Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review!

Thunder and the House of Magic starts off with a family moving away and deliberately leaving a kitten behind to fend for itself.  Confused and unsure of where to go, the kitten makes his way to an unusual mansion.  The owner is a magician and takes him in and bestows the name Thunder to him because of the rain storm that brought them together.  The magician's rabbit and mouse pets are not as welcoming and plot to evict Thunder from his new home.  Tragedy befalls the magician and it's up to Thunder and the magician's helpers to team up to save the magicians house from being sold or destroyed by his greedy nephew.

While the story is decent, I was appalled at the language used within this movie.  Thunder and the House of Magic is not rated and does cite cartoon violence.  I was surprised to hear the word d*mn used multiple times (by the nephew) in this movie geared for families.  It's a shame since everything else about the movie is great.  

The computer animated visuals are astounding and lend themselves to 3D very well.  I wish I had a 3D  Blu-Ray setup to see what it looks like!  The characters are very expressive and the cat animations/behaviors are spot on.  However, I have yet to see a cat not want to eat or kill a mouse.   I found it amusing that the cover of the DVD boasts about having music from Selena Gomez in it.  While this statement is true, her song is not until the end credits. 

Thank you Pure publicity for sending us this DVD to review!

Just as my Facebook stream has settled down from people dumping ice water on their head for ALS, I watched a movie that impacted me more than any celebrity getting soaked.  After seeing Season of a Lifetime I hope more than ever that a cure is found for this terrible disease.  I pray that the $113 Million raised from the ice bucket challenges is put to good use.

The tagline for Season of a Lifetime summarizes it quite well: “Faith, Family, Football”.  Since I am not into football, I had my doubts about this film, but rest assured, it’s more of a documentary than a sports film.   This movie is about a godly man, devoted husband and father who mentored Georgia's Greenville High School Patriots players and brought them from being laughed at to the state championships.  Many of the players come from rough backgrounds and coach Williams is like a father to them.  That’s doesn't mean he goes easy on them though!

Jeremy Williams is no stranger to football and is the current record holder for the most tackles as a defensive back.  Although he was undersized, he still managed to tackle over fifty players in one season.  After college, he didn't let his football know-how go to waste, and began coaching. Success didn't come right away though; it took a couple of years for the team to work and play well together.  Coach Williams prayed for adversity to bring the team closer together.  It was soon after that he was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  

Thank you Affirm Films for sending us this movie to watch!

I have seen many Christian movies ranging from dramas, to documentaries and comedies.  The Remaining is very unique as it's the first Christian themed survival/horror movie I've seen.  It doesn't pull any punches and shows both believers and non-believers getting torn apart by prophesied abominations.  Because of the gore, this movie received a PG-13 rating.  I was surprised it didn't get an R.  The Remaining makes Left Behind look like a Disney film, and is bound to give young kids nightmares.  

The movie begins with a picture perfect wedding and the groom's friend is documenting it with his camcorder.  His footage gets really interesting at the reception when many of the guests suddenly collapse and die.  They are the lucky ones as the people left behind must deal with fire and hail raining from the sky, looting, mayhem, and demonic attacks.  

The wedding party must flee for safety, collect their wits and process what's happening to them.  Is this an alien attack or Biblical prophecy coming true?  Many characters realize that they have missed the rapture and solidify their faith in God.  It's not an easy decision as it comes with consequences as demons are attracted to and attack new believers.  Is the quick death worth the risk?  Is it the right choice?

Not everyone embraces faith though.  People on both side of the fence die in this film.  I was surprised to see how some characters were given the option to die despite Revelation 9:6 stating that death would not come to those wounded.  

Thank you Pure Publicity for sending us this DVD to review!

Many kids look forward to summer camp and coming back to their families after it's over. What about kids who have no families or come from abusive households? For those kids summer camp is the only place where they feel loved, safe, and cared for. Camp is about a young boy named Eli who loses his neglectful mom to a drug overdose and his abusive father isn't a big part of his life. 

Eli is sent to an orphanage and gets the opportunity to go to summer camp. He almost was rejected due to lack of help; however, an investment adviser named Ken has volunteered to help in order to woo one of his potential clients. At first Ken doesn't fit in or care about his peers or Eli, as he spends too much time with his cell phone instead. Eli tests his patience and character several times and almost gets sent home for his bad behavior. Camp teaches about hope, forgiveness, and second chances along with the reality of abuse and the neglect that many children live through. There is some violence and since it is directed at children, it's hard to watch without flinching. These events earn the movie's PG-13 rating.

Camp is an emotional rollercoaster that will have you laughing and wiping away tears of sadness. I can see what it's categorized as a Drama/Comedy. I highly recommend this movie as it tells a wonderful story (inspired by many true ones!) and encourages people to make a difference in the lives of children in need. The special features include stories from staff at Royal Family KIDS camps who share true stories that inspired and made it into the film. There is also a testimony from a girl whose life was transformed after visiting Royal Family KIDS camp. I'd say more, but I don't want to give away any spoilers. I highly recommend seeing this movie for yourself.

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Thank you Pure Publicity for sending us this movie to review!

Imagine if your college professor asked you to sign a paper stating that God is Dead. What would you do? Would you comply? Drop the class? Or take a stand? Matthew 10:33 states “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” After that powerful verse what would you do? Would you still take a stand for God if your grades and relationship with your significant other were at stake? That's what Josh did in the movie God's Not Dead.

While the story told is not factual, it is based off of many recent lawsuits involving public universities and Christian students. Numerous popular Christians make an appearance including The Newsboys, Willie and Korie Robertson, and Kevin Sorbo who plays the protagonist professor.

There are a wide variety of characters including a vegan who is diagnosed with cancer and her successful yet unsupportive boyfriend. Several students from different backgrounds are portrayed including a rebellious female Muslim student who only wears her face covering around her father and sneaks it off at school. There's also a Chinese student in Josh's class who is intrigued by the possibility of God's existence, but when he talks to his father about it, he cuts him off every time.

Ragamuffin is based off the life of Rich Mullins, who was a very talented Christian singer and song writer.  Although the title is unusual, it symbolizes “the burdened, the wobbly and weak-kneed, the inconsistent, unsteady disciples... the smart people who know they are stupid... the honest disciples who admit they are scalawags”*.  Rich Mullins was a little rough around the edges but he was clearly gifted, humble and on fire for God.  This movie depicts him in an honest light and shows him struggling with loving his father, drinking and cussing.  Because of this portrayal, I don’t recommend this movie for young children. 

The visuals are definitely low budget; they were going for the indie/ragamuffin look. (They succeeded.)   The story however is great and the musical talent of Michael Koch who portrays Rich is top notch.  If you’re a fan of Rich Mullins and his music (Awesome God, Creed, Elijah) I highly recommend checking this movie out.  

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Ragamuffin_Band

Thank you Fox for sending us this DVD to review!

One of the most talked about TV shows from 2013 was The Bible Series.  While my family didn't watch it on Cable, we did purchase the series on Blu-ray and loved it!  Those who already own The Bible series on DVD or Blu-ray may want to pass up on Son of God if you’re looking for something different.  Most of the footage is re-used but re-arranged to focus on Jesus’ ministry, persecution, death, and resurrection. 

The movie is 138 minutes and there are lots of extras with commentary from Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Charles Jenkins, and Touched by an Angel’s Dr. Della Reese-Lett.  There’s footage from behind the scenes and a promotion for Compassion International. 

Son of God is rated PG-13 for violence due to the beatings and cruel death our savior endured for our salvation.  The message is bold and powerful, my kids were moved to tears for the suffering Christ endured for them.  While this movie isn't as child friendly as Miracle Maker, it’s not as gory as The Passion of the Christ.    I’d say it’s a happy medium and a great evangelistic tool.  

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review!

Eli Shane and his friends are taking it easy after defeating the vile Dr. Blakk who used modified slugs for his evil purposes.  The Shane Gang get reports of similar type slugs in the 99 caverns and they head out there to investigate.  Eli confronts and does a battle with a new kind of slug that invades the mind, can he defeat him or has he met his match? This action packed adventure lasts 44 minutes and there is a cute slugisode in the bonus features titled Burpy & Friends Take a Dive. 

Fans of the Slugterra series will enjoy this DVD, but given how short it is, I’m not sure it’s worth the $15 asking price.  If you do see it on sale, it’s worth picking up though. 

Thank you Cinedigm for sending us this movie to review!

Matthew 10:30 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it

Jason Fields directs and stars in this Christian film about a college graduate balancing his newfound faith, family, and pursuing a career in professional basketball.  The main character, Damon Sharp struggles with temptations and tries to relate with his broken family still healing from their father/husband leaving them.    Damon’s mother isn't taking good care of herself and his brother Darrin (starred by “Day of Our Lives”, Sean Douglas) is still living a partying lifestyle with a young son depending on him.    

Damon is trying to relate to his brother and seeks advice on life and sports with his Christian athletic friends.  Several professional basketball players star in this film and share their faith filled testimonies.  The roster includes Corey Maggette, Allan Houston, and Anthony Tolliver.  Not surprisingly, there is rap music and it too, is Christian themed.  While it’s not my style, the artists who rapped were clearly talented.  Unfortunately this movie only offers stereo sound so people with 5.1 or better setups won’t be able to benefit from it.

The visual quality could be better, but the message of God’s love and grace is still shown clearly.  Midrange is only available in DVD format for less than $15 on Amazon. 

The Princess Bride... The Goonies.... Flight of the Navigator...

There are a precious few movies that made one feel a sense of wonder as a child.  While there were many entertaining titles available, both on VHS, and for the classic 8 and 16bit consoles, very seldom did one truly cut through the monotony of school and the endless tedium of summer, when we could not afford to take trips, or it became too hot to even go to the city pool.  One movie however sticks out.  It is Explorers, starring River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke.  Released in 1985, it is the tale of three boys who begin sharing dreams of a circuit board schematic.  Little did they know however, but that single schematic would be the beginning of an adventure which would take them beyond the solar system.  Ben, the leader of the group is the first to have the dreams.  He writes down the diagrams as best as he can remember them, and immediately takes them to his best friend, Wolfgang(it's not his fault his parents won't let him change it), who builds the circuit on a breadboard.  Together with another boy named Darren, they discover the circuit generated an energy field which could not be affected by gravity or even a brick wall.  Emboldened by this revelation, they raid a junkyard and build a spaceship to search for the beings responsible for this wondrous technology.

 The movie, whole wholesome in general, does have some profanity, adolescent innuendo, and a scene involving beer, however the director labored to minimize such questionable content and mold what remained in such a way as to create a realistic portrayal of three kids nearing the end of childhood and trying to discern what was truly worth bringing into manhood.  The overall moral(yes there is a moral to this movie) is to never let go of one's sense of wonder.  This lesson is personified in a Sheriff's deputy who manages to track down their space ship, however he realizes almost too late that the kids he chased had held true to such wisdom far better than he had.  This, I believe is part of Christ's message, albeit in a different form.  He said to come to Him as a child, as in without fear or bias.  The sense of wonder we all knew staring up at the stars as children was lost in the frantic hustle called adulthood, and we have become blind to God's most awe-inspiring miracles.  Perhaps we, like the deputy in the film, just need to look up and truly see what's there.

This movie is in my opinion, appropriate for kids around 12 and up, since the characters are themselves between 12 and 14 years of age, however as with anything, use your own discernment. 

DC Tech 

The Hornet's Nest is a very powerful and scary look at the Afghanistan war from a journalist who was surrounded by enemy forces for nine days.   Very real, very scary, I highly recommend watching this before enlisting in the armed services!  Since it's an accurate documentary there is some foul language.  Truth be told, I'm honestly not sure what I would be saying if I had real bullets whizzing past me!  Definitely not a movie for kids, but for everyone else this film will open your eyes to what war looks and feels like and how strong of a bond soldiers have with one another and how precious life is and how we should appreciate our freedom that these heroes gave their lives for.  

I'm grateful for these brave soldiers and pray that the people in Afghanistan are liberated and get to enjoy the liberties we take for granted.  Please pray for the soldiers risking their lives and for the innocents impacted by this war.  

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review!

Before King Arthur was seeking the Holy Grail, Spain's comic book hero, Prince Killian was entrusted with it.  Well, he had most of it.  The fabled Lucifer's stone was no longer there.  There is an evil army that wants to reclaim the Grail and make it complete again to bring Lucifer back into power.  This is a dangerous mission, but Prince Killian has the help of several friends including the young Crispin, and Goliath who is always hungry.  Prince Killian has escaped death numerous times when his attackers discovered his special marking on his neck.  (There are lots of occult symbols in this film!) This marking and his purpose in life are all revealed in this action packed 107 minute movie.

Make sure you check the audio settings if you want to enjoy this movie in English.  Spanish is the native language and when we watched it in English, the dubbing was obvious.  The voice acting was good, it just wasn't in sync with the lip movements.  The special effects were so-so and got better as the movie progressed.   Overall this was a good movie, but it didn't have the budget of the other popular super hero movies out there. 

Thank you Nest Entertainment for sending us this DVD to review!   This is a great DVD for the Easter season. 

The Messiah Comes opens up with Roman soldiers using their power to mistreat the Jews and they long for their Messiah.  The corruption has spread into the temple at Passover and Jesus is shown overturning the tables.  His softer side is revealed as He later heals a blind man. Upon seeing and hearing of these miracles the Jews start to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the priests are now upset with Jesus.     Nicodemus puts his reputation at risk and speaks with Jesus and truly believes that He is the son of God.  

Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem is shown and the people sing Hosanna Halleluiah.   The singing and voice acting is well done.  Jesus is voiced by Ivan Crosland.  The art style is similar to many Disney films, but the quality could be better as this former VHS movie shows its age a bit.  Fortunately, the message is timeless.  Nest Entertainment offers this twenty-seven minute DVD with a downloadable interactive activity and coloring book for $21.95.    

Thank you Shout Factory for sending us this DVD to review!

While this 82 minute DVD entertained my children, I was disappointed at how many of the characters were portrayed.  God was shown as being lazy and using props for "special effects".  Noah was humble and righteous (though not very intelligent), but his daughter in laws bickered all of the time and his sons were useless as they didn't lift a finger to help him in building the ark.  Instead they just fought among themselves.   Unlike the Bible's version of the great flood, this show adds a couple of greedy stow-aways onto the ark.

In the animal kingdom, their lion king is an indecisive womanizer who is spoiled and incompetent.   Some of the female animals are sexualized and there are hints of mating and a few instances of potty humor.  This is a far cry from the Veggie Tale accuracy and humor we are used to.  On a positive note, this DVD does teach kids the importance of working together.

Thank you Time Warner for sending us this movie to review!

Delivery Man is about a meat truck driver name David Wozniak who has made several mistakes in the past and has a knack for losing money.  He’s now deeply in debt and unless he repays it, his life is in danger.  As David’s life is continuing its downward spiral, his relationship with his girlfriend is on the rocks and he finds out that he is the father to over five hundred children.  To make matters worse, the sperm donor company informs him that more than one hundred and forty of the offspring want to know his real identity. 

Despite being told by his lawyer friend, not to have anything to do with his kids, David enjoys acting like a guardian angel to several of them.  Without revealing his identity, he helps many of them launch their career, build their self esteem, and even kick drug use.   There’s a lot of variety in his children as they each have various skills and abilities.  One of them is a professional basketball player while another is unresponsive and wheelchair bound.  

While the overall message of this movie is positive, there are some issues worth mentioning that make this movie not so family friendly.  It does earn its PG-13 rating for language, sexual themes, including homosexuality, drug and alcohol use.  

In the beginning of the movie David tries to grow marijuana to help raise money to pay off his debt.  Later in the film as he gets to know one of his daughters, he saves her from overdosing on heroin.  Another one of his daughters puts him in the protective dad role as she is very attractive and gets many cat calls with her skimpy outfits.  In another scene, David is following one of his sons only to find that he is an active member in the gay community.  Sex outside of marriage is promoted in this film. Lastly, given the nature of the plot, there are several sexual innuendos about how these children were created.

Thank you Nest Entertainment for sending us this DVD to review!

This twenty-six minute DVD opens up with a pretty song that describes God's love for us by sending our savior. As the opening credits scrolled on, I noticed that Orson Scott Card wrote the screenplay. The story begins with Simeon telling an elderly lady (presumably Anna) that he has been promised to see the Messiah before he dies. King Herod gets wind of the Messiah's coming and vows to eliminate him. After that scene, Gabriel tells Mary that she will bear God's son and although she doesn't understand how it is possible, she complies. I was surprised to see how easy going Joseph was about this situation when Mary told him the news. In this DVD he had a dream explaining the divine pregnancy before Mary announced it. According to the Bible he was troubled by the news and later comforted by the dream and felt at peace knowing that Mary was not unfaithful to him.

Later in Mary's pregnancy, Caesar Augustus proclaims that everyone must return to their city of birth to be counted and taxed. As they near Bethlehem Mary starts to go into labor, but they have no place to stay since the inns are full. A kind man gives them shelter in a stable. Baby Jesus arrives (no gory details shown) and is visited by nearby shepherds while the wise men start their journey to meet the king.

Anna and Simeon get to meet their promised savior when Mary and Joseph present an offering at the temple. King Herod hears about Jesus' birth and tells the wise men to let him know where to find the baby. When they disobey, every baby boy pays the price (again no details are shown). Thanks to Joseph's dream warning them to leave Bethlehem, they fled safely to Egypt and raised Jesus there until king Herod died.

That is where this DVD ends and if you like Biblical stories with good voice acting, I recommend continuing the story of Jesus' life by watching Jesus, The Son of God. The animation is a bit dated since it's from the eighties, but the artwork has a Disney like style to it. While the normal price is $9.95 I have seen it for $5 on Nest Entertainment's website and for less than $12 shipped on Amazon.

I recently flew from Thailand back to New York after Christmas break. Being on a transatlantic flight means you have the opportunity to watch a lot of films, so I thought I would try something different for a column. Note that my opinions on them aren’t that valid because I fell asleep during three of them (plus the fact that I’m just a dumb college kid with no experience in film but let’s not go there) but here are some brief impressions with or without complete sentences.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2: This film exists for two reasons – to show off the wacky world of computer animation and to write puns about food. Has a remarkably weak villain and a sidekick I found uncomfortable to look at. Just trust me. A combination of Jurassic Park and the first movie, the sequel just doesn’t have the legs to stand on its own. The animation is fairly stunning, I’ll give it that. C

Rush: Interesting rivalry biopic, the Amadeus of Formula One (note: I’ve never seen Amadeus). Daniel Bruhl outshines Chris Hemsworth in every way, but Thor does a serviceable job despite a choppy English accent. Surprisingly little actual racing, but still manages to keep it fast and compelling. Nice pacing, integral for a racing flick. Entirely unnecessary sex scene (although I hear there are more with mine being edited for plane viewing). B

Now You See Me: Ensemble cast doesn’t make me care about them, despite their theatrics. Cool illusions and action sequences, everything is quite slick and enjoyable, and I expect nothing less from Louis Letterier. Unfortunately the movie isn’t strong enough to support its own resolution, so the result makes it as forgettable as the implications of its title, despite all the fun. Yeah, I’ve seen you, so what? B-

Man of Steel: I’m going to catch flak for this, so let me begin by revealing my bias by saying I’ve never really liked Superman but I wanted to see what was done with the reboot. The most positive thing I can say is the strength of the visuals and their design. Much of the emotional fell flat, Cavill never looks like he belongs (maybe that’s the point, but…), a lot of the plot didn’t make sense to me, and there were some scenes I found flat out silly. Utterly humorless except for one or two awkward jokes, and like many reviewers, I disliked the mindless destruction of Metropolis. I’m not saying that every movie has to be funny, but this one was grim business, and I didn’t think it was good enough for me to take seriously. Zod was a good choice as villain and Michael Shannon does well with the role but I just couldn’t put up with the rest of the movie. It might just be that it’s not for me. D+

Warning: This review contains references to graphic material and is not suitable for children.

Review: If you were interested at all in the first Kick-A** film (referred to by initials from here on out), you are likely aware by now of the sequel's many issues: Gratuitous language and sexual references, highly stylized graphic violence, and the inevitable curse of sequel-itis. Despite all of its explicit content, the original KA was an enjoyable romp through superheroville with heroes that bled and swore throughout its 117 min. running time. There was a facade of realism, but it wasn't meant to be taken too seriously. Director Matthew Vaughn carefully realized his own version of New York City, creating a careful balance between the gritty vigilantes and the mafia with the fantasy of comic books, especially in the character of Hit-Girl. I bring all this information up about the first one to highlight some of the main problems that plague KA 2. 

The first problem that is almost immediately noticeable is the restricted budget. The action isn't quite as slick as it used to be, and it shows. This problem is almost painful in a later sequence partially shown in the trailers with Hit-Girl sliding around on the roof of a van. However, you can't completely fault the production crew for this issue, and newcomer Jeff Wadlow does a serviceable job with the action he's given. Of particular note is the first real glimpse the audience gets of Mother Russia and her brutality against the police. 

The second major problem that KA 2 suffers from is an inconsistency that stretches across multiple aspects. There's a forgivable amount of continuity errors from the first film, but some of it just doesn't make sense. For example (Spoilers for this and the original), the girl that Dave (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) successfully dates after spending the entirely of the first movie trying to get her to like him, is dismissed with an uncomfortable throwaway gag about people thinking that Dave and Mindy (Chloe Grace Moretz) are together. (End spoiler) There is also a persistent inconsistency in tone. When Vaughn created his vision for KA, he knew exactly what he wanted out of his characters, with all the violence in the film leading up to an intense finale with consequences. Maybe it's just poor screen-writing (the opening minutes of the film were a little painful for exactly this reason), but there were several moments of surprising sincerity and melodrama surrounding Hit-Girl that felt out of place, like it was taking its role in the superhero canon too seriously. This is contrasted with two particularly over-the-top scenes for her character that seem to come out of left field and left a bad taste in my mouth: Mindy's "sexual awakening" in noticing a boy band's music video and her revenge against the popular girl's clique. It also lends to the feeling that KA 2 has more to do with Hit-Girl's story than it does with Dave's, which wouldn't be so much of a problem if the movie didn't share its name with Kick-A**. 

All of this is not to say that KA 2 does not have any bright spots. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Chloe Grace Moretz are as comfortable as ever in their roles and Jim Carrey's screen time as Colonel Stars and Stripes is criminally short. I was also surprised and impressed by some of the other casting: Donald Faison is irresistibly plucky as Dr. Gravity, and the rest of Justice Forever handle their roles formidably. I was initially put off my Christopher Mintz-Plasse's return as Chris D'Amico, but he eventually won me over in his quest for vengeance and desire to be feared. I found most of the action sequences to be well-implemented and entertaining and appreciated the diversity and creativity among both the hero and the villain’s squad.

Thank you Shout!Factory for sending us this video to review!

What happens when you combine Ponies, Unicorns, Pegasus', Breezeies (bug like ponies with wings and antennae) and dragons? You get some wild adventures that teach lessons like being true to yourself, compromising, and taking responsibility for your actions.

The My Little Pony Classic Movie Collection consists of two DVD's with two episodes each. With all of the episodes combined the total running time is 114 minutes. I'm not sure why they didn't put all four “movies” on one disc.

Here's a breakdown of the shows included:

Thank you Nest Entertainment for sending us this DVD to review!

Even non-believers will acknowledge that Jesus was a good teacher. Through this twenty-five minute DVD, your kids can experience and learn the meaning of the following parables:

• The tares and the wheat (Matt 13:24-30)
• The pearl of great price (Matt 13:45-46)
• The ten virgins (Matt 25:1-13)
• The sower and the seeds (Matt 13:18-23)

As if the parables were not convicting enough, seeing Jesus' audience leaving after being shamed or convicted from the teachings really drove the messages home. Each of the people leaving Jesus' teachings represent the seeds from the sower that went to the wayside (refuses to understand God's word), had shallow roots (left when persecuted), got choked by thorns (put possessions before God) and those that landed in good soil (receives and follows God's word).

Though the animation is a bit dated, it still looks good and you can see some artistic similarities between these and Disney films. The voice acting and singing is well done. The parable of the pearl has its own song about the man gladly selling his possessions. While the song sounds fine, if my kids were to sing it in public, they would get some silly stares.