, not worth a movie's length.
Rise of the Guardians (2012)
My rating: 2/5
Pagan film. God-like figure is the Moon (or Man on the Moon), who transforms the dead into legendary figures such as North (Santa Claus), Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Pitch Black (the antagonist) and last but not least, Jack Frost, the protagonist.
If children stop believing in any of these characters, they become invisible.
The theme "believe" is not even used by liberals today. Without proper object of believe, these films' childishness makes them short lived.
Real Steel (2011)
My rating: 4/5
I like this one. Even though it's a broken home movie of a father reconnecting to his abandoned son when the mother passed away. The main connector of the relationship - fighting robot.
However, the story is a short one, but unnecessarily ran for 2 hours. Most time wasted in the fights, even though the fights are nice robot actions.
A Late Quartet 2012
My rating: 3/5
Of all the actors, Nina Lee (the final Cellist replacement) was the real musician.
The film portrays the usual dilemma of a musician's love life. Fellow musician falling for wife of friend and even the daughter.
They played Beethoven's Op. 131.
It's a story of an old musician (cellist) played by Christopher Walken retiring from the quartet due to illness and the politics from within.
Walken plays the role of senior adviser comforting and rebuking his young fellow musicians.
In one of his music class, Walken calms his frustrated students with his experience with Pablo Casals. He was a young musician showing Casals his amateur skills and Casals always liked it and praised him. Infuriating the young Walken. Years later, he met Casals, making Casals recalling the past and how Walken didn't actually liked it, Casals amazed him how much he remembered and concluded with a great line about finding faults in musicians: ...leave it to the ignorant and stupid who judge by counting only the faults. I can be grateful, and so must you be, for even one note, one wonderful phrase...
This appears to be based on a true encounter by Gregor Piatigorsky. Thanks to Olethia for the info.
Ra.One (2011)
My rating: 3/5
Bollywood Indian film. Lots of 3D graphics. Matrix-like fighting scenes. Other than that, its content is shallow. 2.5 hours long due to the usual Hindi dance singing.
It is interesting to note that Indie game writing is getting popular. To a point even Xbox's Microsoft is worrying that the Indies do not publish their games through a "publisher" (and everyone knows of whom it's referred to).
Splash (1984)
My rating: 3/5
Tom Hanks' movie about finding his childhood memory of meeting a mermaid (Daryl Hannah). When he found her, he went to the mythical underwater city with her and never returned in the end.
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
My rating: 1/5
An attempt by Spielberg for a more realistic 3D animation. Other than that, nothing's interesting. Just another predictable treasure hunting story.
Just Like Heaven (2005)
My Rating: 3/5
Out of body experience comedy, Reese Witherspoon style. A doctor got into a coma. Her "spirit" went back to her apartment months later, meeting the new tenant who lost his wife. Their grew romantically together until happy ending when she woke up.
The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
My rating: 2/5
Horror thriller with a bit of comedy. 5 teenagers being fooled into a cabin to be sacrificed to the "ancient evil giants" in order to keep the world save. They failed, a giant big hand crushed the cabin in the end. Cult-like, but sugarcoated with the "save the world" notion.
Not worth watching.
Immortal/Immortel: ad vitam (2011)
My rating: 3/5
Film on digital backlot. Futuristic world where Egyptian "gods" visit Earth as aliens in a pyramid ship. They are minding their own business: to give Horus one last freedom before being executed. So his last act is to mate with a mysterious woman in order to produce an offspring that is like himself before he dies.
The mysterious but only supporting character was one named John. Who knows just about everything that's happening on Earth, somewhat like Tom Bombadil from LOTR, but less "divine".
Polytheistic society: The only hope out of vanity is to look for aliens.
Fright Night (2011)
My rating: 2/5
A remake of 1985 movie, staring Colin Farrell as the vampire. Horror mixed with comedy. There was a 1988 sequel, all I remember was it's not worth rewatching.
1985 rating: 3/5
My rating 5/5 movies:
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Ben Hur (1959)
El Cid (1961)
Fireproof (2008)
Time Changer (2002)
Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Emperor's Club (2002)
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
My rating: 4/5
Musical Russian Jewish story.
Tradition striving in modern time. Though time is changing, without tradition, it is just like a fiddler on the roof, without firm ground to stand on.
Memorable song:
1. Do you love me? (influenced "Kiss the girl" from "The Little Mermaid (1989)"?
Madame Sousatzka (1988)
My rating: 4/5
This film was introduced by Dr. Tong in one of his lecture that I do not recall.
Piano teacher's philosophy upon a talented Indian immigrant boy. Boy doesn't listen to teacher's methodology and proudly relies on his own talent.
I think I may need to watch this again as I do not remember the detail.
Minoes (2001)
My rating: 4/5
Dutch film. "Tante", used for auntie in Indonesia, is from Dutch language, as told to me by my wife before. This is proof.
A cat got in contact with unknown chemical barrel and turned into a lady, helping local reporter get his fame and eventually gotten married in love refusing to return to be a cat.
For learning Dutch.
Pilgrim's Progress: Journey to Heaven (2008)
My rating: 4/5
A low rated film of John Bunyan's work. At least it tries to be faithful to the text. Which I have not read and should.
Super 8 (2011)
My rating: 2/5
Alien movie about a bunch of kids making film of their own, discovered an accident involving an alien that's terrorizing the town, due to the fact that it had been abused by the military and was just trying to get home. A violent version of E.T..
Timescape (1992)
My rating: 3/5
Future time travelers going back in time to observe their history. A guy in present time got a hold of their time device and saved the town from asteroid hit and possible prevented his wife from dying at the end.
The Monster Squad (1987)
My rating: 2/5
Comedy.
A bunch of kids saving town from legendary monsters from vampire to mummy. The only friendly monster was Frankenstein's monster, but he was gone too in the end.
Melancholia (2011)
My rating 0/5
Depressed girl got married, Earth destroyed by incoming rogue planet. I supposed they get rating by Kirsten Dunst's nudity. But what then, nowadays Hollywood loves to use nude body doubles for their actresses in order to protect their "dignity". I'm not sure if this kind of vain deceit is in the film, but I do not care. I shouldn't.
Man of Steel (2013)
My rating 4/5
Another reboot of superman. This time, it details more of Krypton's story as well as the farm boy's country lifestyle. Not bad for plot, giving a clear honor to Jor-El. But of course, the Übermensch factor is unavoidable, despite the movie's attempt to not put all burden on superman: (Louis protecting Clark's identity, Perry risking his life to safe his employee, etc.)
Superman actor Henry Cavill played Stardust's Victoria's love interest-turned-gay.
It reminds me of dual nature of Christ. Obviously, superman's analogy to Christ would be a heresy of Apollinarism's tertium quid.
Voyage of the Unicorn (2001) 2 parts miniseries.
My rating: 2/5
Based on the book "Voyage of the Basset" by James Christensen.
Famous quote: Credendo Vides: "By believing, one sees".
A quote worth remembering.
Dances with Wolves (1990)
My rating: 4/5
A lone Union soldier's (Kevin Costner who also directed the film) experience of the ending of the American frontier: When the Indian tribes country was gradually taken over by the "white" people.
I feel like I want to go to the museum for those frontier land paintings again.
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
My rating: 2/5
(Not to be confused with Jack the Giant Killer - also in 2013, which is another show that saw much lower rating, one which I have no plan to watch.)
Another tale of the origin of the tale. CG effects for giants. Ewan McGregor plays a strangely fashioned (hair) chief soldier who learned to cooperate with Jack in the end. Which brought the comedic element in the show. Jack's girl in the film was played by Eleanor Tomlinson who played the young Sophie in The Illusionist (2006).
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Magicians making a living in the stupidest way. After this, I think Steve Carell's success relies on Jim Carrey.
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Pacific Rim (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Concept of alien attack using monsters (kaiju) intrigues people. Secondary is the means of attack from under the ocean instead of space. Which leads one to wonder if the alien home world is aquatic. The other concept is the merging of two minds to control a huge robot. Lots of graphics, that's about it.
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Despicable Me 2 (2013)
My rating: 2/5
First movie seems better in terms of content.
Margin Call (2011)
My rating: 2/5
Interesting idea to begin...how a risk management employee stumbled upon the fact that the company are actually loosing money. The whole show is about how people got fired and how the company lies to stay on top. Boring ending.
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The Pastor's Wife (2011)
My rating: 3/5
A tv film based on true story Mary Wrinkler's case. This reminds me about the Trayvon Martin case. The film differentiates between first degree murder and voluntary manslaughter, as Mary claimed she killed her husband accidentally.
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Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
My rating: 3/5
As good as the first one. Due to its special effects.
Iron Man 3 (2013)
My rating: 3/5
As good as the previous 2 movies. After the post credit clip, I thought some critics may be wrong for saying that Tony has hung up his suits for good. Failure to discern what is indefinite is no excuse for fortuitous prediction.
Jack Reacher (2013)
My rating: 4/5
Some may say Tom Cruise must be hunger for some God complex playing the role of Jack Reacher, an ex-military police whose very good at what he does (I was reminded of a friend Jack from Taiwan when the term MP was brought up). He was able to solve the crime efficiently, while having the skills of a soldier or sniper. Even when the falsely accused sniper thought he was guilty after forgetting everything from his coma, he was afraid that Jack Reacher is coming for him due to past crime.
I supposed the whole idea of some smart and dangerous people getting away with what crimes they commit, is just above the pay grade of civilians to solve and requires someone "above the law" to deal with it.
I'll give credit for the content, but not the God complex of course.
The Lone Ranger (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Disney's classic drama. Johnny Depp spiced up the show. More comedic.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Same rating I would give to the previous "Rise of Cobra (2009)" one. Lots of actions. That's about it.
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Same as the previous one by same actors. But it does make me curious about this Wrath of Khan classic, as I do not remember watching it. Maybe I did, because I remembered some movie before "The Search for Spock".
Oblivion (2013)
My rating: 3/5
I think this movie is poisonous. It is a kind of persuasion to polygamy in an indirect way.
2 sets of clones. One male, one female. Perhaps mistaken by the "mechanical alien" to be a couple. When one of the clones met his original wife, he had memory flashbacks he's not supposed remember. His love partner clone found out and got jealous. In the end, he sacrificed his life for the alien's destruction, and his wife lives with his other clone.
I'd say Tom Cruise would love it since Nicole Kidman could easily resembles the female clone, a redhead too.
42 (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Credit for historical portrayal of Baseball black legend: Jackie Robinson. There were some discrepancies on the truth. There are other historical inaccuracies that can be googled.
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The Host (2013)
My rating: 4/5
I give most credit to the original author of the story, Stephenie Meyer, for creativity. The same author also penned Twilight. Twilight, I give no credit.
It would appear Meyer loves to stretch imaginations beyond human relationships while escaping any traditional stereotypes of such stories. This is what I give credit for.
It is interesting to note that Meyer is a Mormon. A rather strict one at that. There is a sort of vanity in life in her works. I believe this is due to the God is just an alien notion of her religion. Thus, her works appear to seek for something greater that what God would provide.
In The Host, the concept of aliens taking human bodies as host is not new. It was the idea that a sympathizer's emergence from those hostile victorious alien "Souls" that is rarely novelized. Sympathizers usually come from humans.
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Star Trek Original Film Franchise:
Star Trek (I): The Motion Picture (1979)
My rating: 2/5
Short story for a long film. Alien race is robotic. The chief antagonist is V'ger, a satellite from the Voyager Missions transformed by far away machine world into a sort of life form. This machine world has been speculated by fans to be connected with the Borg in someway. The question in the end would explain the Heaven's Gate suicide.
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Star Trek (II): The Wrath of Khan (1982)
My rating: 2/5
Contrary to "Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)", this film infers from a previous TV episode of the Original Series: Space Seed". This means the show is geared towards fans. However, the ending was definitely an original eye opener in Star Trek. The sacrifice of Spock to save "the many" portrays the use of Christendom substitutionary atonement concept, which virtually always win the audience.
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Star Trek (III): The Search for Spock (1984)
My rating: 2/5
"Resurrection of Spock" not intentional imitation of Christ, but due to public demand. Spock's "rebirth" was based on the concept of evolution. It was not clear how Spock was "reborn" because this is not even known to the Vulcans (They only know how to transfer their spirits/katra), but we know it has something to do with the Genesis device that was detonated in previous film. I would have given a rating of 1/5 if not for the appreciation of nature on the Genesis planet, despite the concept of evolution.
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Star Trek (IV): The Voyage Home (1986)
My rating 4/5
For some odd reason, The Wrath of Khan was the more popular of all 6 films. The Vyoage Home is my favorite. Time travel always fascinates me. It is hard to ruin any films.
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Star Trek (V): The Final Frontier (1989)
My rating: 2/5
Searching for "God"/ultimate knowledge in the center of the Galaxy lead everyone to a non-corporal yet power imprisoned alien. Leading to the question of "Is God really out there" and the possibly liberal's take of "God is in our hearts".
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Star Trek (VI): The Undiscovered Country (1991)
My rating: 2/5
Kirk clears his name after being framed for assassinating the Klingons, marking the end of the his crew's exploration as some gone their separate way (Captain Sulu), until Picard met Kirk in the Nexus in the next movie under "The Next Generation" series.
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Precursor to the famous The Wizard of Oz (1939). I do not think I've seen the 1939 film completely.
It is unlike Disney to turn a good witch bad. Some critics claimed that Theodora was only interested in becoming queen, hence the "not quite good" quality.
The show's only spiced up by Danny Elfman's music.
The Notebook (2004)
My rating: 2/5
Like 50 First Dates (2004), but this one is not comedy. Ending is meant to be lovely, but looks sad to me.
Mr Destiny (1990)
My rating: 4/5
American religion way of viewing family value. Nicolas Cage's "The Family Man (2000)" is like a remake with a modern twist.
Of course, this kinds goes back all the way to It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Probably inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
The Last Stand (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Funny movie when old Schwarzenegger tries to play an immigrant sheriff in a small town dealing with escape fugitive which even the SWAT team can't handle. Schwarzenegger is at an age where he's all about comedy.
Beautiful Creatures (2013)
My rating: 2/5
There's no such thing as forbidden spell. The element of sacrifice in the story is like a wrench used by a bunch of monkeys. Good certainly needs to be defined and the show couldn't define it well more than romance.
The Croods (2013)
My rating: 2/5
3D animation of cave man's daughter bold enough to not live under the cave. One of those films Paul Washer condemned which portrays bad/reverse parenting image.
===============
The Family Man (2000)
My rating: 3/5
Another clone of Mr. Destiny. American religion of pre-2k: Family value is god.
=============
Dreamgirls (2006)
My rating: 2/5 *skipped viewing
An all black film. Starring many famous black stars: Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, Danny Glover & Jennifer Hudson who got noticed from American Idol. My friend Jack seems to like this movie. I skipped scenes to save time. Story is solid but end success seems to put friendship over family.
========
The Hangover Part III (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Finally one without much illicit scenes. However, the childish content is as usual.
Monsters University (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Prequel to Monsters, Inc.. Cheating, though frowned upon, is celebrated.
Scary Movie 5 (2013)
My rating: 0/5
Bunch of nonsense. A waste of talents.
Paycheck (2003)
My rating: 4/5
Time viewing ability.
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
My rating: 4/5
Similar to TV Series Journeyman but more dramatic as the main actor dies in the end. Alternative ending should still be better than just having a younger version traveled pass his death or having a daughter who could possibly has better control of the same ability.
Next (2007)
My rating: 4/5
Time viewing ability.
Ray (2004)
My rating: 2/5
Biography of Ray Robinson or AKA Ray Charles by middle name.
I give low rating because I didn't know Ray's attitude towards the church was liberal. The movie makes me to rather want to read a book on Ray.
Seeking a Friend For The End of The World (2012)
My rating: 0/5
End of the world lifestyle. A waste of Keira Knightley's talent.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
My rating: 1/5
Woody Allen's fantasy of a 3-to-4 some relationship. Using Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall and Penélope Cruz for promoting the movie. If it were not Woody Allen's own fame, I doubt those actresses would care about this movie.
Eagle Eye (2008)
My rating: 2/5
Shia LaBeouf's main role was dulled by its non-heroic character (though apparently virtually sacrificial in the end) against Artificial Intelligent Aria, that uses terrorism as cover for "curing" the world of the United State's bad choices.
Easy A (2010)
My rating: 0/5
I skipped a lot through. Useless high school/college life.
Fast and Furious 6 (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Seems like there will be at least 8 films in the franchise. It's all about car actions and they try to make newer and perhaps more expensive effects in every new movie.
Fast and Furious 7 (2015)
My rating: 3.5/5
Lots of team work actions stuff. The film remembered Paul Walker's past clips in the end.
Now You See Me (2013)
My rating: 4/5
4 Magicians/Illusionists giving a performance by robbing a bank. Managed by a "fifth horseman" who has much longer vision: To frame and incarcerate the magician exposer (Morgan Freeman) who embarrassed the horseman's father into performing a final fatal act. The downside of the movie is, magicians are bragged more superior than anyone else. Plus, the so called guardians/keepers of magic (The Eye of Horus club) is more attractive to those looking for black magic. There was a scene of card throwing which I also did (less dramatically) in a music camp long time ago.
(Clip zipped at google drive)
Now you See Me 2 (2016)
My rating: 4/5
With the female member replaced, the team learns that their Nemesis (Morgan Freeman) was actually their closest ally since the beginning.
Olympus has Fallen (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Typical action film about the destruction of the White House by a team of North (I think) Korean Terrorists.
World War Z (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Another zombie movie at a global scale. These breeds do not attack the fatally ill.
The Colony (2013)
My rating: 1/5
Weather machines for curing global warming gone haywire, the whole planet became snow winter. Survival of the fittest.
My Dog Skip (2000)
My rating: 2/5
I'll give some points for the music background. Other than that, its short content is typical of a boy-dog relationship film.
Cellular (2004)
My rating: 3/5
Because Chris Evans is in there, I am unclear this is a serious thriller or comedic, which makes things interesting.
Empire State (2013)
My rating: 1/5
Based on true story. But other than cursing, this film has nothing better to show for. In the film, it seems that Chris Potamitis hid the supposedly missing money under his house statue.
Epic (2013)
My rating: 2/5
3D animation about the mythical things humans miss in life, such as the other-worldly little people that runs the forest. I guess, stories these day have nothing better than borrowing substance from pagan beliefs.
Fresh Meat (2012)
My rating: 2/5
Horror/Comedy. New Zealand film. Escaped Criminals took Cannibals hostage. It's all a mess psychologically.
Redemption (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Jason Statham's worse film. A depressed ex-soldier homeless guy.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
My rating: 4/5
I missed it last time. The film is "brighter" than it sounds.
After Earth (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Father and son movie. I skipped a whole lot in the middle. Story is weak (Why leave Earth? Because all lives in Earth have evolved against humans?). Graphic effects are okay. Main theme: The art of fearlessness (ghosting) when dealing with blind monsters that sense fear pheromone.
The Heat (2013)
My rating: 2/5
A couple of comedic femme fatale wannabes cop (one is FBI agent).
Sunshine (2007)
My rating: 1/5
Reboot the Sun, save the planet. Sacrifice involved, very common spice of Hollywood success.
Warm Bodies (2013)
My rating: 2/5
From the perspective of a zombie, who turned back to human. Lots of illogical elements (how Marcus learned to drive? etc.) to be expected in the debut of such angle. Crossing the line between the doomed and the otherwise, method of crossing is heretical.
Francis of Assisi (1961)
My rating: 4/5
Free on Youtube. Historically inspiring.
Identity Thief (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Very insightful. Of course, it's still just a comedy.
Atonement (2007)
My rating: 3/5
A child intentionally accuse her childish love subject out of jealousy of a rape case and regretted ever since. She wrote the book "Atonement" as a fantasy of making up her mistake which had no happy ending in reality. I skipped much to save time, read the plot at wiki to help.
Byzantium (2012)
My rating: 3/5
I do like beginning story of Clara, the mother vampire. How she was once an "innocent" child selling cooked clams on the beach in the time of chaos, before she was forced into prostitution. That is the part I give 3 points.
Byzantium 2012 - My pick scene - Clara's beginning by timlyg
Errors of the Human Body (2012)
My rating: 0/5
I did not really watch this. Just a few frames here and there. I'm unclear of what it's about. But seems like nothing interesting.
Scoop (2006)
My rating: 2/5
I believe I've watched it before. A reporter ran away from Death to give a scoop about a murder. Woody Allen's comedy.
Side Effects (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Lots of conspiracies.
Pain & Gain (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Based on true story of Daniel Lugo's death sentence case. 3 macho trainers stealing and murdering their rich client.
This is The End (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Movie with the most celebrities that I can remember. Apocalypse, rapture. The Hollywood version of good & heaven.
Red Riding Hood (2011)
My rating: 2/5
Inadvertently suggests bestiality.
Super (2010)
My rating: 2/5
Likens to amateur superheroes movie Kick-Ass (2010). Ellen Page has really gone nuts this time. The delusional superhero "Crimson Bolt" goes after people for things like drugs selling, budding in line (some says butting in line) or cutting line, etc.
Death Defying Acts (2007)
My rating: 2/5
Harry Houdini's last moments. Debunking spiritualists. Other than that, Story seems more dramatic than real.
Warlock (1989)
My rating: 2/5
I thought it was from an ad I once saw back in Malaysia long time ago. Witchcraft stuff.
Gabriel (2007)
My rating: 1/5
Australian low budget film about angels and demons fighting in purgatory. It's all about cursing and sex. These movies try to answer a question that many Hollywood films are answering: Can famous angels fall?
Paul Blart Mall Cop (2009)
My rating: 2/5
Fat cop wannabe working as mall security cop. Became hero after robbery incident. Very normal comedy, nothing special.
Gamer (2009)
My rating: 2/5
I've seen this before and forgotten much. Real people version of Sim City gone wrong. Lots of childish thinking, nothing more.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
My rating: 3/5
Origin of Wolverine. Some cool actions.
The Wolverine (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Predictable. (Watched on plane to Indonesia)
Ip Man Movie Series:
Ip Man 1, 2 (2008,2010)
The Legend is Born - Ip Man (2010)
Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013): Watched on plane to New York from Solo. Interesting knowing Ip Man's more intimate life, which I can't seem to verify its authenticity.
My rating: 3/5 for each.
Switch (2013)
My rating: 1/5
HK film. I don't quite understand the whole plot, I've fallen asleep a few times on the plane back to New York watching this. I think they care more about having super models on the show than the actual plot.
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013)
My rating: 2/5
A little bit funny.
City of Ember (2008)
My rating: 3/5
Underground life after apocalypse. I give points for originality, but it is a children's version.
A Patch of Blue (1965)
My rating: 4/5
Black/White version was intended, as it deals with a black man falling half way in love helping a blind white lady who was brought up in domestic chaos. The show was produced during the Civil Rights Movement. The color version of the film was broadcasted on TV and appears to be hard to find now.
I looked up the actress, Elizabeth Hartman. It's a shame that she committed suicide. Nonetheless, this film was played in a time that helped fuel the CR movement, I believe. It is a fantasy, because in real life, I'm sure "white people" would make it their business that which they would rather ignore if it hadn't been a colored person involved like that. Unless, such cases happen unpopularly.
Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters (2013)
My rating: 3/5
I give it for graphics effects.
Iron Man And Hulk Heroes United (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Animation. Good graphics. Story line too simple.
Pope Joan (2009)
My rating: 3/5
Based on true legend. A talented girl grew from monastery to papacy, due to her disguise as a male. It is well known that her secret is revealed during her pregnancy as a pope. The movie kindly made the pregnancy the cause of her death. If it is fable, then the author(s) must really despise women.
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Based on Novel. Bunch of nonsense witchcraft.
Elysium (2013)
My rating: 4/5
I give it for addressing the political issue of America, regarding immigration. This fantasy off-Earth paradise station is called Elysium which is a representative of U.S.A., they even dared to use the term "Homeland Security". All poor non-Elysians on Earth are like the Mexicans, trying to "cross-borders" to Elysium chiefly for the purpose of the med-bay which exists virtually in every homes up there and can cure far more illness including cancer, than what's available on Earth. The use of violent action is typical of Hollywood because no one else knows of an alternative solution yet.
Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Too much cursing. Makes you wonder what kind of language/violence is allowed in America for kids these days. I only give it for originality and choreography, but bad originality at that.
Braveheart (1995)
My rating: 4/5
Not bad. Even though I had just watched it for the first time after all these years. It encourages one to read up the history of William Wallace.
Slither (2006)
My rating: 3/5
Attempted comedy at an alien scary movie, analogous to Blob.
Dragon Seed (1944)
My rating: 3/5
Interesting movie of famous author Pearl S. Buck. The Chinese characters were played by Westerners.
Malaya (1949)
My rating: 1/5
I thought I would like it because of Malaysia but I could hardly get the point of the movie...something about smuggling rubber out of Japanese occupied Malaya.
The Count of Monte Cristo (1975)
My rating: 3/5
It follows the book closer than the 1998 version. Revenge costs in the original version. Count didn't get his wife or son back, they left him for good; while in our liberal world, the count got his sweet revenge as well as his long desired family.
The Raid: Redemption (2011)
My rating: 3/5
Not bad for Indonesians. Action film at Hollywood. Content is plain though...ending reveals much of Indonesia's situation that I've heard: a mixture of the good and corrupt is a good thing.
The Raid 2 (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Good action for Indonesian production. 2:30 hour is quite long.
The Tourist (2010)
My rating: 2/5
Quickly viewed.Though it's only one and the same Alexander Pierce, Jolie justifies loving two men at the same time. Not surprising in her pathetic taste.
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Story content is shorter than it looks. More on graphic effects but no variety.
Tai Chi Zero (2012)
Tai Chi Hero (2012)
My rating: 3/5
I'll give points for something funny. But other than that, a lot of the modern Hong Kong philosophy craps.
Man of Tai Chi (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Keanu Reeves directed.
Riddick (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Other than revealing more about Riddick's life, there's nothing much to tell.
Game of Thrones (2011-)
My rating: 3/5
TV Series based on an on going novel by George R.R. Martin. Dungeons and Dragons style with warfare strategies. The major downside is unnecessary use of nudity everywhere.
Sherlock (2010-)
My rating: 4/5
British Series with 3 episodes (1h30m long) every season. It seems that every season is 2 years apart in publication.
Vikings (2013-)
My rating: 0/5
I couldn't finish a single episode. Don't know what they are trying to tell.
The Avengers (2012)
My rating: 3/5
Because of the post credit...I'm eying at the Shawarma Grill.
The Pretender (1996-2001)
My rating: 3/5
TV Series. 2nd Season most boring. 3rd Season most interesting. Ending is bland and vague. Interesting character on the genius Jarod, unfortunately, most episodes couldn't take full advantage to explore Jarod's ingenuity.
The Invention of Lying (2009)
My rating: 3/5
Interesting aspect of an atheist. But easily rebutted.
Braveheart (1995)
My rating: 2/5
I don't know why so many love this film. But I like it being Irish, the music theme and the content based on history. Wallace's linguistic skills repel the stereotype of his race as savages. The concept of the Right of First Night is the cause of the battle in the film.
The Magic of Belle Isle (2012)
My rating: 3/5
I give it to Morgan Freeman. Though theologically troubling in person, Freeman plays well with literature drama. In this case, his interaction with children as a depressed Novelist.
Instinct (1999)
My rating: 2/5
Film loosely based on Daniel Quinn's "Ishmael", a book I had to read for my World Civ. class. Takers, Leavers were mentioned, but not often. Instead of Gorilla becoming intelligent, in Ishmael, Anthony Hopkins lived among gorillas as an anthropologist. His passion for them turned him into a murderer and gave up on human civilization.
The Man From Earth (2007)
My rating: 4/5
I only gave high rating due to watching it more than once. This is because somehow Quinn's book Ishmael somehow reminded me of it. It has to do with evolution. This is a fantasy about a man who did not die since the cro-magnon age, living to this day 14,000 years old. The low budget film sets only inside John Oldman (a pun)'s home, with professors from different fields getting astonished by Oldman's story. They weren't sure if they should believe it or not. The ending solves this puzzle when one old professor who had formerly forced John to recant his story, found out that John was actually his father or a kind of step father who had left him. Nonetheless, the discussion was educational. Making anthropological study interesting, even though I am highly skeptical of their theories.
Primer (2004)
My rating: 1/5
Time travel idea in the lowest budget presentation. No special effect, could be done with a regular camcorder. Lots of physics terms, engineering setups. But I can't really follow, nor do most people unless they watch it for a few times over and over again.
Elizabeth (1998)
My rating: 2/5
Nothing special. Historical "Virgin Queen" figure. Protestant sister of Queen Mary. Film is about her ascension to the throne. Would have given 3 points but too much romantic elements. For historical interest, figures include: Lady Jane Grey to her death, her nephew, Robert Dudley, Sir Francis Walsingham, Burghley, Norfolk, etc.
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
My rating: 3/5
Sequel. Still trying to focus on the virgin queen's love affair. But more of other historical elements this time. The defeat of Spain, etc. The struggle between a protestant queen and the rest of the Roman Catholic world.
This is 40 (2012)
My rating: 0/5
Useless film about a married couple with 2 girls.
The Truth About Emanuel (2013)
My rating: 1/5
I give 1 point only to top the above "This is 40" film. Psycho girl looking for mommy/lesbian companion. Found a crazy "mother" who has a fake baby (doll). Ending with trying to accept each others' illusions.
The Graduate (1967)
My rating: 0/5
One of the fastest viewing I have in movies. Time waster. Supposedly an older woman seducing a student.
The Ramen Girl (2009)
My rating: 2/5
A loser American girl persists to learn how to make Ramen noodle in Japan.
Ramen is delicious. Good beginning plot, but the ending is somewhat a mixture of Japanese/American childish taste.
Gravity (2013)
My rating: 4/5
Sandra Bullock trapped in space after space debris hit her satellite.
One of the most scientifically accurate space film. Good Earth views. I would give 1 more point for constellation scenes.
Frozen (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Queen with power of winter and, at the end, summer as well. Musical half favored. Favorite scene: The beginning of the queen's solo in the snow desert, before building her own castle. Many Christians liked it, calling out the figure of Christ in Anna, sister of Elsa the queen. There were also supposed to be a Christian hymn "Fairest Lord Jesus" / "Beautiful Savior" that did not make it to the final version. Personally I think these Christians are just too crazy about Disney films, including those who do realize how far Disney has strayed from the Bible.
Ender's Game (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Points I give to good graphic effects. The idea of a genius boy being tricked by the military into committing genocide. Resolved in the end by saving the last egg of the alien species which according to the book, attacked humans first but soon realized too late that humans were sentient beings which are against their code of ethic to conquer.
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Japanese style animation. Story has no substance. Punisher forced to work with Black Widow to solve a crime, that's it.
Avalanche Sharks (2013)
My rating: 0/5
Strange alien sharks in snow mountain. Problem solved when some mysterious woman "fixed" a "totem" damaged from a blast in the start of the show? Very low budget movie that loves shark bite scenes and sexy ladies. Lousy mystery. Total waste of time.
Pandorum (2009)
My rating: 2/5
Fun idea similar to Morlock of H.G. Wells in The Time Machine. This is about a generation ship sent to new found world "Tanis". Captain gone mad after news of Earth's destruction. All his psycho "followers" turn into monsters after generations. The big surprise at the end is that the ship has already crashed into Tanis' ocean while the humans were "evolving" for 1000 years.
Piranha (2010) & Piranha 3DD (2012)
My rating: 1/5
Ancient Piranhas (2 mil yrs) released from Earth quake in Canadian lakes. Spring break style activities. Doc from Back to the future played the role of scientist who explains it all. Focuses mainly on nudity, would have given more points otherwise.
Rocky 1 - 6 (1976-2006)
My overall rating: 2/5
I (1976): Tim Keller loves this part more than the rest. I forgot why. But I see that the first movie focuses not just on fighting, but on moral (ie. trying to get a wild girl off the streets) as well. The 6th almost got the same theme going but it's a bit worse.
II (1979): Boxing champ Apollo Creed, though won in the previous part, wasn't satisfied and taunted Rocky into a rematch, which Rocky won this time.
III (1982): Mr. T joins in. The humbled Apollo befriended Rocky as his trainer Micky died of heart attack.
IV (1985): Dolph Lundgren plays Ivan Drago, challenger from Russia. Apollo hungered for pride again and got killed in a match with Drago. Rocky went to Russia to reclaim his friend's dignity.
V (1990): Street fight. No real match. Rocky trained a wanna-be with potential but was betrayed when corruption got involved with the young blood. Rocky renewed his relationship with his boy who felt ignored when Rocky grew close to his prodigy.
VI (2006): AKA "Rocky Balboa". Retired. Rocky's son worked in the office. New champion was forced to be compared with Rocky by the public. An exhibition match was agreed. Young black champ warned Rocky to lay low to make the fight a pretend or else Rocky stood no chance. The result was more of a draw.
Cleopatra (1999)
My rating: 3/5
Good for historical study. From killing her own sister to giving birth to Caesarion with Julius Caesar, to her suicide by cobra to her chest. Cleopatra was played by Leonor Varela.
Charlie Chaplin: The Great Dictator (1940)
My rating: 2/5
Points for using Wagner's Lohengrin music, (especially in the globe scene). I watched it after music professor JB brought it up when teaching about Wagner. Remarkable show of the time (Hitler's time). A Hitler-like dictator called Hynkle in Tomania with a twin looking yet unrelated Jewish barber. Thus, the table turned at the end when everyone mistaken the Jewish barber as Hynkle.
300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Briefly skimmed through. Prequel 300 (2006) is better.
Legend of Hercules (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Briefly skimmed through. Not much of legend. Almost ordinary Hercules.
Winter's Tale (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Lousy fantasy of demons trying to rob man of happiness.
The Monkey King (2014)
My rating: 2/5
I give 1 point for good graphics, another for introduction to Chinese Buddhism intro.
Da Vinci's Demons (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Series. Part historical part fantasy (Book of Leaves). It prompted me to look up the crimes of the papacy (popes).
Habemus Papam [We have a Pope] (2011)
My rating: 1/5
I thought it was comedy. Just some cardinal got anxiety attack when he became pope. Though not true, this surfaces more of the Roman Catholic shame.
Camelot (2011)
My rating: 3/5
10 episodes. Got cancelled, I think because of too many popular celeb: Joseph Fiennes, Claire Forlani, Eva Green. No time to make further episodes. Attempt to make Arthurian legend more practical. Avoiding focus on magic but it is inevitable. Too much nude scenes, as if they try to rival Game of Thrones.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2010: The Year We Made Contact (1984)
My rating: 2/5
Re-watched due to Astronomy prof.'s recommendation of the second movie "2010". Interesting idea that those never-seen aliens with their rectangular black block (Monolith) remained mysterious (Explained more in Arthur Clarke's novel series). Alien probe encouraged intelligent evolution. In 2010, probe tried to start another evolutionary process by turning Jupiter into a second star and restrict the moon Europa from mankind to secure evolutionary process.
Carrie (2013)
My rating: 3/5
A competent remake of the former. At least no nudity. Lead actress had claimed to be a Christian (Charismatic?).
Dolphin Tale (2011)
My rating: 3/5
Points for true story basis. Dolphin called Winter, found injured by beach. Had tail removed due to infection. Survived plenty.
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
My rating: 4/5
Revisited. Watched with wife. Noted how in this period, movies never sway from marriage. Divorces are common, but not having children out of wedlock, which is common these days.
Jingle All the Way (1996)
My rating: 4/5
For Americans who missed Christmas, but Hollywood has long missed the point of true Christmas.
The Grudge 3 (2009)
My rating: 2/5
Evil Dead (2013)
My rating: 1/5
Low budget, cabin in the woods style. Horror film.
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Lots of Ex-SNL casts at the end made it fun, but the jokes are lame. Strange ending: ghost, future weapon, telekinesis, etc.
47 Ronin (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Fictionally based on true story.
Grown Ups 2 (2013)
My rating: 3/5
I only added one point to show originality in stupidity.
Wild Child (2008)
My rating: 3/5
I only added one point for The Emperor's Club style. But one that has gone a little childish.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Tower Heist (2011)
My rating: 3/5
A funny version but not meant to be a parody of Ocean 13. Starred by Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Sparks (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Low budget superhero movies. 1 point for better graphics.
Apocalypto (2006)
My rating: 4/5
Watched second time after History Class (World Civ 101 from CUNY). Looked deeper into the Mayan culture and other tribesmen.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Hydra infiltration of SHIELD. Explains TV Series Agents of SHIELD.
Paranormal Activity 1 - 4 (2009-2012)
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014)
My rating: 2/5
One of those "Found Footage" movies. Lots of time wasting scenes. Good for making money with low budget. All stories interconnected. Showing stupidity of ignorant.
RoboCop (2014)
My rating: 3/5
More reflex. Story less dramatic than previous one.
Planes (2013)
My rating: 2/5
3D animation of planes' world. No humans.
I, Frankenstein (2014)
My rating: 2/5
12 Years a Slave (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Based on true story (Or rather a self written biography of the same title), about a free black man in New York got tricked into slavery in the South for 12 years shortly before the American Civil War.
The Past (2013) - "Le Passé"
My rating: 1/5
French movie. I don't remember why I obtained this one. Lots of marital issues in it and I don't have time to learn French from it.
The Machine (2013)
My rating: 1/5
Some A.I. movie. I almost fell asleep.
Pompeii (2014)
My rating: 4/5
Points for geographical accuracy. The crew worked hard on getting the lost city right. Castings of well preserved bodies inspired for the characters. This film helps visualize the drama of Pompeii disaster from Mount Vesuvius in 79AD.
The Company of Wolves (1984)
My rating: 1/5
Some kind of red ridding hood film.
Lone Survival (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Points for a good historical pick. Other than that, it's better to just skip to the parts where it matters: The goat herders caught by the Seals, briefly view the attack by Taliban to helicopter being shot down, watch how the villagers helped Marcus, the last survival. Based on true story. Marcus wrote a book of the same title. The reason the Afghan villagers gave aid to the American soldier: Pashtunwali. Intriguing how Pashtunwali is a stronger code than Islam.
The Book Thief (2013)
My rating: 5/5
Interesting autobiography of Death (死 的自述). Praised for a "new perspective on war". Adoption, Nazi, friendship, nostalgia all mixed into a story, told by death.
Village of the Damned (1995)
My rating: 2/5
Supposed to be horror. Strange unknown alien force causing a whole town to pass out and then all women became pregnant, having babies at the same time. Babies grown into white hair emotionless children who use powers for their own gain, except for a boy who couldn't fit in with his own kind, but that's not much help, but he's the only survival of his race in the end, left town with mother. I supposed the interesting part is the mysterious alien force that is not being said much in the story.
Tarzan (2013)
My rating: 2/5
3D animation, involving extra-terrestrial rock. I fell asleep watching in the end, hence the low rating.
The Amazing Spiderman 2 (2014)
My rating: 2/5
The only better part of the story, ironically is the death of Gwen, which requires a certain writer gut. This made Parker feel really lousy with his ability to keep a promise (to Gwen's father).
Young Tom Edison (1940)
My rating: 4/5
Good historical take. Edison played by Mickey Rooney.
Zeitgeist (2007)
My rating: 0/5
I would give it negative points. Zeitgeist=Spirit of the time. I did not watch it fully, don't need to. False documentary on historical linkage to Christianity & other religions. It has been debunked. A very good video was also made against it.
Rapture-Palooza (2013)
My rating: 1/5
Those who hates God may like this. But it's really a film made by God-haters. Rapture, end times, everything is wrong from heaven to hell.
The Lego Movie (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Lego world created out of imagination of a father and son...and daughter.
About Time (2013)
My rating: 3/5
New perspective on Time Travel: Don't abuse it.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. Phantasm was Batman's long lost love during his amateur days. They both lived lonely lives at the end.
Batman & Mr. Freeze-SubZero (1998)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. Mr. Freeze always the love-sick type.
Superman: Unbound (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Animation. Braniac, Kara and Kal-El. This Braniac is not of artificial origin. 1 point less rating for plain storyline: This happens due to over-dramatic scenes.
Kung Fu Man (2012)
My rating: 1/5
White boy kidnapped by white woman and Chinese guy got in the middle in this lame kungfu movie.
Non Stop (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Liam Neeson plays an air marshal accused of hijacking the plane which was actually a plot by a couple of ex-military whiners. Story is fresh.
Cloned: The Recreator Chronicles (2013)
My rating: 4/5
low rated (4.5/10) on IMDB, but I believe the ending was a bit of a surprise. Cloned humans were evil, but the end scene tries to twist the story and ethics: what if there was one clone that is better than the original human, in this case, the girlfriend who cheated and lied to Craig. It is still unsure if the cloned Tracy was genuine, she would be smart enough to know Craig well to steal his heart with all those sweet talk. I'd say this is rather an original take of the story, something that resonates my past self. Other than that, I would have given this movie 1/5. But I appreciate no nudity involved. The ending suggested "the be continued", but I think there won't be a sequel based on the official ratings.
Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist (2014)
My rating: 3/5
I give points for the movie being free. A thorough overview of Ken's and Ryu's background. The story left some suspense: Akuma's fight with his brother (the master of Ken & Ryu).
Gen13 (2000)
My rating: 2/5
Animation. Good graphics for Late 90s style. That is all I will comment.
Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem (2015)
My rating: 2/5
Animation. Joker's group with AI controlling the world vs. Batman's group.
Contract Killers (2014)
My rating: 0/5
Low budget: Assassins after each, I think. I skimmed through it very quickly.
After (2012)
My rating: 1/5
Low budget: Two people met in a metaphysical horror in a coma after a bus crash. They fell in love and learned much of their almost disconnected past. I gave 1 point for story and that's it.
Age of Tomorrow (2014)
My rating: 0/5
Low budget: Sending ship to destroy asteroid that turns out to be an alien invasion. Earth lost in the end. Bad directing, bad story. I am not giving negative points for they managed to get stars: Doctor from Voyager and Kelly Hu. They must be desperate for acting.
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. Next generation batman handled joker by being very talkative.
Oculus (2013)
My rating: 1/5
Horror film about an evil mirror that uses hallucinations to kill its victims. I give point for good directing but unlike most modern critics (they are liberals, I'm not), the ending killed the story, there's no happy ending, mirror wins.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1,2 (2012-2013)
My rating: 2/5 3/5
Animation
Part 1. Robin newbie is a girl, old Batman seems extraordinarily kind to her. Fought with mutan boss.
Part 2. Killed old Joker. Fought Superman with Oliver Queen's help.
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Animation
Flash ran back in time to save his mother and change the history of the world drastically. Batman's father was Batman who helped him save his original timeline.
33 Postcards (2011)
My rating: 4/5
Chinese orphan girl got sponsor to schooling. 10 years later, her orphan choir group visits Australia where she intends to find her sponsor and his family, but realizes that her sponsor was actually sitting in prison with all the lies. But he still cared enough for her to risk his life for her. Everyone happy in the end.
Emperor (2012)
My rating: 4/5
For historical accuracies http://www.armchairgeneral.com/historical-hits-and-misses-in-the-movie-emperor.htm
I feel it hits the mark of being a historical film regarding General MacArthur's dealing with Japan.
Tatemae & honne, two Japanese terms: The way things appear (建前 Tatemae); The way things really are (本音 Honne).
Green Lantern: First Flight (2009)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. Origin of Hal Jordan. I give point for being better in content than the live movie.
JLA Adventures: Trapped in Time (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. Justice League of America. Frozen Lex awaken in 31st century and traveled back in time to stop superman. Suspense at the end as Superman statue in the future has become Lex's.
Justice League: War (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. The origin of Justice League. Immature Shazam was always the funniest and least violent. Dealing with Darkseid.
Son of Batman (2014)
My rating: 4/5
Animation. I'll give points for illustration of Übermensch in a kid. Dealing with Deathstroke.
Superman: Braniac Attacks (2006)
My rating: 2/5
Animation. Lex becomes more funny than serious.
Superman vs. the Elite (2012)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. British superhero wannabes called the Elite. Turns out to be powerful menace trying to justifying what they do (killing the bad). Superman dealt with them in his own philosophy (no killing).
Batman: Year One (2011)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. The beginning of Batman.
All-Star Superman (2011)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. Superman's death by over solar radiation. His gene was copied by to-be-executed Lex.
Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)
My rating: 1/5
Animation. A series of short stories. More themes than stories. Very confusing.
Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
My rating: 2/5
Animation. Minus point for short content.
Justice League: Doom (2012)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. Vandal Savage gathered his Doom squad and used Batman's tactical plan against each JL member to defeat the JL. Batman saved the day but everyone sort of distrusts him except Superman.
Dark Justice: Season 1 (1991)
My rating: 3/5
Young Carrie Anne Moss of Matrix played assistant to a judge who kept saying Justice may be blind but it can see in the dark, before gathering his "night watchmen" vigilantes.
The Spirit (2008)
My rating: 3/5
Superhero who cannot be killed, like his nemesis Octopus. Some comic features I don't understand. But I understood the use of plain colors in the film.
Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. Trying to play the 50s superheroes. The arch-nemesis is some yellow energy (green lantern version) alien. Another version of the League's origin. I will give point for graphics, as most times.
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (2010)
My rating: 4/5
Animation. Another version of Supergirl's arrival. Darkseid wants her as captain. Wonderwoman is also involved.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009)
My rating: 4/5
Animation. Other superheroes I don't know of. Lex became president and crazily but secretly wants to destroy Superman, got all supers except Batman to side with him. Some such as Powergirl regretted later.
Sleeping Beauty (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Some nice graphics but apparently low budget. Casper Van Dien seems to go with these type of movies.
Superman: Doomsday (2007)
My rating: 2/5
Animation. Superman was thought to be killed by Doomsday who was trapped on Earth for supposedly eons. Lex cloned his superman who went crazy with power but was later killed by the real one. Louis knew Clark's identity.
The Batman vs Dracula (2005)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. Just Batman and Dracula, no other supers.
Minuscule Valley of the Lost Ants (2014)
My rating: 3/5
3D. I give points for good graphics. Story is not as good but it is a new portrayal of the life of insects, without words.
A Serious Man (2009)
My rating: 2/5
I give points for uniqueness from Jewish perspective of life. But if it really is to illustrate Job's life, they are far from it. They do not view life from a righteous perspective but merely legalistic. Humans in essence are not sinners. God is an unknown figure that could be made fun of and even culpable for certain things: "The Boss isn't always right, but he's always the Boss." Jewish terminology: get (lawful divorce), agunah (a woman without a proper divorce), goy (plural goyim, gentiles), Lamed Vovnik (the 36 righteous men without whom the world ends - Jewish lore), Olam Ha-ba (afterlife), Shiva (7 days of mourning), tsuris (aggravating trouble), Kiddush cup (ritual wine cup), chuppah (canopy of Jewish wedding, symbolizes new house), naches (pride and joy; usually for parents).
The film begins with Rashi's quote: Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you. Supposedly based on Deuteronomy 18:13.
Under the Skin (2013)
My rating: 1/5
Alien woman who seduces men for harvest, ends up burned. Very short content but long pauses. Somehow the majority rates high for this film. I fail to see the artistic of it, nothing but a great time waster and nudity of Scarlette Johansson.
Rio 2 (2014)
My rating: 2/5
3D animation. Minus points for modern Disney-like cosmology. Blue's family found others in the Amazon. Taught them to discern good humans from bad ones.
2016: Obama's America (2012)
My rating: 4/5
Analyzing President Obama's background, ideology, etc., and how they twist the American standard. His former pastor Jeremy Wright once said he was paid $150,000 to buy his silence, when refused, Obama personally talked to him: You know what your problem is...your problem is that you have to tell the truth!
Very informational.
Directed by Dinesh D'Souza.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
My rating: 4/5
Starring Adam Sandler. Hockey player turned golfer. Comedy.
Click (2006)
My rating: 4/5
Starring Adam Sandler. I give point for Christopher Walken's role. Comedy. A remote that controls the universe pertaining to the user's life.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007)
My rating: 3/5
Comedy starring Adam Sandler. Minus points for sex jokes and gay support, though the movie also mocks homosexuality at the same time.
Noah (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Based on the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Enoch. Creativity and story content is short, there's where I took the points away. Some scenes are revealing (unique day sky), but that's about it.
Ong Bak (2003, 2008, 2010) 1 2 3 Trilogy
My rating: 3/5
Thai actor Tony Jaa grew up loving Hong Kong fighting films. So now he's become one of them. Ong-Bak is supposed to be the Buddha statue in the movie. The style of fighting is supposed to be Muay Thai based with mixture of others. I noticed that though the first movie is set in today's settings and the other two-part versions are set in a more ancient time, the Ong-Bak Buddha in the first movie had a scar on the face which could be traced to the second/third movies.
The Purge (2013)
My rating: 3/5
New ungodly idea to solve crime: Have one night of the year legalize murder. May be possible if the progressives really took over the world.
Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Smart soldier went on secret mission to solve economic terrorism by Russia. Story is plain, A few famous actors/actress.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
My rating: 4/5
Tom Cruise merged with alien blood and was able to reset time when he dies. Creative ideas developed from there. Not quite original story, but this idea is rarely done, surprisingly.
God's Not Dead (2014)
My rating: 4/5
Kevin Sorbo plays a philosophy professor who made students write down "God is Dead". A Christian refused, and thus the debate. There's other interconnected separate cases: Muslim converts, cancer victim, etc. I was going to give 5 points until I realized near the end that this was a pentecostal-like film, the music band gave away. However, the debate though not perfect (Why evil exists: because of free will - very Arminian-like - I would say better answers are: To show God is good, to show God defeats evil, etc.) But, not many good Christian films out there that are up to filming technique standards such as this. I would say, there's too much talk and emotions, therefore, very charismatic-like.
Transformers 4: Age of Extinction (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Mark Wahlberg plays a whole new generation of humans for the Autobots. Cybertronian bounty-hunters came for Optimus Prime, humans have rejected the Transformers as illegal aliens. Sort of pro-immigration theme here: If you are talented, it is the nation's lost to reject you, immigration or not.
Friends with Benefits (2011)
My rating: 2/5
Justin Timberlake wants sex without relationship with Mila Kunis, "nature" wins.
Heaven is for Real (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Confused pastor accepts son's trip to heaven. Based on account of Colton Burpo. Also introducing Akiane Kramarik at the end. Story is heretical, but movie effects are not bad, hence the 2 points.
Escape Plan (2013)
My rating: 3/5
A professional prison breaker got tricked by his business partner and sent into an almost unbreakable prison. Stallone and Schwarzenegger star in the film.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
My rating: 2/5
A documentary of Jiro, supposedly famed chef of an only-sushi restaurant costing a customer $360+ USD.
Tom Yum Goong / The Protector (2005)
My rating: 2/5
Fast forward for kungfu actions. Story not worth telling. Something about sacred elephants stolen and Tony Jaa went through different fighting masters to save his baby elephant.
Tom Yum Goong 2 / The Protector 2 (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Film of Tony Jaa. Interesting but not impressive fighting involving black martial artists and other diverse ethnicity. But I had to skip the boring parts.
Sabotage (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Cheesy story. A macho squad leader wreck havoc after he stole money to find vengeance on those who killed his family. Bad ending - He got shot...probably fatally.
The Change-Up (2011)
My rating: 2/5
A comedy of two guys switched bodies mysteriously to live the other's life. To many curses and fowl scenes. Justifying adultery at some level of supposed innocence. Hence the minus points.
Transcendence (2014)
My rating: 2/5
A scientist (Johnny Depp) invented nanites so advanced that could even restore life to anything. Raising ethical/religious issues. I skimmed it very fast, because it made me almost fall asleep in the beginning and middle.
Divergent (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Mind controlling technology in a society that converges people into 5 categories. Divergents are despised and hunted down. This film has a lot of settings like The Hunger Games.
Insurgent (2015)
My rating: 3/5
After Divergent. So it is revealed that "Divergents" are the solution, instead of the problem. I took a peek at the books on Wiki, the story appears to get very complicated in the end, so I am not impressed. I added 1 point for better graphics.
Allegiant (2016)
My rating: 4/5
The moment of revelation of an outside management exposes the city of Chicago in this Divergent Series is just an experiment. Better graphics.
Just Go with It (2011)
My rating: 2/5
Comedy. Adam Sandler as a womanizer, cosmetic surgeon. Ends up marrying his assistant after a fake family charade.
Mr. Deeds (2002)
My rating: 4/5
Comedy. Adam Sandler as supposedly heir to a 40 billion inheritance. Non-materialistic view from a secular world.
The Expendables 3 (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Lots of actions and more celebrities. Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas.
The Other Woman (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Feminist's approach to marriage. A marriage ruined by affair involving 2 other women. Justifying and enjoying divorce and revenge.
Romeo and Juliet (2013)
My rating: 5/5
Though shortened, but a faithful portrayal of Shakespeare's play with modern technique and classy music. Making some lines more memorable. Reminds me of Shakespeare's era, when God is still revered - Heaven's means to kill your joy with love, etc.
Haunter (2013)
My rating: 4/5
World of the ghosts where a ghost tries to save her dead family and others both living and dead from a murderer ghost. Ending is justifying. This shows that though obviously not a Christian worldview, humans still long for a justified after-life.
Filly Brown (2012)
My rating: 2/5
I skipped a lot because I don't think the non-singing parts are important. A girl has talent doing hip hop on the spot. I give points for attempt to promote hip hop, not that hip hop is that great in general. Also, the film is supposedly dedicated to one of the actress who's died (as end credit shows).
A Haunted House 2 (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Another comedy attempt at the A Haunted House sequel. Making horror movie funny. But it's getting too much sexual content these days, as if it is not going to be funny without sexual content.
Batman: Assault on Arkham (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Animation. Mostly the evil squad's (Harvey Quinn, Deadshot, etc.) play to find Riddler. A little too much sexual content than before. Batman still wins in the end.
The Losers (2010)
My rating: 1/5
A military team was betrayed, revenge sought. I skipped many parts. Very boring.
Calvary (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Some priest was threatened and eventually killed by an abused grown up. I skipped from the beginning to the end. No point watching.
Mr. Peabody and Sherman (2014)
My rating: 4/5
3D Animation. Educational in history. A polymath dog adopts an abandoned boy. The 1 point I deducted is due to some erroneous concepts, even if they are for comedic attempts - "if a boy can adopt a dog, why can't a dog adopt a boy", "We are all dogs", etc.
Iron Man and Captain America: Heroes United (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Animation. Hydra invades Iron Man and Captain's training. Using Captain's blood to create useless giants. Hulk comes to the rescue. Story is not that impressive.
Injustice: Gods Among Us (2014)
My rating: 3/5
3D Animation. It's designed for fighting game. Someone cut out all the fight scenes by players, stitching the rest into a movie. Superman of one dimension turned bad after losing Lois and unborn child. The other dimension heroes came to help.
Belle (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Based on true story: Dido Elizabeth Belle. A mulatto in high social family class. At the dawn of abolition of slavery in Britain, prior to Wilberforce's movement. The progressive's ego over religion is seen here, not only would the movie attempts to justify it, but also exaggerated the dress code: Women in those days don't dress so sensually. Even the painting doesn't do the original justice.
La belle et la bête / Beauty and the Beast (2014)
My rating: 4/5
French film. I give points only for it being French and closer to the book (Beaumont's version). Though the origin of the Beast and certain minor details aren't quite true to the book.
The Radicals (1990)
My rating: 4/5
Story of Michael Sattler's conversion to Anabaptist. Of all the branches of Anabaptists at the end of the movie, I did not know who are the Hutterites. Wilhelm Reublin, baptizer of Michael, was mentioned at the end as leaving the Anabaptist movement for money. Zwingli, who though sort of instigated the whole movement in Switzerland but did not really embrace it, was in the film too. I gave points for attempted historical faithfulness.
The Hiding Place (1975)
My rating: 5/5
Points for historical faithfulness attempt. Story of Corrie Ten Boom and her family hiding the Jews when the Nazis invaded Holland. The real Corrie appeared in the end of the film. In the film, young corrie was excited about hiding the Jews, as if it were a game for her, until when she was captured. Her sister Betsie (oldest) who had initially struggled to help the Jews had always remained focused on Christ even until her death in the concentration camp. In the book of the same title, Betsie's principle against lying was blessed by God when she told the Nazis the truth exactly where the Jews were hiding and the Nazis mocked her for crazy. So much for those who advocate white lies.
Blended (2014)
My rating: 4/5
Adam Sandler film. Single mom with 2 boys, single dad with 3 girls, blended in Africa. A hint of how to raise boys vs. girls. The only point I deducted is due to progressive view point.
Tekken: Kazuya's Revenge (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Fight scenes show who's the hero but the hero's moves were not that impressive. Story is plain. I don't even understand how his girlfriend end up with his evil father and died.
Lucy (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Watched this in NJ theater. Lucy gets high with drugs in her system and became super human. Graphics and originality is good, but when they enforce their philosophy about the meaning of live and evolution, that's when everyone would call it boring.
Maleficent (2014)
My rating: 2/5
The two points I gave to graphics and film effects. As for the twisted retelling of Sleeping Beauty, it is nothing new from Disney. This time, they have gone further by glorifying Maleficent with vengeance, broken families (The queen was definitely very ill treated in the movie by the writer), feminism, etc. Of course, this is not to say that Stephan's action was anywhere near good. I'm sure there are many blind, particularly young and blind, Christians who thought this is a great, refreshing film. All but they of itchy ears, they do not realize how far they've gone to the path of heresy. A quick poll browsing shows me how frightening it is that those who rated this film as morally offensive have to be over 30-40 years old. All the youngsters have gone astray in their Christian way. It tells a lot about the condition of this age.
Toy Story of Terror (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Short 20 minute 3D Animation, follow up of the Toy Story movies. About Jesse conquering her fear of being "trapped in a box".
Get on Up (2014)
My rating: 2/5
I lost interest very quickly in this James Brown autobiography. Some performances here and there, but it appears that story has no direction, goal.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
My rating: 5/5
We watched it in theater. My wife loved it. I always love time travel stories. Post credit scene shows ancient pyramids being built by a telekinesist (Apocalypse). Artistic scene was where speedster Quicksilver (Peter) did his thing in the Pentagon in slow motion.
Moms' Night Out (2014)
My rating: 4/5
Though Charismatics oriented, this Christian themed movie about moms is sort of a look at the Bible Belt churches today. It's a comedy. Had they gotten their theology right, I would have given a 5.
Shallow Hal (2001)
My rating: 3/5
Comedy. Shallow Hal got hypnotized (or de-hypnotized rather) to see the inner beauty of women (and men) instead of their physical appearance. The only flow in this moral is the blindness towards the obvious. I've seen it in real life where the lover was living in denial that his wife/girl friend was fat. This kind of denial is not healthy, find love another way.
John Tucker Must Die (2006)
My rating: 1/5
Comedy. Guy dates multiple girls secretly. They got their revenge. Everything ends rather happily for all parties. There's even a hint of polygamous relationship at the end. This film tries to redefine relationships in a liberal way.
Homefront (2013)
My rating: 2/5
Jason Statham film. Well trained NARC move to small town with his daughter. Trouble seems to follow them. I'd give points for the few action scenes. James Franco has been playing too much comedies that one could hardly take him seriously as a drug dealer.
Parker (2013)
My rating: 3/5
Jason Statham film. A thief's principle of getting his payment back after betrayed by his teammate. Jeniffer Lopez gets involved as a West Palm Beach housing broker.
Mercy Rule (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Kirk Cameron film. I would have rated higher but I see a bit of abusive elements in there. The treatment of the waiter was unfair, breaking the waiter rule. They even have the end credits show "Awkward Waiter". Yes, the waiter did not listen at the beginning but that does not justify rudeness. I would like to see Chef Ramsay kicks them out for such attitude, even if it's a lower class restaurant. Secondly, using children to make a case in the end is a bit too dramatic and unrealistic. Nonetheless, I would give Cameron credit for making a film with his wife.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
My rating: 3/5
3D animation. Good graphics of dragon caricatures. Storyline is moderate. Deaths create a more dramatic effect to the story.
Appleseed Alpha (2014)
My rating: 3/5
3D animation. Cyborgs, biodroid, drones, etc. Futuristic world where two heroes attempt to help a mysterious couple to achieve their mission. I would have given more points if the story was more meaningful. There were two prequels.
The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
My rating: 3/5
Notable appearance, Audra Lindley (Mrs. Roper from Three's Company). Being a previous version to the Ben Stiller version, this exhibits an alternative perspective on the story. It appears that in either cases, the groom was justified for divorcing his first bride for the sake of the new one whom he met on his first honeymoon. The newer version obviously made the former bride into a maniac. But both versions were trying to exaggerate the problem of the first wife. This version made the young college girl (Cybill Shepherd) into a player type. While the Stiller version was a more mature, kind woman. Here, the movie emphasis on the groom's determination on divorcing his wife and marry the college girl whom he just met in Miami beach on his honeymoon. One could appreciate that the girl's father has a lot to say in that era. Which was the hardest challenge ("I eat determination for breakfast") for the groom because the father hated him, especially after finding out from the honest gentlemen that he was going to divorce his newly wed wife for the hand of the daughter. The liberal ending was that they both (the groom and the father) declared want the girl and so the father gave in eventually. After which, the groom appears to be clueless of his future and wandering about his youth. I gave points only because it's a better American culture than the newer version.
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
My rating: 2/5
A film about a girl with cancer met a boy who eventually died before her. It shares some similarities with A Walk to Remember, which I favor more.
I was about to give a 5/5 due to the first half of the story and because the film was based on the novel by John Green, famous Youtube History Crash Course guy. He wrote the book based on his experience working in a hospital, where he decided not to be a priest. The exploration of death was rather interesting in the film, but the ending was not about God, anything religious was just formality, ritual. It was the selfish kind. Satisfaction in revenge (egging ex's house/car). About one's own happiness. Here's my challenge: If the Ms. Lancaster was so enthusiastic about how the living ones have happy endings after losing their loved ones to death, why would she fake her sorry for Van Hauten's loss and be so unforgiving to him? It is just another liberal hypocrisy. Why would John Green be so celebrated, because he does portray himself to be a rather successful educator (Youtube). Recall: Academic education has made not just the Muslims, but the modern Americans, slaves to their convictions.
The Coed and the Zombie Stoner (2014)
My rating: 0/5
Zombie comedy made by X rated people.
The 13th Warrior (1999)
My rating: 1/5
A student from World Civ. class recommended the professor this movie. Supposedly has to do with hunter gatherers turning barbaric. This movie features Antonio Banderas as an Arab poet banished into exile as "ambassador" to the Norse people. He fought with them against some barbarians. I skipped most part. Nothing special.
Dragonball Evolution (2009)
My rating: 3/5
Points taken out for some cheesy lines. Other than that, despite other comments regarding it's so "not Asian", I think the main actor, is humble enough to assimilate some Asian culture. Such as the actor in the Forbidden Kingdom. However, most of my points go to graphic effects.
Leprechaun Origins (2014)
My rating: 0/5
I have no idea what this is. Finished watching it in 1 minute.
Chef (2014)
My rating: 4/5
Jon Favreau film. Interesting director, especially in Iron Man, which he directed and played bodyguard for Tony Stark. In this film, he plays a chef whose life turns around after rekindling with his divorced wife and son.
Space Station 76 (2014)
My rating: 0/5
They got some famous actors, that's about it. The 70s version of space show is trying to be funny, but at the same time boring. I finished it in a couple of minutes.
La Habitación de Fermat (Fermat's Room) (2007)
My rating: 1/5
A simple story made too long. Lots of Mathematical trivia. Bottom line, the geniuses escaped leaving the real murderer mathematician unconscious in his own death room. The mention of the mysteriously illegal activity on the boat was meant to make the audience wonder, which is nonsense.
Coherence (2013)
My rating: 1/5
I skipped a lot. Supposedly a comet making two parallel worlds collide and people get confused. Low budget film but camera shooting angle is better than usual. Other than that, watching the trailer is enough.
A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)
My rating: 1/5
I didn't watch much, seems a bit waste of time, even though it's rare that Liam Neeson would play in a comedy. I didn't try to figure out what's Neeson's role. Seth MacFarlane's comedy of the wild west. A cameo scene from Back to the Future series where Seth stumbled upon Doc Brown working on his time machine car.
Cold in July (2014)
My rating: 0/5
Watched very briefly due to simple shooting style in the movie. Reading the synopsis is enough. Supposedly a story about a father of a boy and a murderer facing each other's problems.
Falcon Rising (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Supposedly an action opportunity for action fighting guy Michael Jai White (Who played in Spawn). Latino/Japanese culture apparently. I skipped much until I gave up due to bad film settings (looks like a long tv series).
Good People (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Just read the synopsis. Looks like James Franco got himself a bad gig with Kate Hudson. Supposedly a couple in debt found stolen money and got themselves in trouble with the real thief. Filming technique very basic.
Honeymoon (2014)
My rating: 1/5
From now on, I just need to check out the rating on imdb or elsewhere (wikipedia), though imdb ratings can sometimes be inaccurate. Read the synopsis. Briefly check a few scenes from the movie and decided if I should watch it or not. This is about a newly wed couple on honeymoon. Wife supposedly got rape by aliens, gave birth to some worm-like thing, killed her husband (in order to save him?), and deteriorates. Another low budget filming style. Twisted, time wasting due to intend of suspense. A few movies like this are apparent lately.
Lost Time (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Alien abduction/parallel universe/time travel stuff. Low budget filming. I did not watch enough to figure out what really happens. Doesn't look like any reviewers/critics get it either.
The Hunted (2013)
My rating: 0/5
Low budget, footage film. Some kind of mysterious forest horror thing. Film style not interesting enough to follow up.
The Scribbler (2014)
My rating: 0/5
No idea what happened. Finished the film in 1 minute. Synopsis says something about a crazy woman facing multiple personality.
Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Animation. But from brief scan doesn't look much interesting. Normal graphics. Generic singing. Appears to focus on anything but Tom and Jerry's usual storyline.
What If (2013)
My rating: 1/5
Daniel Radcliffe's film about relationship, according to the synopsis. The point I give for better film techniques compared to the above listed low budget films. Other than that, too much talking, feels like a waste of time, and I quite before learning anything more about the film. Looks like one of those vain modern European in American culture thing for young people, which is why it's 7.1 rated on IMDB at this time.
White Bird in a Blizzard (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Some story about a mother-daughter problem. Mother appears to have "disappeared" ++and daughter faced nostalgic truth about her death. Just skipped to the last part to find out the truth about her mother. Killed by her father for discovering and laughing at him lying on his bed with another man.
Earth to Echo (2014)
My rating: 1/5
I could sleep through the movie because it appears low budget or to be of poor filming quality despite excellent graphic effects for sci-fi elements. Lots of time wasting screen play. I think it's about a bunch of kids discovering an alien robot who needs to build a spaceship (by telekinesis?) from scrap metals on Earth.
Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Good for graphics. I think I'm gradually retiring from viewing films with simple contents despite their graphics.
Step Up All In (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Calling most of past actors in. But choreography seems lame and boring. I skipped all the story part for the dances.
Let's Be Cops (2014)
My rating: 3/5
A couple of buddies discover that being fake cops are fun. It is an interesting question how one can feign an authority figure these days, in spite of the severe penalty. Ending is boring.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Impressive live action version of the cartoon classic. I don't recall if the ninja turtle culture were supposed to be that black ghetto. Hollywood knows that hip hop has been the new cool and still is. This style will fade and I cannot dare to imagine the substitute.
Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2014)
My rating: 4/5
Tim Burton style 3D animation. Originally in French. Written by Mathias Malzieu, a rock band player. Impressive story: Mother left baby in the cold of night. Baby Jack raised by Dr. Madeleine, who later died when Jack accidentally injured his bully, Joe, who years later attempted to turn Jack's lover against him as they both love Acacia, who already loved Jack when they first met briefly in their childhood. The movie ended differently, I think, so that Jack could see Acacia for the last time before he passed on.
Favorite Scene:
English
French (Original)
If I Stay (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Drama film played by Chloe Moretz. From the trailer I thought it has the quality of classical music. But despite portraying the life of a cellist, this film focused on the love life between a classical musician and a rock guitarist, during the tragic accident of Chloe's character and her family who eventually left her alone in the world (Her father died first-DOA, then her mom died on the table, then her 4 year old brother died after operation). The film ended when she woke up from her coma. Those she was experiencing out of body experience, most of the story were boring flashbacks.
Jessabelle (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Some horror film about a white mother having a black baby girl from her extra-marital affair and her white husband killed the baby, replacing the baby with a white baby who then grew up finding out that her mother who committed suicide after the black baby incident had planned using dark craft to bring the black baby (Jessabelle) by committing suicide herself so that her ghost could somehow use the fake daughter as vessel for Jessabelle's return. The plan worked and the story ended. I finished this in 5 minutes or so.
The Giver (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Utopian concept almost like in Equilibrium. Colorless, emotionless, forgotten history, etc., until someone receives "memories" of past from the "giver". This is based on the first of a 4 book novel. I thought a Christian radio or community recommended it. The way I see it, could be anti-Christian. Christianity is about freedom as well, however, when facing faulty rules, Christians depend on God and wisdom, not rebellion.
Dracula Untold (2014)
My rating: 3/5
A new version of Dracula's origin. Portraying him as a hero who had chosen the dark side to save his kingdom and chiefly his family. Lost his wife, but saved his son. The remainders of his kingdom turned vampires whom he destroyed with sunlight, including himself until he was revived by blood of a fanatic. In present day, Vlad the Dracula found his wife's lookalike. The one who turned him watching and followed him giving the suspense of a sequel. Choosing evil and vengeance are the norms, but the struggle to justify them is what Hollywood loves. The graphics was a good job however.
Left Behind (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Starring Nicolas Cage. A remake of the rapture movie. Though this kind of rapture is erroneously favored and believed by many Fundamentalists, I do find it quite a reminder of how Christians today should live their lives. The only mystery left is Nicolas Cage's brother Marc (or Mark) whom he said was a pastor that got him to take the role in the movie. Marc Coppola, was the closest match online to be Nicky's brother, but there's no mention of him being a pastor unless while doing radio in the day, he moonlights as pastor by night. I see no need to pursue this information further.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
My rating: 3/5
The sequel to Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). Apes community formed in jungle. Humans stumbled upon them. War began. Despite hatred by some (mainly Koba the ape), there are still many from both sides who wish peace. Though it was a peaceful ending, war was apparently inevitable as there were supposedly human soldiers coming. The only thing I like about this franchise is the concept of eon, if not time travel. The lack of it in these two films seems to call for a different taste from the audience. More of a drama than sci-fi. Comparing and contrasting the hunter-gatherer community with that of the modern world, like Daniel Quinn's Ishmael.
The November Man (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Typical spy betrayed movie. At least the story is not messy.
Hick (2011)
My rating: 1/5
I give point for the story, that is all. Some 13 year old girl running away from alcoholic parents.
Free Fall (2014)
My rating: 0/5
The Theory of Everything (2014)
My rating: 4/5
The life of Stephen Hawking. There had been earlier films which I have not watched. This one however, is a well balanced biography. We see slight religious struggle between the agnostic/atheist doctor and his Christian, persistently loving ex-wife, who wrote two books of her life. The first one was before she got reacquainted with him after his second divorce and her marriage to someone else. Then, she wrote a revision of the first book when they reconciled their relationship. It is amazing how the first book ( Music to Move the Stars) costs: from $100 which is rare, to $1000. Perhaps this is due to her revision (Travelling to Infinity) and no production of the first is done anymore. Regardless of her divorce and new marriage, I find Jane Hawking a rather exemplary figure. As for the arrogant Hawking, well God could easily replace him with another genius in his field. I would say Stephen Hawking appears to be very faithful to scientism.
Predestination (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Low rating due to focus mainly on drama, not effects. However, the story is an interesting one which I first heard similar story from Michio Kaku. This film is based on 1958-1959 short sci-fi story: All You Zombies by Robert A. Heinlein. Predestination paradox (as opposed to the grandfather paradox) story about a woman having a sex change, traveled back in time, impregnated herself, having a baby girl, who then grew up to be herself. The good rating at imdb is probably due to Ethan Hawke.
Thunder and the House of Magic (2013)
My rating: 2/5
3D animation. Cat (Thunder) got left out by owner, found new home with strange old magician who has lots of magical toys with minds of their own.
The Christmas Candle (2013)
My rating: 1/5
The point is given for effort of effects at the end (the #moment), during the snow storm, where the miracle happens after lighting the special candle, giving the couple the light and protection needed to find the missing person in a snow storm. The author of the story, Max Lucado, seems to be of the Charismatics, but I cannot be certain. Judging from the content of this story, I can tell the author was a very confused person, struggling to mix charismatics' approach to miracles (or Catholics) and simply living by God alone.
The Boxtrolls (2014)
My rating: 2/5
3D animation. A human baby who grew up with kind boxtrolls that were hunted by humans thinking them as monsters, finding his way back to human civilization and his presumed dead father. Idea not quite original. One of those feral child idea with a twist of a clever instead of all-the-time wild boy.
Kung Fu Jungle (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Donnie Yen's film. Skipped through all non-action scenes. Nothing unique.
Edison, The Man (1940)
My rating: 5/5
B/W film. Played by Spencer Tracy (who played as the father figure in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, 1967).
Intro: The true test of civilization is, not the census, nor the size of cities, nor the crops - no, but the kind of man the country turns out - Ralph Waldo Emerson
First scene - the 1879-1929 Golden Jubilee of Light.
Quotes:
Success [Genius] is one percent inspiration, 99% perspiration.
Greatest invention - A blade of grass. (Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge)
Most valuable thing in the world - Time. All the money in the world won't buy one minute of it.
Terms of interest:
Vote recorder
stock ticker
Gold Indicator Company of New York
Faraday's quote: What good is a new born baby. In response to "What good is electricity".
The film portrays the adult life of Edison elegantly.
I Origins (2014)
My rating: 2/5
About the study of the evolution of the eyes. But Indian philosophy beats Science in the end. Atheist scientist's former lover found "reincarnated" in India.
The Good Lie (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Immigration life for Sudanese buddies. A preview of their childhood in the terrorized Africa, then there learned English and moved Kansas City (or Boston). The title is related to justifying telling a lie to save someone, unfortunately. Other than that, with the African actors/actress who have experienced similar lifestyle, it is a good look into the African life today. And the climax would be the brotherly love between a brother who first lied to get his younger brother and sister and other kids out of danger and sacrificed himself to be a child soldier. Years later, when he was found by the now adult friends, the younger brother stayed in Africa (to be a doctor there instead of U.S.) and sent the older brother to U.S. with the younger brother's passport (another lie) after laborious failed attempts to get proper papers for his older brother. The other key points would be their odd views of American life. I have for a moment acquired the ability to speak with African accent after watching this.
The Device (2014)
My rating: -1/5
Useless alien abduction movie. Extremely low budget and not more than 5 actors. Nothing special. One should finish this film in no more than 2 minutes.
Redirected (2014)
My rating: 1/5
I don't know why it's rated so highly on imdb. But it's just some vulgar imitation of American cheap movies like Hangover and such. Ganster got robbed, robbers escaped to Lithuania instead of Malaysia as intended, due to a volcano eruption. After everyone battled stupidly, the robbers ended up in Russia, unwillingly. Some said it was rated highly because of the portrayal of Lithuanian culture, where the film was mostly made. So, though action, it's supposed to be comedy as well. One should finish this film in no more than 10 minutes.
Outcast (2014)
My rating: 2/5
I was unaware that the main actor was Hayden Christensen until the end credits. Basically, a crusader ended up in China finding forgiveness. It started interesting, would have given a 3 or 4 point rating, but the ending is plain and extremely predictable.
Men Women and Children (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Some nude contents. A secular attempt to understand the state of the world as we know it. Everyone from parents to kids exploring the boundaries of sex and regulations that is surreal today. For that, I would have given zero point. The points I gave was the illustration of the teenager boy whose mother ran off with another man leaving him and his father alone and that he was finding no meaning in life and on the verge of committing suicide until his girlfriend whom he thought rejected him on the phone (thanks to her policing mom), rushed into his room to find him unconscious on the floor. I was reminded that though some kids today act tough and undesirable, they could be really hurting inside for some reason.
Dumb and Dumber To (2014)
My rating: 1/5
A lot of repeated ideas.
Soylent Green (1973)
My rating: 5/5
In a dystopia futuristic world. Starring Charlton Heston. The food (Soylent Green) is produced from dead humans. When old folks decided to die, they get to enjoy a last moment of the once beautiful world with flowers and scenic videos before they were euthanized. This could be the film my mother once told me about a futuristic film where the world is so polluted that people could only enjoy the natural world on screen.
Jingle All the Way 2 (2014)
My rating: 1/5
A lousy version. A divorced father trying to compete with his ex's rich husband to win his daughter's favor by getting a Christmas toy, but the daughter had only wanted her family to be together.
The Interview (2014)
My rating: 1/5
This is the film that got U.S. SONY hacked and threatened. SONY was hesitance at first but released it online for $5 (I think it was SONY) and in some theaters. It can be downloaded else where for free anyway. Two news guys asked to "take Kim Jong Un out". The use of American idiocy turned heroes is rather old now, hence the 1 point I gave.
The Thirteenth Floor (1999)
My rating: 4/5
I gave 4 points for being the pre(co-)decessor of The Matrix, Inception. The original idea comes from Daniel Galouye's Simulacron-3 novel in 1964. The famous line "Ignorance is bliss" appeared in the Matrix as well. It appears to be originated from Thomas Gray's 1742 Poem: Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.
The Hundred Foot Journey (2014)
My rating: 4/5
Indian family restaurant compete with the French. Indian boy genius (in culinary) falls in love with French sous chef who was thought he used her for success at first. Filming technique is great, story not bad. Content is a little short for a 2 full hour film.
Interstellar (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Long 165 minute film. Time travel stuff. Someone asked: "how Cooper managed to leave the Black Hole intact?" My answer is according to the movie, "love". Since love is like gravity, quantifiable, able to penetrate any dimensions, according to the cuckoo philosophy of the movie, it took Cooper to see his daughter in the Tesseract in any point in time. And then, when he "touched" with the former Amelia near Saturn, he was "released" out of the "black hole", around Saturn. Like many time travel stories, this one is rather thought provoking, maybe due to Kip Thorne's involvement. Would have given higher rating if it weren't too much drama talk.
The Hobbit: Battle Of The Five Armies (2014)
My rating: 3/5
The last of the Hobbit trilogy.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
My rating: 4/5
3D Animation. Story is not so bad. Boy clever with robotics like his brother. Upgraded his brother's medical robot after his brother's fatal "accident" to find the bad guy who stole his tech (magnetic mini building blocks). The ending seemed a bit rush (no reunion between the thought to be lost daughter with her father whom the writer obviously despised). Post credit reveals one of the team 6 heroes is the son of the Stan Lee character who has a secret identity.
Deepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
My rating: 3/5
James Cameron's documentary of deep sea dive.
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015)
My rating: 3/5
Animation. Aquaman joining the team.
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
My rating: 5/5
Not because of the use of lies, but because it is more preferable to You've Got Mail (1998).
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
My rating: 1/5
Japanese animation. Based on 10th century traditional folklore (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter/竹取物語 Taketori Monogatari) about a moon girl's descent to Earth and had to go back. It seems to smell like Chinese tales and Christ's incarnation (when it touches on divinity). But the content is too bland. Original lore suggested the reason for naming Mount Fuji (immortality - Fuji/不死, bountiful warriors - 富士山). I give one point for artistry.
Before I Go to Sleep (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Nicole Kidman plays an amnesiac wife who fell victim to someone she had an affair with and later pretended to be her husband after hitting her on the head accidentally and she suffered amnesia from it. Nothing special with the movie, would have been better as a comedy like the 50 First Dates (2004). Just reading wikipedia for story is good enough.
Princess Mononoke/Mononoke-hime (1997)
My rating: 0/5
I only watched it due to its popularity. But it's not worth mentioning.
Taken 3 (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Story shorter than movie.
The Imitation Game (2014)
My rating: 5/5
Story about Alan Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The beginning of computer science, A.I.
Unbroken (2014)
My rating: 2/5
I gave points because it is based on true story. WW2 pilot survived ocean, Japanese prison camp. I'd rather watch Robinson Crusoe...again.
Wild Card (2015)
My rating: 2/5
Jason Statham's film. Story line too short.
Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2014)
My rating: 2/5
A lady developed the ability to control Zombies. Other than that, film looks cheap.
Zodiac Signs of the Apocalypse (2014)
My rating: 1/5
1 point for trying.
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
My rating: 1/5
1 point for trying. It would seem like the producer wished to satisfy both the believers and the godless. Thus, any miraculous signs are done away by dreams and made up causes. Hence, there are conflicts and missing pieces in the movie. God is shown as a child in visions, I supposed that in order to not say God was cruel as likely believed by the film producer, the trick of using a child representation was the producer's way of toning down the occasions.
Fury (2014)
My rating: 2/5
American Tankers battling with the Germans leaving only 1 American survival.
Horrible Bosses, 2 (2011,2014)
My rating: 2/5
Comedy. Trying to kill their horrible bosses, they ended up messing up everything to their advantage in the end. 2nd movie shows the same jokers building their own company but lost it due to stupidity, with their previous bosses reappearing.
Rise of the Legend (2014)
My rating: 2.5/5
The beginning of the famous Wong Fei Hong. I skipped many parts due to predictability.
Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Not really Tinker Bell's show, but her friend's. Typical Disney philosophy of don't judge to book by its cover - A horrid looking beast may well be the only savior they have.
Fifty Shades of Grey/Whatever (2015)
My rating: 1/5
Based on first of a trilogy novel. They said the novels sold very fast and the readers were mostly mothers. Conservative Christian groups have voiced against the movie, calling it a porn film. Basically, a super rich young guy "politely" does dominate/submit with his "girlfriend" Anna. The reason, he was the result of a "nice"-child-abuse, by his mother's friend. Anna left him in the end. But the two sequels in the books have them reconciled and eventually married. After waves of unsurprising events (including blackmails, kidnapping, murdering threat by others), they live happily ever after with their family and children. If this is the tabooed porn today, then the conservatives are really in the dark. My suggestion is that they go preach in the dark alleys, not just to people who treat them with candies, or perhaps, they should preach to themselves, their own children. This also shows how hypocritical the conservatives are at worshipping the Hollywood. Although the film is not unlike porn, a soft type of it, the central theme seems to beg the question how a rich, powerful, yet emotionally perverse young guy (whose name is Christian - Perhaps something to do with the author's background with Christianity?), though due to child-abuse the story clearly insists that his perversion was not his own doing, could end up with an "innocent" nice young girl and end up with a happy family. This, perhaps, is the true fantasy of the author. All the supposedly bad guys are eliminated in the end while "Christian" ended up being "saved" by "innocent Anna" into a normal lifestyle. Nice try, but ultimately, anthropocentric, materialistic, etc.
Dragon Blade (2015)
My rating: 3/5
Points given for international collaboration. John Cusack, Jackie Chan. Romans vs. Chinese. Other than that, not much interesting.
From Here to Eternity (1953)
My rating: 3/5
Frank Sinatra in WW2 film. Happenings in the camp just before Pearl Harbor attack.
Cinderella (2015)
My rating: 4.5/5
I'm impressed that Disney finally abandoned those liberal ideas in this film. Cinderella was rather lady like here compared to other feminist versions before. The prince behaved more mature as well. The saying goes: All that's against the eternal quality is doomed to end shortly. The forgiving part at the end could have been more forgiving.
Cinderella 2015 transformation by timlyg
Paddington (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Talking species of bears. It is better than I had expected. The beginning is better than the more childish second half part of the film.
Seventh Son (2015)
My rating: 2/5
Based on the novel series which are just too complicated to follow. I rate it low (even though effects are good) due to too much expectation let down. They've been promoting this film for ages. But basically, it's all about witches. I think it's a fail attempt to cook a love story between witches and humans while insisting (or questioning) that it is supposed to be natural. Story in the film is just too plain.
We'll Never Have Paris (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Some guy's persistence in marrying his girlfriend. A very anthropocentric drama/comedy.
Love, Rosie (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Love of two childhood friends. Probably illustrate the notion of love, family in the world today. Which is selfish, for it does not care about betrayal to others.
Robot Overlords (2014)
My rating: 2/5
British film played by Ben Kingsley as the traitor to mankind. Robots came from nowhere to rule humans. Story creativity has potential but filming and scripting are poorly done.
Boy Meets Girl (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Finished watching in about 5 mins.
Transgender actor playing transgender role. AFAIK, the actor/actress Michelle Hendley was a boy in real life who then "struggled" with his gender identity. Anyone wondering about the life of a transgender, Hendley's biography is obviously a direct source.
Home Sweet Hell (2015)
My rating: 3/5
Mormon actress Katherine Heigl, with Jason Wilson. Strong willed wife turned murderer who was then killed by soft-hearted husband. Though a dark comedy, it has a lot of practical reflection, especially in the feminism world today.
The Voices (2014)
My rating: 2/5
What appeared as a nice guy turned out to be a psychologically unstable murderer.
Cartesius (1974)
My rating: 3/5
In Italian. I think this Descartes never smiled. A predecessor of the Vulcans.
Forever TV series (2014)
My rating: 4.5/5
Like Person of Interest, this show really got my attention. Doctor from late 18th century found out that he couldn't die (upon death, body is transferred and resurrected from nearby river). His "curse"/mystery is realized in another "Adam", who doesn't appear to be one of the good guys, and who has had the same symptom since 2000 years ago. This alludes me to wonder: Is the writer trying to suggest that Jesus Christ was one of them as well? Given the stories these days, it would not be a surprise if that is the direction of this story, but it would be a bold attempt, with uncertainty in success in this secular age. However, The British actor Ioan Gruffudd does seem to be a good choice for a show that is filled with interesting practical anecdotes pertaining to literature, life. I'd say this is a way of making detective drama series less boring with a sprinkle of sci-fi. But at what cost to a Christian soul, I can only advice caution for now.
A clip from an episode about what some artist would sacrifice for the greatness of her work.
Jupiter Ascending (2015)
My rating: 3/5
For graphics effect. Story is about the different origin of human race and the real humans who "own" planets in order to harvest "seeded" humans for longevity (or time).
Mr. Nobody (2009)
My rating: 1/5
Basically it's about the many-world theory, and Mr. Nemo Nobody is somehow moving through his timeline back and forth with different decisions in life.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
My rating: 4/5
The only points I take off is due to too much foul language. Otherwise, a great spy movie with a bit of sci-fi.
Barely Lethal (2015)
My rating: 2/5
Comedy about teenage girls trained as government assassins. Too much pompoms.
Home (2015)
My rating: 2/5
3D animation. Rubbery aliens found Earth as new home. Jim Parsons' voice is easily recognized.
Infini (2015)
My rating: 1/5
Futuristic team discovered the primordial ooze in distant galaxy, resulted in chaos. But somehow everything was recovered in the end as if they ooze understood the trouble it caused and fixed the team up, sending them home safely. Story could have been very interesting, but too many unnecessary takes which probably shows that the producers did not know how to expand the original idea.
Ex Machina (2015)
My rating: 1/5
Points for special effects, that's it. Beware of nudity.
Holiday Affair (1949)
My rating: 1/5
Points for being classic, that's it. Love triangle between a widow, her fiance and a stranger she met.
Song of the Sea (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Animation. Irish folklore. Point for being informative about this lore about selkie.
Skin Trade (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Action film about human trafficking awareness, points for that. Ending is sort of a cliff hanger.
Strange Magic (2015)
My rating: 1/5
3D animation. Fairies and dark elves united in the end. Point for graphics attempt and the song Wise Men Say...
Chappie (2015)
My rating: 1/5
Robot A.I. I fell asleep watching this. It seems like they spent too much time showing off how they are able to make a robot look unreal in the film.
Avengers 2: Age of Ultron (2015)
My rating: 3/5
You're Not You (2014)
My rating: 3/5
ALS victim portrayed in this film. An example on questioning suicide/euthanasia.
The SpongeBob Movie 2: Sponge Out Of Water (2015)
My rating: 2.5/5
Another idea of story characters interacting with author(s).
Jurassic World (2015)
My rating: 4.5/5
Sci-fi, drama, thriller, comedy.
Maya the Bee Movie (2014)
My rating: 2.5/5
3D animation. Drama.
Pixies (2015)
My rating: 2.5/5
3D animation. Drama. "Do unto others" theme.
Self/less (2015)
My rating: 2.5/5
Good idea in low budget film.
American Ultra (2015)
My rating: 2.5/5
Sleeper action agent. Good idea, but plain story unfortunately.
Blaise Pascal (1972)
My rating: 3/5
By Roberto Rosselini.
Trouble in Paradise (1932)
My rating: 2/5
Two thieves falling in love with each other.
Minions (2015)
My rating: 2/5
3D animation, origin of the Minions/Gru explored.
Stand by Me Doraemon (2014)
My rating: 1/5
3D animation movie.
Monkey Kingdom (2015)
My rating: 2/5
Disney's documentary of a monkey group in India.
Lila and Eve (2015)
My rating: 2/5
A black woman lost her son, conjures up friend who shares her pain and even helps her exact revenge, which she got away with in the end. Story is plain. Would have given 1 more point if it is original (A Beautiful Mind).
Dark Places (2015)
My rating: 2/5
An old murder case revisited for correction.
Big Game (2014)
My rating: 2/5
Terminator Genisys (2015)
My rating: 3.5/5
Supposedly the first of a new trilogy.
Mission Impossible 5 - Rogue Nation (2015)
My rating: 3.5/5
The Act of Killing (2012)
My rating: 2/5
Indonesian Killing 1965-66. Gestok/G30S/PKI. The director found a few supposedly communists executioners from the past and interviewed them. It seemed that the director promised to cast them in a film, but all I've seen were just a documentary of the murderers who thought they were being cast for Hollywood-like movie. The film is mostly done in Indonesian, but the English subtitle is bias towards the director's motive - to demonstrate the crime of the "priman".
LEGO's Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom (2015)
My rating: 1/5
3D LEGO animation.
Attack on Titan Live Action (2015)
My rating: 0/5
Japanese Giants versus villagers who trapped themselves from giants in tall walls.
Do You Believe? (2015)
My rating: 4/5
Perhaps an improvement from the film "God's Not Dead". Some said many underemployed celebrities were hired for this: Mira Sorvino, Delroy Lindo, Sean Astin, etc. Story is a web of individual's life meeting Christianity. Focus not much on repentance. But on giving one's life for Jesus.
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
My rating: 1/5
The only worthwhile thing is the second title of the last performance: Flashlight, I think.
The Age of Adaline (2015)
My rating: 2/5
Story about immortality. A never aging woman, Adaline, since the turn of the 20th century. Supposedly, a condition that could be artificially manipulated in the future. But Adaline fell in love again, struck by "electricity" and returned to normal aging condition, and she was happy.
Black Death (2010)
My rating: 2/5
Fake witch at time of Black Death. Monk tricked into killing his girlfriend thinking she was wrongly brought back from purgatory, turned brutal.
Tomorrowland (2015)
My rating: 3/5
Disney's Dreamer world, where there's only science and no politics. Androids/robots are servants.
Before We Go (2014)
My rating: 1/5
Directed by Chris Evans himself. Unlikely couples fooling around in NYC. Sort of cliff hanger at the end not knowing what the future holds for either one of them.
I-Lived (2015)
My rating: 0/5
Jenny's Wedding (2015)
My rating: 0/5
Pixels (2015)
My rating: 2/5
Freetown (2015)
My rating: 1/5
Mormons in Africa.
A Brilliant Young Mind (2014)
My rating: 2/5
A math kid from UK found love in China.
San Andreas (2015)
My rating: 4/5
Earthquake thriller.
Tut - 3 part TV Miniseries (2015)
My rating: 3/5
Movie exploring King Tutankhamun's short lived life. Very bizarre marriage custom of Egyptians introduced.
Project Almanac (2014)
My rating: 2.5/5
Time travel film footage style.
Monster Hunt - 捉妖记 (2015)
My rating: 3/5
Comedy mixes with 3D animation. Quality is not bad for a Chinese film.
Inside Out (2015)
My rating: 3/5
3D Animation by Disney. Very creative work in psychology. Secular world view though.
Monkey King: Hero is Back (2015)
My rating: 2.5/5
Chinese 3D animation
Yellowbird (2014)
My rating: 0/5
3D animation.
Star Trek: Renegades (2015)
My rating: 1/5
Points for getting the old crews back. Other than that, everything is a shipwreck.
Arthur and Merlin (2015)
My rating: 1/5
Graphic effects seems homemade while the plot shows they had decent resources. Movie is too slow.
Limitless (2011)
My rating: 2/5
Sci-Fi. It has a follow up TV series.
The Intern (2015)
My rating: 3.5/5
Interesting idea. Senior (65+) intern, played by Robert De Niro. The ending is a bit disappointing with the emphasis of feminist happiness, success and a cheating husband. However, the husband's repentance is to solution of the film. I would therefore say that the ending is a bit off topic.
Pan (2015)
My rating: 3.5/5
Origin of Peter Pan. Where foes were once friends (Captain Hook & Pan). Pan is the offspring of a woman and a fairy prince. Thus far, the piano theme music is more notable than the whole.
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
My rating: 3.5/5
Disney 3D Animation. When Asteroids didn't kill the dinosaurs - they evolved to be farmers/herders. Life of a weakling (Brontosaurus) who later lost his caring father.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)
My rating: 4/5
I rate it high only because it managed to keep true to the original story, despite the Zombies addition. I supposed the undead represents poverty or any ill will of society? An interesting way to turn a drama interesting/digestible for those who prefer action stories.
High Strung (2016)
My rating: 2.5/5
Violinist & Dancer try classical contemporary mix in NYC. A good outline, but I think the composition and choreography need a bit strength.
Gods of Egypt (2016)
My rating: 4/5
Very good graphics. That is all I can say. The story is about how Egyptian gods find humanity. The whitewashing criticism is just too much of liberalism. Who cares if most major roles are played by white people if they play them well?
Penelope (2006)
My rating: 3/5
Girl cursed with pig face until meeting someone special. Like Ella Enchanted, the self-removal of the curse here shows the persistent "self-image" culture.
Big Eyes (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Based on true story of Margaret Keane.
Me Before You (2016)
My rating: 1/5
Euthanasia at its best => liberal death. Too bad, with such great actors, it could have been a great ending and thus a great show.
Heaven (2002)
My rating: 2/5
Woman killed the wrong people. Got her target eventually, its a bad guy, so I guess everything is okay then. She regretted of her first kill and was willing to face justice but then for romance with a Carabinieri she sought freedom outside the country (Italy). I only watched this since Tim Keller mentioned it (hopelessness without God). Not sure why he liked the movie, maybe it's because of Cate Blanchett or because it's European?
The Pillars of the Earth (8 episode Miniseries 2010)
My rating: 5/5
This Ken Follett's novel was recommended by R.C. Sproul on Church Architect. I find the content of the show, which seems to follow the original novel quite well aside from a few changes (e.g. Alfred's killer, etc.), rather revealing of old England. The people of course, should have spoken French of course (It's in the early Normandy ruling). From this I learned not of the drama, but also by looking further into "the White Ship", Kingsbridge, etc. And last but not least, the Gothic Style of Cathedrals. The nude scenes, though mild, are unnecessary.
Bridge of Spies (2015)
My rating: 4.5/5
Steven Spielberg's film based on true story (1960 U-2 Incident), Tom Hanks plays James B. Donovan. NY lawyer defends Russian spy Rudolf Abel caught in U.S., went from being despised by fellow Americans to praised as a hero when he is needed to release two Americans from foreign powers in exchange for Abel. Last scene is the best moment.
The Bourne Identity (2002)
My rating: 3/5
Jason Bourne (2016)
My rating: 3/5
Tiny Giants (2014)
My rating: 4/5
BBC's documentary of America's chipmunk and scorpion mouse. Very kid friendly.
Warcraft (2016)
My rating: 3.5/5
Good graphics. Based on the game. Skipped lots of details, such as how Medivh got corrupted (by a demon before birth).
The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015)
My rating: 4/5
Good biography of Ramanujan.
Central Intelligence (2016)
My rating: 3/5
Bullied fat kid turned macho spy.
The Jungle Book (2016)
My rating: 3/5
Good graphics.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
My rating: 2/5
Spy movie American & Russian Spies working together in the 60s.
Vampire Academy (2014)
My rating: 3.5/5
Too bad popular rating was not enough to make sequels of the novel.
Christian Mingle (2014)
My rating: 3/5
Despite theological problem, it's always encouraging to see "Hollywood" trying to make a film centered on Christianity today. It appears that the lead actress Lacey Chabert is a "devote" Christian in the general sense, your average American church goer. In the film she portrays a non-believer trying to find a date from an online Christian dating site by pretending to be a Christian. At the end, her co-worker (black woman) revealed that she's Christian but denied that all Christians should show that they are Christians, that's "not my style" as she puts it (a grave theological error in America today, and most Western influenced countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. as well).
The film also emphasizes on the openness to diversity and thus allow all forms of worships. This error can be explained by me restating "openness to diversity" as "Godly creativity rather than openness to diversity".
Our Times 我的少女時代 (2015)
My rating: 4/5
Taiwanese film. It's quite refreshing to hear Taiwanese accent again, that's all I can say about this love comedy drama.
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
My rating: 3.5/5
100 year old missing crews take vengeance on Captain Kirk's people. This also commemorates Leonard Nimoy's passing.
Mr. Church (2016)
My rating: 4/5
Written by Susan McMartin. A mysterious black man (Eddie Murphy) hired by "Richard" came into the lives of a Richard's ex and his daughter Charlotte to be the mother and daughter's caretaker for 6 months until the mother's passing due to cancer. Mr. Church gave his care longer than 6 months, even saw through the third generation. There is a hint of Henry Church's secret but never revealed throughout the whole movie: that he is gay, which was the reason for his over private behavior. The film focuses on the beautiful relationship between Charlotte and Church and thus, Church's lonely yet never truly alone legacy of affecting another family. I am willing to give a thumbs up to this film not because of the possibly promotion of gay rights, but for the struggle of misunderstanding in life. Today, wisdom and love are essential when dealing with challenges of homosexual progeny. Some families may be broken, the solution is not just love and loyalty alone, but a pursuit to restore a proper family under God's rule must never be lacking.
11.22.63 (2016 TV 8 Episode-Miniseries)
My rating: 4.5/5
Based on Stephen King's Time Traveling novel. The notion that a sort of worm hole in a spot that takes one back to 1960 makes more sense than most other sci-fi on time travel. The drama is not bad either.
Ben Hur (2016)
My rating: 3/5
More scenes with Jesus. Same sort of miracles. However, they try to justify Messala's fall as an adopted orphan in Ben Hur's family where the mother despised him from time to time. Ben did not save the Roman general here after shipwreck. In fact, he was acquainted with the Arabs and lived among them before he race Messala. The ending is a bit different. Messala was alive and reconciled with Ben. There is an over emphasis of "love", in response to vengeance. I still prefer the classics. This one seems too short and the content is bland.
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
My rating: 3.5/5
A film on how Walt Disney got the film rights from the author (Pamela Lyndon Travers AKA Helen Goff) of Mary Poppins. Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks played their characters well. The music for "Feed the Birds" appears to be the theme of the movie. Research shows that Disney was less kind to Travers in real life than in the movie, in real life he told Travers when she was offended by cartoons in the film: "the ship has sailed, Pamela". In the movie, flashbacks of Travers' sad childhood of losing her drunk but loving father was a constant comparison to her older, annoying character.
The Nutty Professor (1963)
My rating: 3/5
By Jerry Lewis. Very simplistic, in fact too simple. But still better than the Eddie Murphy remake version.
The Accountant (2016)
My rating: 5/5
Story: Autism rules.
Passengers (2016)
My rating: 4/5
Story: future ark ship take thousands of passengers in hibernation got hit by big asteroid. Pod malfunction awaken a mechanical engineer (Chris Pratt), who got bored after a year and awaken one of the passenger whom he has fallen in love with to keep him company. She hated him when she found out the truth but reconciled in love after the crisis of fixing the ship caused by the asteroid 2 years ago. Interestingly, Andy Garcia only showed up at the end as the captain who woke on time at the destination, nothing much about his role. With such few actors, the only budget is the graphic effects. This show contemplates man's grasp at eternity. Contrasting one's little life in the vast and timeless universe.
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
My rating: 5/5
Based on true story of a soldier who used no weapons, yet was the bravest of them all. Mel Gibson's at it again!
Moana (2016)
My rating: 4/5
3D animation. I commend chiefly to the starry night scenes in the middle of oceans. Water effects. As for the story, that's why there's a -1 point. Some traditionally accuracy but over anthropocentric.
Allied (2016)
My rating: 2/5
Brad Pitt plays a spy who married a double agent. Sad ending when the wife killed herself to safe the family. The first part is boring. One can just skip to the last 15 minutes or so.
Doctor Strange (2016)
My rating: 4/5
Justice League Dark (2017)
My rating: 4/5
Animation. Batman hanging out with magicians (John Constantine, Zatanna, etc.)
The Shack (2017)
My rating: -1/5
Based on William Young's Novel. Mackenzie's daughter's tragic abduction and death brought him to the trinity who appear to him in 3 people. I consider this a blasphemous story. Janet Mefferd had a guest on Podcast talking about the same thing. Apparently, Young claimed to be Christian at first, but then strayed rather far from the faith in universalism. Though he might deny being a universalist, but he is, regardless of his solo Christo attempt.
Before I Fall (2017)
My rating: 3/5
Played by Zoey Deutch, daughter of Back to the Future star Lea Thompson. The story which was similar to Groundhog Day was interesting. But the ending plot is foolish. Her character gets to live possibly infinitely, find infinitely ways to help others, she chose the one that would end her own life instead. Although, this kind of story does make one wonder much: Where was she really? In the real world or somewhere else? Brain in a vat?
Dangal (2016)
My rating: 4/5
Disney produced Bollywood film. Based on true story of Geeta Phogat, female wrestling champion from India. My father introduced this film to me. Took me a while to start watching it due to the length of the movie (2:30 hours). It's a father/daughter relationship drama essentially in the softer context of Rocky.
O (2001)
My rating: 3/5
Points given chiefly for the effort in modernize Shakespeare's Othello.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
My rating: 4/5
VFX: 5/5
Story: 3/5
It's like Avatar.
Beyond Skyline (2017)
My rating: 2/5
VFX: 3/5
Story: 1/5
Continuation of Skyline about alien invasion in ships that heal themselves. What's interesting is only that this time they hired two famous Indonesia actors, the dynamic duo: Iko Uwais & Yayan Ruhian. And the shooting locations in Indonesia (Prambanan?)
Game of Hunting (2017) 猎场 TV Series 58 episodes
My rating: 5/5
I just finished watching (took me about 2 weeks) this one and will create a whole journal entry just for this.
On Drakon (2015)
My rating: 4/5
Russian film. Dragon took girl, girl fell in love with the dragon-man. My kind of love drama. Good ending song by Женя Любич
Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments - TV Series (2016-)
My rating: 2/5
Story is a cheap twist of Biblical reference to the Nephilim.
Points for graphics:
Season 3 Episode 10. The writer loves to draw inspirations from the Old Testament. This one has to do with the Mark of Cain:
The Flash - TV Series (2014-)
My rating: 3/5
Lots of time wasting fillers. But some clips are interesting:
Season 4 Episode 23 - We Are The Flash, the accompanying music background is worth studying.
The Sound of the Spirit (2012)
My rating: 1/5
Point is given for interesting. Bad acting, incredibly slow pace, bad directing.
Story is about reconciliation between Jews and Messianic Jews over a Messianic Jewish girl of 12 who lost both her parents and is now in the care of her Jewish uncle and aunt. No conversion happening on either side in the end, just struggle of differences. This 2 hour movie is better done in 5 minutes.
Poldark (2015) TV Series
My rating: 4/5
I am taken rather to this simple beginning tv series. Captain Ross Poldark came back to England from the defeated battle in America in the late 1700s only to find that there's nothing left for him and his girlfriend Elizabeth has already been betrothed to his cousin Francis. Thus the new life of this rough but just man begins.
I like this song, taken from John 15:13, though not much focusing on God's deliverance as this is just showbiz:
Series 3 Episode 5 Funeral
Greater love hath no man, than he who for his friend lay down his life;
And his name shall be forever beloved, and his sacrifice forever praised.
Though we may no longer behold him, in our hearts he liveth on;
And the light may grow dark, yet time will hold a flame forevermore.
Greater hope have I none, than to a state of grace I may return;
And my trust shall be forever restored, and the heart of me forever healed.
Though pass we through this vale of darkness as our faith begins to fail'
Yet the light will abide and guide us safely home, now and forevermore.
---Anne Dudley and Debbie Horsfield Sung by the Sopranos
Soul (2020)
My rating: 2/5
Disney animated
After listening to this Mormon couple https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XElutAajLc mentioning watching this movie, I took a look at this which I had planned to skip, thinking it's just too ghetto for me. But 莫彩曦 did say it was interesting at the end, teaching to live life everyday.
True, it's not a theologically accurate view of life, but it is full of philosophy attempts. The unborn soul having tutored by various philosophers, a musician using the parable of "a small fish asking a big fish where is the ocean", and finally, Mr. Gardner's new found view of life after having lost it by accident.
It's just new for a movie and Disney's good at coloring it. But the idea has been around for ages, nothing new.
Run Hide Fight (2020)
My Rating: 4/5
The title is probably a response to UK's Run, Hide, Tell cowardice protocol.
Hailed as a conservative film. Ben Shapiro's The Daily Wire has something to do with this film's production. I can hear the libtards tearing their hair now. Gun Control!!! Bullies!!! God!!! they cry as they see a heroine Zoe who is struggling with the recent death of her cancer-stricken mother, fighting the bad guys with guns in a school shooting. But nothing they try to accuse is going to happen. IMDB rated 8.4/10 at this time, while rotten tomatoes' libtard raters gave it a 14%. It will be interesting to see how these ratings change. They loved to insinuate Zoe's mom appearing in Zoe's imaginations with a cup of coffee died by caffeine cancer. Some compared it to the contemporary film Joker, which rated by them to be in the 80s%
I like it, most parts. Except the ending where Joe realizing the antagonist leader Tristin escaping after fooling everybody that he was burnt to death, followed him with her father's sniper and shot right under his heart, leaving the fate of the boy to the audience's imagination, though, hinting that Tristin's gunshot wound is likely fatal, despite her temptation to smash his head with a rock. The aligns to the Jews (Shapiro)'s idea of an eye for an eye. It's not in Jewish doctrine to forgive the way Christians would. Unfortunately, the conservatives of America also failed at this, not knowing Jonah's miracle, even for the Ameristians.
Proximity (2020)
My rating: 4/5
Alien abduction story. Though rated low on imdb at this time (5.4), I think it's rather original in terms of having Aliens showing up talking in the end. And moreover, the ultimate revelation of the Aliens' goal was surprising: They were looking for Jesus, who has something to do with the origin of the Universe. I wonder what kind of Christian link the writer has. Of course, the illogical part would be how would an advanced race of aliens not figure out who Jesus is on their own. But the ascension of Christ scene is phenomenal.
Voyagers (2021)
My Rating (3/5)
Plot: Earth is in ruin, humans sent a group of children on a 80+ years journey to a supposedly inhabitable planet. The focus is not on the planet but on the ship. Many said this is like the movie Lord of the Flies, where children survive on their own after their "adult" (Colin Farrell) is murdered.
The story explores little of the wonders of space. Mostly it is about how these kids learn about emotions and sex. So, other than this dystopia of voyage through space, nothing much for people to rate. I noted this movie here because it reminds me of the loneliness in space. I have always being curious of such feelings.
The Purge
My Rating (3/5)
It's a series of movies about how America allows murder for one night of the year, in order to fix the economy and over population.
Interesting concept to make right from wrong, but impractical. However, this god-playing work is target against the Republicans, and specifically, the likes of Trump, and those who love to call on God's name. Turning Christianity into a dark cult. Trying to instill hate in the viewers against them.
The Gig is Up (2021)
My Rating (2/5)
Documentary.
I can't believe I got tricked into this snowflake movie. I thought it would teach me something about data science. Well, a little. How they gather data "unethically" - viz. not paying enough "salary". And this AB5 bill that was passed in 2019 for Californian Ride Sharing drivers (i.e. Uber, Lyft, etc.) to be treated as real employees with salary and such, which was later modified by opposition's Proposition 22 and passed into law in 2020 (not to be confused with Proposition 22 of 2000 which Prop 8, 2008 challenged against same-sex marriage).
I do not completely push these snowflakes away, because they are often times the only ones who could bring out true hidden trade secrets or even unethical matters from the other side which justified themselves to be righteous by lack of evidence against them rather than their righteous REAL works. Despite the fact that this movie is the snowflakes' fault, for you agreed to the amount you were paid, so there is no ground for whining, even if the CEO makes 22 million times than you.
Father Stu (2022)
My Rating: (4/5)
I watched this out of curiosity of today's Catholicism and because Phil from Grace Church mentioned it a while ago in the first party we hosted at home in this year's Easter Saturday.
Summary:
Review (on the Catholicism portrayed in this film which is supposed to be based on true story):
RC errors:
@38:18 - "Consider the changes you need to make in order to receive more abundant graces to sin no more." Questionable motive - work to get grace, not the other way around.
@1:49:00 - No one suffers perfectly, even Christ...Christ felt betrayed "My God My God, why have you forsaken me?" [This is why only the Reformed can understand this to be a distress from separation from the Father rather than feeling betrayed]
Funny, witty quotes:
@1:15:11 - Teaching priests to rat on suffering men, they're getting closer to Judas than Jesus. We both know how that story ends.
Last words @1:48:00 - pray not for an easy life, but the strength to endure difficult ones...
A bio I found for the real Stu: https://www.pillarcatholic.com/meet-fr-stu-the-real-priest-and-true/ but haven't gotten the chance to read it yet.
Reflection from the film: There're mix doctrines. Catholicism and reformed. So in a way, it's good in a kinda Gospel reaching way, but the anthropocentric view elements need to be watched out for and carefully treated where paradoxes should be treated.
True Spirit (2023)
My rating: 5/5
Because it's based on true story of Jessica Watson.
https://www.jessicawatson.com.au/blog
16 year old dyslexia Australian girl circumvented the globe (southern hemisphere) in 210 days on a sail boat with no engine nor outside assistance. Toughest storm at the end where boat sunk 15 meters deep by 12 meter wave.
Jesus Revolution (2023)
My rating: 3/5
Based on Evangelist Greg Laurie conversion story, a book he autobiographed under the same title. I had to watch this after some from my church watched it in theater and apparently enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it's your typical Charismatic (less radical) conversion/revival story. It praised Chuck Smith, the pastor who allowed the hippies in, Lonnie Frisbee, whose faith is definitely questionable in the charismatic sense, though the show was careful not to taint Lonnie's name at all even to the end, stated that he reconciled with Chuck Smith, founded Vineyard movement, etc. This whole movie is related to the Jesus Movement or the Jesus Freak of the 60s & 70s, when Billy Graham was also involved with the lot of them as well.
The movie's climax was Smith and Frisbee together baptizing people by the shore of California (Pirates Cove, Newport Beach, CA)
Nonetheless, after Chuck Smith came to his senses to do away Lonnie's "Holy Spirit" psychedelic experiences, the newly ministering Greg Laurie worked with Smith very well.
Theologically, I don't doubt that there were some who truly came to the Lord through such movements, but that doesn't mean that the movements themselves should be credited as other movements should. Especially the kind that's portrayed in this movie, just like the alleged Asbury Revival of this year (2023), is simply all about getting the right "high", the right "nirvana" understanding of the cosmos, while the Asbury "Revival" 2023 was all about emotion. Of course, Laurie never showed much of the charismatic emotional/high signs in his own ministry since the beginning other than getting high on drugs before conversion. And in the movie, the catchy line was: "If you ever get between me and God, then it's over for us." which Laurie and his wife Cathy used with each other while dating. A line though may sound cute and prankish funny, but rather childish: Shows what kind of care they would have for strangers. Any hospitability was clear from Lonnie's side, which, though educational, but secular at best. True Christian love and care goes beyond that into a total reliance and prayer on God and close study of His statutes.
Sound of Freedom (2023)
My rating: 5/5
Based on Tim Ballard's true story about child trafficking. Played by Jim Caviezel.
Nadia and I get to watched this today thanks to the free tickets from a couple of months back. This paying forward idea is rather innovative. We watched it and after the post-credit scene (Caviezel's monologue about on the children trafficking issue) we were introduced to a QR code to pay it forward, to which Nadia paid 2 value's worth: $30. I was touched by her motivation.
The movie though only on a $14Mil budget, was way better than the Jesus Revolution (2023) movie, which was also around the same cost.
I immediately looked up the facts after returning home. A good site on this is: https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/sound-of-freedom/ I will post the content below, in case the link breaks.
After also reading the wikipedia (Tim Ballard's O.U.R.) on this, the criticisms on his organization were interesting. Particularly the part where they were accused of "conflating consensual sex work with sex trafficking" and "psychic consultant".
Regardless, since this is just a movie, a piece of very well done art, I will look pass the wikipedia criticism on the Operation Underground Railroad.
It would also appear that the movie depicts almost all what Tim Ballard himself allegedly went through in real life, even down to except for:
The jungle rescue of Rocio, sister of Miguel. In reality, there was no such Rambo operation and killing of anyone. However, it appears that Miguel and his sister were based on real characters and the sister was never found. As for the jungle operation of doctors without borders, Ballard did posed as a doctor to look for a boy named Gardy who was also never found.
The first antagonist of the movie was based on a real beauty pageant named Kelly Johana Suarez (Giselle in the movie), who in real life even began as social worker trying to do go for her town. So I do wonder based on what I learned now, with the criticisms and all, if the real one, Kelly Suarez was indeed abducting children using trickery, or was it a case of conflating unfair consensual sex/labor vs. human trafficking. I am not too interested to look into this so I'll just leave it to imagination of all possibilities.
********************
Criticism and investigations from Wikipedia
The group says it disavows conspiracy theories.[48][49][50]
A September 2020 Vice News article called O.U.R. a "QAnon-adjacent charity," and said the "organization has embraced followers of that particular baseless conspiracy theory, rather than condemning it the way that other anti-trafficking charities have"—even though the organization emphasized no association with the group. Ballard stated to The New York Times "Some of these theories have allowed people to open their eyes. So now it's our job to flood the space with real information so the facts can be shared."[48][49][50]
In a December 2020 article, Vice News said that Tim Ballard embellished O.U.R.'s role in the rescue of a trafficked woman, stating that they did not find "outright falsehoods but a pattern of image-burnishing and mythology-building, a series of exaggerations that are, in the aggregate, quite misleading".[1]
A 2021 follow-up article further criticized O.U.R.'s practices, including using inexperienced donors and celebrities as part of its jump team, a lack of meaningful surveillance or identification of targets, failing to validate whether the people they intended to rescue were in fact actual trafficking victims, and conflating consensual sex work with sex trafficking.[51] O.U.R. reportedly consulted a psychic for intelligence on one mission on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.[51]
A 2021 article in Slate criticized an armed 2014 raid conducted by O.U.R. in the Dominican Republic, which was filmed live by a camera crew to use in a proposed reality TV show, saying that it was likely to have traumatized the trafficked children.[3] Anne Gallagher, "the leading global expert on the international law on human trafficking",[52] wrote in 2015 that O.U.R. had an “alarming lack of understanding about how sophisticated criminal trafficking networks must be approached and dismantled” and called the work of O.U.R “arrogant, unethical and illegal".[3][53]
In 2022, the O.U.R. falsely claimed that it had entered a partnership with American Airlines.[54]
[48] Roose, Kevin (2020-08-12). "QAnon Followers Are Hijacking the #SaveTheChildren Movement". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
[49] "Donald Trump Is Gone, But QAnon's Sex Trafficking Conspiracies Are Here To Stay". BuzzFeed News. 23 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-06-03. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
[50] "WWE Referee, Wrestler-Turned-Mayor Fundraise For QAnon-Adjacent Charity". http://www.vice.com. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
[51] "Inside a Massive Anti-Trafficking Charity's Blundering Overseas Missions". http://www.vice.com. 8 March 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
[52] Jackman, Tom (23 September 2016). "Hunting for sex-traffickers abroad — by posing as johns". Washington Post. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
[53] Gallagher, Anne (2015-07-31). "Chasing the Slave Traders: A Law Enforcement Perspective on Operation Underground Railroad". HuffPost. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
[54] Merlan, Anna (10 June 2022). "Operation Underground Railroad Touts Non-Existent Partnership With American Airlines". Vice News. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
*****
From the site HistoryvsHollywood.com on accuracy:
HISTORICAL ACCURACY (Q&A):
Did the real Tim Ballard grow frustrated after spending years stopping the end users of child pornography but never rescuing the kids?
Yes. The Sound of Freedom true story reveals that Tim Ballard, who had initially worked for the CIA for a year prior to joining the then-newly-formed Department of Homeland Security, spent several years busting the consumers of child exploitation material without ever being able to rescue the kids being exploited.
"I had spent 12 years as a Special Agent, undercover operator, for the Department of Homeland Security," says Tim Ballard, "working child crimes, child trafficking, and it was kind of an evolution, the first few years it was mostly just end-user, collector, cases of people who are possessing, distributing child exploitation material. And [I was] always wondering, 'Where are the kids?' I see these videos, it breaks my heart, I gotta describe them [in the reports]. There's a scene in the movie that breaks my heart where Jim [Caviezel] is crying as he's having to describe these horrific sex scenes of children, and when I say children, I mean average age, seven, six, five."
Tim said that the laws changed for the better in 2006. "For the first time, U.S. agents could actually go overseas and prosecute Americans for engaging in sex with children overseas, and prosecute them as if they'd committed the crime on U.S. soil. So that opened up my horizons and I started finding the kids." Tim said that despite it being a step forward, it could still be a frustrating process because the law didn't stipulate how much time, flexibility, or creativity he would be given when conducting an overseas mission, and even if he found the kids, he would be told to come home if he couldn't find the American citizen who was connected to their exploitation. -The Daily Signal
After being ordered to abort his mission in Colombia, did Tim Ballard quit his job so that he could stay and rescue the children?
While conducting our Sound of Freedom fact-check, we discovered that the movie's depiction of Tim Ballard quitting his job is largely accurate. Ballard says that everything came to a head for him in 2012 when he was working on two different cases, one in Haiti and one in Colombia (due to it being a two-hour movie, the case in Colombia is the only one focused on in the film). "I was told, 'Come home,' on both of them," says Ballard. "They were both major cases, a significant hit against human traffickers would have taken place. ... There I am, thinking, 'They're asking me to come home once again, and I'm not gonna do it. I'm gonna stay, and that means I have to quit my job." -The Daily Signal
Tim Ballard and Jim Caviezel Sound of Freedom Movie
Tim Ballard (left) is portrayed by actor Jim Caviezel (right) in the film. Photos: O.U.R. / Angel Studios
Was Tim Ballard's wife okay with him quitting his job in order to rescue the children and complete his mission in Colombia?
Yes, but in answering the question, "How accurate is Sound of Freedom?" we learned that Tim Ballard's wife's discussion on the phone with him was a little different than in the movie. After being once again told by Homeland Security to abandon his missions and return home, Ballard got fed up and made the risky decision to quit his job in order to complete his operations and save the children. As stated earlier, he was working on two operations at the time, one in Haiti and one in Colombia (the movie only focuses on the latter). He told The Daily Signal that he called his wife, Katherine Ballard, and part of him hoped that she would tell him to come home, explaining that he was less brave at the time than the movie portrays him to be:
I called my wife, hoping, hoping she'll say, 'Get your butt home, are you kidding me? We got six kids to feed.' And I want her to say [that], because I was being a coward, but I knew it was the right thing, and she didn't, she didn't, she didn't read my script, and she said, 'Of course you're gonna stay,' and I said, 'Are you kidding me?'
In the film, you see [Mira Sorvino's character] say to me on the phone, 'You quit your job and rescue those kids.' What [my wife] really said to me, 'cause they didn't want to make me look like the coward that I was, because I was like, 'I'm coming home. I'm not gonna do this. I'm not gonna be part of this,' and she said to me, very sternly, 'I will not let you jeopardize my salvation by not doing this.' And it breaks my heart because not only is she losing our income, but she possibly, there's a very good chance, maybe 50-50, she's gonna lose me.
When Tim Ballard quit his job as a Special Agent with DHS, he and his wife Katherine Ballard had six children. Currently, at the time of the movie's release in 2023, Tim and Katherine have nine children, including two children they adopted who Tim helped rescue from traffickers. Tim and Katherine met while they were both attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
Tim Ballard and Wife Katherine Ballard
The real Katherine and Tim Ballard, portrayed by Mira Sorvino and Jim Caviezel in the movie, are pictured in 2021. Photo: Tim Ballard Facebook
Who funded Tim Ballard so that he could quit his job and carry out the rescue operation in Colombia?
While analyzing the Sound of Freedom fact vs. fiction, we learned that it was media personality Glenn Beck who pulled together the funding for Tim Ballard and his team to complete the operations. "Glenn Beck, bless his heart, raised the money for us so that we could even do the operations," says Ballard. "I had no money to do it" (The Daily Signal). During an interview with Angel Studios CEO Neal Harmon, Ballard said that Glenn Beck started to help him raise money as he was in the process of leaving his job as a Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security. He said that Beck was even in the original script for the film, but the scene was cut in order to fit everything in. -The Daily Signal
Glenn Beck and Tim Ballard
Photo: Tim Ballard Facebook
Are the villains in Sound of Freedom based on real people?
While discussing Sound of Freedom's historical accuracy, Tim Ballard said, "Every bad guy is real. In fact, the movie was cut because it got too long. They had cards at the end, telling you every bad guy's real, every kid is real, and it told you where they are today. They had to cut it. It hurt, but..." -The Victory Channel
Manny Perez's character Fuego, who Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) negotiates with in the movie, is a real person who was arrested during Operation Triple Take. Fuego liked to wear a hat similar to that of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. -O.U.R.
History vs. Hollywood YouTube Channel
Is the movie's story of a woman posing as a talent recruiter and convincing a Honduran father to drop his daughter and son off at talent tryouts based in reality?
For the most part, yes. In the Sound of Freedom movie, a lower-middle-class Honduran father is approached by a well-dressed woman posing as a talent recruiter who overhears his daughter singing at the market. The woman, who is named Giselle, convinces the father to drop his daughter and son off at singing tryouts to see if his daughter can qualify for a young celebrity program. The father arrives with his two children at what appears to be an apartment filled with other children trying out for the program. The woman tells the father to come back at 7 p.m. However, when he returns, he discovers a dark, empty room with no sign of his children.
In the real story, there was a former beauty queen who helped lure in the children. Her name was Kelly Johana Suarez and she had been known as "Miss Cartagena." She was one of the five traffickers arrested on the island. Tim Ballard said that, similar to the film, they would lure in the children by pretending to have a modeling agency. -CBS News
Katy Gisselle Sound of Freedom
Actress Yessica Borroto Perryman portrays the villain Katy-Gisselle in the movie.
According to Tim Ballard, how much of Sound of Freedom is based on the true story?
"So, they play with some times, they bring a couple of things together that didn't happen that fast, of course," says the real Tim Ballard. "Some things are definitely overreported. [Jim Caviezel] makes me look way cooler than I am. I promise. But some things are underreported, like we didn't rescue 54 kids on that island operation. We rescued over 120, and there's a documentary coming out called Triple Take, which tells everything that happened on that island." -The Victory Channel
Is Bill Camp's character, Vampiro, based on a real person who helped Tim Ballard?
Yes. In real life, Vampiro was also known as "Batman." The details of his backstory in the movie are mostly accurate. However, unlike what is stated in the film, he has never been to prison. The movie also states that he joined the fight against child trafficking after he slept with a prostitute and then realized it was a 14-year-old girl, which nearly drove him to suicide. In real life, Vampiro slept with an adult trafficking victim. He discovered that her young daughter was being exploited when she wasn't around, which is what motivated him to join the battle against child trafficking. Vampiro did help with Operation Triple Take, but he did not participate in the island operation that is depicted in the movie. He was leading another leg of that operation in Medellín, Colombia that was unfolding on the same day. -O.U.R.
How many women and children did Tim Ballard rescue during the operation depicted in the movie?
The real Tim Ballard says that his team rescued 123 trafficking victims in Operation Triple Take in Colombia. 55 of them were minors. "The film only gets into a piece of it," says Ballard. "There's 54 rescued on that island [depicted in the movie], but the op was bigger than that. The movie didn't have time to get into it." He says that there's so much more attached to the whole story. -The Daily Signal
In real life, the operation unfolded in three cities in Colombia over a one-hour time period in October 2014. When 25 Colombian special operatives raided the party on the island depicted in the movie, they arrested five suspects, four men and one former beauty queen. Of the 54 victims rescued on the island, 29 of them were under 18. The movie fictionalizes this a little by depicting all of the survivors rescued on the island as minors. -CBS News
Tim Ballard Operation Triple Take Colombia
Colombian law enforcement officers are pictured during Operation Triple Take in 2014 storming onto the beach of the real-life island just outside of Cartagena, Colombia that is depicted in the movie. Photo: O.U.R.
Does Sound of Freedom show the exploitation of children?
No. "I demanded they didn't," says the real Tim Ballard, who insisted that such terrible crimes not be shown in the movie. The horror is instead conveyed in part through actor Jim Caviezel's eyes and expressions as his character reacts to the exploitation. -The Daily Signal
Has Tim Ballard ever killed anyone?
No. Near the conclusion of the movie, Jim Caviezel's character kills a man in order to rescue a child. This never happened in real life. In addressing this scene, Operation Underground Railroad's website clarifies, "Tim Ballard has never killed anyone, contrary to what is depicted in the film." The organization emphasizes that they do not act as a vigilante group. Instead, they work with governments and local authorities, contributing intel, funds, equipment and undercover operatives.
Did Tim Ballard go into the jungle by himself to rescue a little girl?
No. After Operation Triple Take concludes in the Sound of Freedom movie, Tim (Jim Caviezel) poses as a doctor and goes into a Colombian jungle by himself to try and rescue the little boy's sister, who is still missing. While the real-life little boy did have a sister, Tim's jungle search in the movie was instead very loosely inspired by his organization's real-life search for a little boy named Gardy, who had been kidnapped from the grounds of his father's church. At one point, several years after Operation Triple Take, Tim led a team of O.U.R. operators, pretending to be doctors, into a jungle on the border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti to look for Gardy. They were unable to find him, but they did give medical care to a number of ailing children. To this day, Tim wears a bracelet with the boy's name on it to symbolize the ongoing search for Gardy.
How many children are trafficked each year?
While researching the Sound of Freedom true story, we learned that according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, approximately 350,000 children are reported missing every year in the United States. Of that total, an estimated 100,000 are being trafficked. The 2021 Federal Human Trafficking Report stated that 57% of U.S. human trafficking victims were minors.
As stated at the end of the movie, human trafficking is a 150 billion-dollar-a-year criminal enterprise. It has eclipsed the illegal arms trade and is roughly a third of the size of the drug trade. American citizens are often the ones traveling to other countries to exploit children.
The child trafficking statistics graphic below is free to share (no attribution necessary).
Child Trafficking Statistics Graphic
This graphic is free to share. No attribution is necessary.
Is America's current border situation making it easier for children to be trafficked and exploited?
Yes. "This film, the story kicks off at the port of entry at the southern border. That's a true story," says Tim Ballard. "They filmed that exactly where that happened with that little boy and the necklace, that's a real story, the necklace with Timothy on it. That's timely. Look what's happening right now on our southern border." Ballard says that he spent 10 years working at the border as a Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security. -The Victory Channel
In an interview with The Daily Signal, Ballard explained how the current lack of security at the border is exacerbating the problem of child trafficking:
The economy of pedophilia. The United States is the number one consumer of child exploitation material. We are the demand. So, that means that traffickers want to get children into that dark market. There's a lot of money to be made here. The United States, also according to the State Department, is in the top three countries for destination countries for human trafficking. So, there's every incentive to get children into America, into the black markets here of pedophilia.
And so, when I find out that in the last couple of years that at least 85,000 — I think it's much higher than that — that at least 85,000 unaccompanied minors [have shown up at the border], thousands of them, I've seen the CBP reports, are under five years old. Why is a three-year-old showing up at the border? Well, I can tell you why, because they show up with a name, the name of the sponsor that they're given by the trafficker. HHS gets the kids and they by law have to call the number.
*pretends to pick up phone*
'Hi, we have Jose Gonzalez, Mr. George Smith.'
'Yeah, yeah, that's my kid, whatever.'
They used to actually fly down and have to pick the kid up. Not anymore. Our taxpayer dollars will [now] send the kid by plane or bus to this 'sponsor', no background check, no DNA, nothing. And they deliver the kids. Our taxpayer dollars are literally, for the first time in American history, our taxpayer dollars are going to facilitate the last leg of a child trafficking event.
Ballard says that the only compassionate border policy is border enforcement, including barriers and walls, because, as emphasized in Sound of Freedom, "the walls and the barriers lead the children who are being hurt into that funnel of rescue. Trained women and men in uniform are there. Those kids want to go through the port of entry. Those kids pray for a wall. The wall will save their lives! But let's take it all down. Let's open it all up. Kids are being abused by the thousands and our taxpayer dollars are actually funding it."
History vs. Hollywood YouTube
Who did Tim Ballard want to play him in Sound of Freedom?
During our Sound of Freedom fact-check, we learned that it was Tim Ballard who requested that Jim Caviezel portray him in the film, despite Caviezel being much taller and with dark hair. Their physical differences aside, Ballard wanted Caviezel for more personal reasons. "I don't trust Hollywood," said Ballard, "but I know one thing about Jim Caviezel. One, he's a great actor. My favorite movie of all time was The Count of Monte Cristo. And I know he loves Jesus, and that is important to me, someone who loves the Lord. I can at least trust in that." -Angel Studios
Jim Caviezel and Real Tim Ballard Sound of Freedom
Photo: Tim Ballard Facebook
Did movie studios shy away from wanting to release Sound of Freedom?
Yes. It was a long journey and a struggle for the filmmakers to get the movie made and released. Actor Jim Caviezel spoke about the challenges during several different interviews for the film:
We struggled making it. We struggled gettin' the money together. We lost our money. We lost our studios that were supporting us, and yet we were just getting by, a little bit at a time. Faith bonded us together. Once we got it done, Eduardo Verástegui (Bella) had to bear the burden and try to get this film [released], and studio after studio, it's like nobody would want it. ... We had the same issue with The Passion of the Christ, and that thing ended up becoming a juggernaut. -The Daily Signal
When it went to the studios, you clearly see people getting up and crying and weeping, and moved to tears, and laughed and highly entertained, and then when it was all said and done, it was, 'Sorry, this isn't for us.' -Q&A with Jim Caviezel and Neal Harmon
20th Century Fox produced Sound of Freedom and Disney owned it after they purchased 20th Century Fox. However, Disney decided to shelve the film. After pulling together funds and negotiating, Angel Studios, the company behind the hit series The Chosen starring Jonathan Roumie, picked up the movie.
How did actor Jim Caviezel prepare for the role of Tim Ballard?
While dissecting the Sound of Freedom fact vs. fiction, we discovered that in order to prepare for the role, Caviezel said that he spent time training with Ballard, specifically in close-quarter combat. He was even able to accompany Ballard on missions. "I go and literally sit in on these missions," says Caviezel, "and I'm watching him and his analysis of what he sees. And it has to be done very methodically. And I'm trying to find out who he is and what I am and how we're similar." -National Catholic Register
Real Tim Ballard Sound of Freedom
The real Tim Ballard and actor Jim Caviezel are pictured during an interview for Sound of Freedom.
Did Jim Caviezel lose his agents over the movie?
Yes. In an interview with Angel Studios CEO Neal Harmon, Caviezel said that, as with The Passion of the Christ, he and the filmmakers have endured blowback for making Sound of Freedom:
I want this to be so huge that they're forced to look at this. I lost my agents over this. Yep, 17 years, 15 years. I lost my lawyer over this, and now I understand why all these actors didn't want to do the movie because of this. Listen, you do Schindler's List fifty years later, you're a hero. Try doing Schindler's List when the real Nazis are right there. Understand how that becomes more dangerous? I don't understand why people are willing to let children be hurt, but in this time, Hollywood says, 'No, no, let's kick that down fifty years from now and then [see where we're at]. That's crap.
Did Tim Ballard start an organization to fight human trafficking?
Yes. The Sound of Freedom true story confirms that in 2013, former Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Tim Ballard founded Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), a nonprofit organization that rescues children from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. His team includes many former government operatives who gave up their careers to focus on rescuing children, in part because the U.S. government has not made fighting child trafficking a priority. According to the O.U.R. website, the team can work in any jurisdiction and alongside law enforcement to rescue children directly. They have reportedly been involved in more than 4,000 operations and 6,500 arrests since their inception (FOX News). Ballard says that they've extracted over 6,000 women and children, who they've helped get into recovery (Lewis Howes).
Tim Ballard says that he would never have been able to quit his job with the government and start O.U.R. without the support of his wife, Katherine Ballard, with whom he shared six children at the time (they currently have nine). As Tim was tempted to make the easy decision and remain at his cushy DHS job and not give up his pension, Katherine encouraged him and offered him spiritual guidance, telling him that even if they lost their house, rescuing the children was more important and would be the path that would not jeopardize their salvation.
Tim and Katherine Ballard Operation Underground Railroad
Tim says that he would not have been able to start O.U.R. if it wasn't for the unwavering support of his wife Katherine. Actors Jim Caviezel and Mira Sorvino portray the couple in the movie. Photos: Tim Ballard Facebook / Angel Studios
Another source on historical accuracy:
Sound of Freedom: Based on A True Story (Except for the Parts That Aren't)
"Sound of Freedom" is a trailblazing film that narrates the real-life story of the founding of Operation Underground Railroad, portraying Tim Ballard's remarkable path of committing himself to the crucial cause of liberating children from the clutches of sex trafficking across the globe.
Of course, like any film based on a true story, there may be some exaggerated or fabricated elements included for dramatic purposes. So, which scenes in "Sound of Freedom" are actually factual and which ones aren't? Let's find out!
The rescue operation on the island in Colombia really happened. TRUE
In the movie, it shows a raid on an island to rescue children from a large trafficking ring. In real life, this was one of three coordinated takedowns that happened that day in Colombia, conducted by O.U.R. in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). In total, 123 survivors were rescued, 55 of which were minors. Known as “Operation Triple Take,” it remains O.U.R.’s largest undertaking to date. In “Sound of Freedom” it depicts the takedown that happened just outside of Cartagena, where roughly 50 victims were rescued. In the movie, all of the survivors are children, but in real life not all of them were minors.
The character “Fuego” in the film is a real person who was arrested during Operation Triple Take. As an undercover operator for O.U.R., Tim negotiated directly with him. Fuego wore a hat of Che Guevara, a Marxist revolutionary, and when Tim asked him about it, he boasted, “Because I’m the revolutionary in selling girls.”
During the final showdown with Fuego in Operation Triple Take, just before law enforcement came, Tim asked him if he could borrow his hat. Tim said, “It was symbolic to me as the end of his revolution.”
Earlier that year, O.U.R. had already conducted our first operations in Haiti, Cartagena, and the Dominican Republic, with Operation Triple Take coming in as our fourth.
Operation Triple Take ended up winning HSI’s case of the year in 2015, an operation they called “Clear Hope.”
“Giselle” is based on a real person. TRUE
In the start of the film, it shows a woman named “Giselle” recruiting a young girl and her brother for what the children’s father believes is a modeling opportunity. The character of Giselle is loosely based on a woman named Kelly Johana Suarez, a former beauty pageant queen and professional model in her early twenties, known as “Miss Cartagena,” who really did recruit and traffic children using her credentials in Colombia.
Suarez’s reputation in her home of Obrero, a poor neighborhood in the South of Cartagena, made her an effective recruiter of young girls and boys for sex trafficking. Her trusted role as a leader in her impoverished community was gained through her former beauty pageant experience and social work studies.
Beneath the surface, Suarez was nothing short of a monster. She used her good standing and credibility to lure children away from their families with promises of making them successful models, but instead she sold them into the booming sex trade.
The children portrayed in the movie were actual survivors of trafficking. TRUE
The film depicts many different children who are shown as victims of sex trafficking. All those characters represent real people O.U.R. has rescued at one point or another. The story of the little boy, known in the movie as “Teddy,” is particularly special.
In the film, after Tim rescues Teddy, the boy gifts him a dog-tag type necklace with “Timoteo” written on it. True to the real story, the little boy’s sister had given her brother this necklace in the movie before they were separated. To them it symbolized the hope of rescue.
In real life, this happened while Tim was still an HSI Special Agent, and the little boy really did gift that necklace to Tim. On it, it has a scripture reference from 1 Timothy 6:11 and the words “Man of God” inscribed on it. It wasn’t until Tim took it home to show to his family that his son pointed out his name was on it.
“To me, call it luck, chance, coincidence, God, whatever you want to call it, it was a message,” Tim said. “That necklace symbolized a calling now to me. It meant so much and I decided, then and there, that this is it, this is what I’m called to do, this is what I’ll do for the rest of my life.”
Additionally, although Teddy’s sister is a person in real life, the story of Tim refusing to give up the search to find “the one,” as depicted in the film, is based on the true story of O.U.R.’s continual search for Gardy.
Tim killed someone. FALSE
Towards the end of “Sound of Freedom” it shows Tim kill a man to rescue a child. This did not happen.
Operation Underground Railroad exists to rescue children from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, and we go where no one else will to find even just one child. But we do not function as a vigilante group; we work with local authorities and governments and contribute equipment, funds and undercover operatives to the cause of freedom. Our undercover operatives do not use guns in any of our operations.
Tim Ballard has never killed anyone, contrary to what is depicted in the film.
Another important note: we are careful to not to create demand for child trafficking when our operatives are undercover.
The character “Vampiro” is based on a real person. TRUE
The character of “Vampiro,” also known as “Batman,” is based on a real person. Everything said about him when he is being introduced to Tim in the film is true, except when it says he spent time in jail. The real Batman has never been to prison.
In the film, Batman tells Tim he changed his life and started helping in the fight against sex trafficking because he slept with a prostitute and then realized it was a 14-year-old girl. The realization that he was adding to the darkness almost drove him to suicide until God intervened and he redirected his efforts. This is true, except for the part where he says he slept with a 14-year-old girl. In real life, the woman he slept with was an adult trafficking victim, and he realized that her young daughter was being exploited while she was away, which was what drove him to join the fight.
Batman was involved with Operation Triple Take, but he did not actually participate in the Cartagena Operation, as depicted in the movie. On that same day, he was actually leading one of the other Operation Triple Take undertakings in Medellín, Colombia.
Tim went into a Colombian jungle by himself to rescue a little girl. FALSE
In the film, Tim poses as a doctor and goes into a jungle somewhere in Colombia to find the little boy’s sister, shortly after Operation Triple Take. This did not happen. However, in real life, Tim did lead a group of O.U.R. operators, posing as doctors, into a jungle on the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic a few years after Operation Triple Take in search for Gardy.
No one was rescued, but the operation did advance the search for Gardy, and operators were able to provide medical care to many children in need.
This story depicts what human trafficking typically looks like. FALSE
At the first of the film, it shows security camera footage of several different kidnappings. This is real footage, and while this type of human trafficking exists, it isn't the majority. When we hear the phrase “sex trafficking,” our minds often picture dusty, dark alleyways in foreign countries where orphaned children from the streets are kidnapped, exploited, and sold. And that is a horrific reality, but it is also important to understand that sex trafficking is not just a foreign issue, but an acute domestic concern within the United States that is ever increasing.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, human trafficking has been reported in all 50 states (NCMEC, 2022). Predators are soccer coaches and trusted teachers, neighbors across the street, uncles and aunts.
The film also depicts children in shipping containers. It is important to note that Hollywood took creative license in portraying the different ways that children can be trafficked. While cases exist where children are transported in various vehicles, most trafficking happens through a manipulative grooming process. “Sound of Freedom” illustrates this well in the child modeling scenes where children (and sometimes their parents) are led to believe that they can make money by modeling, receive food if they come to their house, or receive love if they become the trafficker’s boyfriend/girlfriend – and it ends in sexual exploitation or trafficking. It is vital for parents, young adults, teens, and children to know the signs of grooming so they can recognize when someone may have ill intent.
When we committed to this fight in 2013, we never imagined the amount of support we would receive from those determined to make a difference alongside us- shining their own light on the issue of child sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. For that, we will never give up fighting and will continue to go to the darkest places until this crime no longer exists. Thank you for continuing to be the light that we take into the darkness.
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Small World (2021)
My rating: 4/5
Child abduction. Sex trade. Polish made.
This is definitely darker than Sound of Freedom (2023). Unlike Sound of Freedom, this film is not under any Christian influence. Though both films quoted the famous line in Matthew 18:6
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
The hero of the movie is a polish cop who seemingly felt guilty for slowing down a mother chasing the kidnapper of her 5 year old daughter. We then followed the cop 12 years from Russia to Rotherham to Thailand tracking the girl who was already brainwashed into slavery mode. The dark side of this is when caught in England, the cop was forced by the satanic cult to be "raped" by the girl. He then struggled his own pedophilic desire with much control.
In the end, the now 17 year old girl is pregnant and snaps out of her life when she decided not to abort the baby. She called the cop for help and she was eventually flown back to Poland while the cop went on a suicide mission to save all the children in the Rotherham satanic house by killing every cult member there. When he ran out of bullet to shoot himself, he went out of the building holding his gun pretending he's going to shoot into the police force waiting outside where he was shot to death by the police.
Like the Sound of Freedom, the ending of this film parallel the beginning scene. The girl returned to her hometown where she began at age 5 with her mother. The film ends before the girl meets her mother, leaving it for the audience's imagination.
I think the ending could have done better. There really isn't a need for the suspense whether she met her mother or not. Did her mother moved? Why was there no welcoming party? Was lost and found not a big thing in Polish media? We are left to assume the better after she rang her mother's supposed doorbell - that she finally meets her mother.
Small World (2021)
My rating: 4/5
Child abduction. Sex trade. Polish made.
This is definitely darker than Sound of Freedom (2023). Unlike Sound of Freedom, this film is not under any Christian influence. Though both films quoted the famous line in Matthew 18:6
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
The hero of the movie is a polish cop who seemingly felt guilty for slowing down a mother chasing the kidnapper of her 5 year old daughter. We then followed the cop 12 years from Russia to Rotherham to Thailand tracking the girl who was already brainwashed into slavery mode. The dark side of this is when caught in England, the cop was forced by the satanic cult to be "raped" by the girl. He then struggled his own pedophilic desire with much control.
In the end, the now 17 year old girl is pregnant and snaps out of her life when she decided not to abort the baby. She called the cop for help and she was eventually flown back to Poland while the cop went on a suicide mission to save all the children in the Rotherham satanic house by killing every cult member there. When he ran out of bullet to shoot himself, he went out of the building holding his gun pretending he's going to shoot into the police force waiting outside where he was shot to death by the police.
Like the Sound of Freedom, the ending of this film parallel the beginning scene. The girl returned to her hometown where she began at age 5 with her mother. The film ends before the girl meets her mother, leaving it for the audience's imagination.
I think the ending could have done better. There really isn't a need for the suspense whether she met her mother or not. Did her mother moved? Why was there no welcoming party? Was lost and found not a big thing in Polish media? We are left to assume the better after she rang her mother's supposed doorbell - that she finally meets her mother. So this is the point off from me.
They did picked the right innocent looking toddler to play the girl in the beginning.