Tag: Movies

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“God’s Not Dead: A Light In Darkness” Review

“God Is Good, All The Time”

“And All the time, God is God”.

The same dialogue echoes though the God’s Not Dead trilogy as Christians are tried in new ways.  First it was a student vs. professor, in which a freshman student is made to prove the existence of God in front of his collages.  Then a public school teacher vs. the state, where for the first time a teacher is taken to the supreme court to be made an example for speaking the name of Jesus in her classroom.  Now in the next film, it’s the pastor, himself that faces the ultimate test of faith.

Produced and starring David A. R. White, God’s Not Dead: A Light In Darkness shows that even a pastor is human as Reverend Dave faces the ultimate backlash after being arrested at the end of the second film, now his church is burnt down.  To throw more heat onto the scene, the university which has offered sanctuary to the church now wants the church gone, as they seek to lay blame for the disrupt in campus life and hate crimes.  As far as acting goes, David A.R White exceptionally portrayed a pastor which we have watched in all three movies as he himself is now feeling the persecution that the student and teacher equally felt.  White’s expressions on his face when he has his breakdown in the church as well as the encounter with the student responsible for the fire, ultimately shows the humanistic characteristics that undoubtably all people of faith go through when all seems lost.  It shows that even pastor’s aren’t exempt.

Likewise, the film, conveys the same subtle message, that of whether or not to believe in God or not, allowing the audience to make their own decision in the end, though it is slightly more bible based then the previous too, which one could deem is because of the attack on the pastor and the church.  The setting and lighting is perfect in using colors to depict just how low humanity can get, but  the multiple images of fire serves as both a destroyer as well as a symbol of hope similar to a scene out of the second with the students showing their support for their teacher at her house.  This very same scene repeats itself with the university students showing support of Rev. Dave.

The return of Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper) is also a nice touch as those loyal followers of the Gods Not Dead franchise, might have wondered what happened to the outspoken freshman who stood up to the overpowering agnostic professor.  Harper’s addition as a student minister, showed the affect of the church on the campus as a new student, Meg (Jennifer Taylor) is introduced as an underlying story supplementing that of the church vs. state.  We see a further development in Harper especially from the first film to this one where he has know transitioned from the freshman trying to prove God’s existence to a actual pastor figure who wants to reach others, which I can totally see.  Harper’s performance in this one is just as strong and motivating as the student becomes the teacher in an essence both with Rev. Dave when he seems to question himself as well as the new young girl who is in the same boat. 

The God’s Not Dead franchise is based in large part by the Christian Musicians Newsboys, who’s song, God’s Not Dead was performed in both the first two movies and one might expect another reprise, which didn’t happen.  I found myself slightly disappointed by not hearing and seeing the band, but the music was prevalent in the background as the story continued.

Another difference between this one and the first two was the call that was made.  Instead of showing the message, to text everyone, “God’s Not Dead”, there was a live message at the end from Michael Tait, of the Newsboys as he closed out with a public message, to be the light.  He also promoted an app which was created for the movie.   I liked the notion, but showing the message after the credits, make it difficult to reach, especially since most people don’t stay til the end.  While the message was powerful, they might have been better to still have the text message at the end for those that didn’t wait all the way through.

God’s Not Dead: A Light In Darkness is a fitting close to a powerful franchise.  It upheld the same standards as the first two, with more emphasis on a pastor’s point of view and of course the call to “Be the Light” was still there.  The religious sequel came out in theaters March 30 and is currently playing in a theater near you.

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“Midnight Sun” Review

She only comes out at night. 

 For as long as she can remember, Katie Price has lived under the protection of a special UV window in her house.

The opening scene, a dream that she remembers of her mother holding her on the beach while playing guitar, but for Katie she can’t remember if thats true or not.  This is because she has a rare condition, known as XP, (Xeroderma pigmentosum), which makes her extremely sensitive to the sun in a matter of life or death.

At first look, the film reminds one of another movie which came out last year. The film, Everything, Everything, more specifically and to be fair there are similarities that can be identified, especially by the fact of this movie being a young adult romance between two people that are separated by a house but that’s only the beginning.  

Midnight Sun is a movie of a slightly different caliber, because Katie’s widowed father doesn’t keep her from going out at night.  In fact, we get a sense of her freedom when she meets her best friend, Morgan who gets her to go to a party for the first time after graduation.  

Directed by Scott Speer who also directed the Step It Up films, Midnight Sun perfectly captures the innocence of first love despite a terminal illness.  The film could also be compared to another book franchise by Lurlene McDaniel who is most known for writing teen romances where at least one partner has a terminal illness. Though the movie is based on a different novel, by Trish Cook, one has to wonder if she might of got some inspiration from McDaniel.  The writing definitely lends itself to the possibility.

Overall, the film stands up to the one line from the movie, “To Live in the moment, because you never know when it will end.”  It’s a summer romance that for Katie is by far the best time of her life, when she finally gets to experience the love that had been growing inside of her since the first time she saw Charlie outside her window.

Midnight Sun came out in theaters March 23 and has already brought in over 7 million worldwide.  It is currently playing in one near you.
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Fifty Shades Hits Its Climax

The Erotic love story based on the book by E.L James is coming to theaters this weekend in anticipation for Valentine’s Day as it nearly matched its previous chapter with 5.7 million in Thursday previews.

In the thrilling conclusion, the story picks up where Fifty Shades Darker left with Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) and Christian (Jamie Dornan) officially tying the knot and now the fun comes, trying to act like a married couple.  In the midst of Christian Grey’s million dollar business empire, Anastasia doesn’t want to stay home and Christian agrees to her keeping her publishing job with a few improvisations, that of body-guard service.  Meanwhile, the couple’s relationship is threatened by Jack (Eric Johnson) who wants Ana for himself, however we soon realize that is not the only reason as dark secrets about Christian’s adoption and foster care begin to emerge.  That along with the stunning conclusion of a not so surprising pregnancy is enough to keep viewers on the edge of their seats in this stunning conclusion.

At one hour forty-five minute run time, Fifty Shades Freed is a traditional love story with a slight erotic twist.  It will entertain viewers and fans of the novel alike as it follows the book fairly closely from start to finish, though it may not be for everyone, viewer discretion is strongly advised as it is rated “R”, for language and graphic nudity.

That aside, there is a good storyline that will keep one entertained.  See it in a theater near you.

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Thor Kicks Butt at Previews

The Latest Thor sequel is bring millions into the theater as it is expected to bring in the number one spot for the first November weekend at the box office.

Chris Hemsworth stars as the God of Thunder Thor son of Odeon who is burden with  a dream of the complete destruction of his hometown Asgard as prophesied as Ragnarok.  After his father passes on, his brother comes back to life,  and his long lost older sister Hela played byCate Blanchett,  sends him and his brother away to another land in order to take over rule of of Asgard and restore the city to the war torn  country that it was prior to Odeon’s peace treaty.  Now it’s up to Thor with the help of some familiar Avengers, including Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange and Mark Ruffalo as the Incredible Hulk in order to get back the Asgard and prevent Ragnarok from happening.

At 2 hours and 10 minutes, Thor: Ragnarok features the latest in special effects and is best seen in IMAX 3D for optimum viewing.  It will have movie goers cracking up at all the humorous moments and well as cheering for Thor as he fights to restore Asgard and decide if he really is the next rightful ruler of the land.

With surprises around every corner and of course the ever expected cameo by comic creator Stan Lee, movie goers will not want to miss one moment of the epic adventure even down to the final scene after the credits as a preview of what’s to come next. The Marvel adventure came out in theaters November 3rd and is currently playing in at a theater near you.

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Spider-man Reaches Over 200-million

Sony’s Spider-man Homecoming has passed the 200-million mark this weekend at the box office bringing in another 45 million for its second week though it was still knocked to second because of this week’s new blockbuster War of the Planet of the Apes that barely managed to take first with just 10 million over.

The third reboot within the turn of the century, follows Peter Parker as an awkward teen who is trying to balance school life with that of being a superhero.  He goes to the Avengers Headquarter on a “retreat” where we briefly see Captain America, Hulk and the other Marvel superheroes. Then he is sent home with his own suit and given instructions to take it slow.

Frustrated that he can’t do more, Parker sets out on adventures on his own, after school looking for crime fighting opportunities.  He ends up uncovering a heist, that was 8 years in the making, but the Avengers still can’t take his 14-year-old self seriously.

At 2 hour 13 minute run time, will Peter Parker be able to prove himself to the Avengers and be able to save New York from the Vulture?  Spider-man Homecoming stars newcomer, Tom Holland as Peter Parker, along with Marisa Tomei playing is Aunt May, with cameos from of course comic creator Stan Lee as well as the Avengers themselves, Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, and Chris Evans as Captain America, as well as Michael Keaton as the Villain “Vulture” and Gwyneth Paltrow as the reporter Pepper Potts.

Overall, Spider-man Homecoming will have audiences laughing at the awkward comedy as well as cheering for Spider-man when he finally realizes who he is on the inside.  Make sure to see Spider-man Homecoming in a theater near you.

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Transformers 5 Takes First

It’s a war between the Autobots and the humans where the solution to their feud lies in the history long forgotten. When Optimus Prime leaves Earth in search of the transformers home, the military fears what will become of humans, but Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlburg) still believes in the transformers and vows to protect them.

Meanwhile Optimus Prime finds his home planet, Cybertron is dying and is told by his creator Quintessa that it is his fault.  She convinces him that the only way to save their planet is to find the ancient staff back on Earth, but will he be able to destroy one planet to save his?

At 2 hours and 29 minutes, the fifth installation of Transformers, The Last Knight, will have audiences rooting for Bumblebee as it is up to him to remind Optimus Prime of their true home, but will it be enough to save Earth from the new Decipticons that followed him back?  The action adventure also features, the voice of John Goodman as one of the transformers left on Earth to protect their race and Stanley Tucci plays Merlin in the long forgotten history as well as Anthony Hopkins as Sir Edmund Burton, Josh Duhamel as Colonel Lennex and Laura Haddock as Vivian Wembley.

Overall, The Last Knight fared well at the box office as it took the number one spot with just over 45 million with its domestic total at 69 with Sunday’s final.  It’s a movie for all to see as it is packed with action, humor and adventure into a history long forgotten.  See it in a theater near you.

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“Rough Night” Review

It’s a bachelorette party gone totally wrong as four friends reunite ten years later.

Rough Night stars Scarlett Johansson as Jess, a careful politician running for state senate, while trying to balance her social life with her friends and her fiancee, Peter (Paul W. Downs).   Her long time college friend, Alice (Jillian Bell) attempts to give Jess a perfect Bachelorette Party, to try to rekindle their friendship, but there’s a bit of jealousy when Jess’ other best friend from Australia, Pippa (Kate McKinnon) joins the party in Miami.

Through a twist of events with a male stripper, the girls find themselves in too deep as they fear the worst after accidentally killing the man after the strip tease.  What they think is a bad accident, turns into a comedy of errors as they uncover a far worse fate in which it puts their lives at risk.

Overall, Rough Night is a hilarious comedy for a more mature audience.  It’s the perfect girl’s night movie for anyone who ever thought about the perfect bachelorette scene and single women alike.  It’ll have you laughing from the first minute on and make sure to stay for the credits as there is a crucial scene afterwards.

Rough Night came out Friday June 16 and is currently playing in theaters everywhere.

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World Loves “Mummy”

Universal is on top for the Worldwide box office in its latest adaptation of the Mummy franchise starring Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe and Annabelle Wallis as the blockbuster brought in well over 174 million world-wide.  Domestically, the film only brought in 32 million as more people flocked the theaters to see Wonder Woman for its second week at the box office.

The latest Mummy saga follows Cruise as Nick Morton, a treasure seeker in the Middle East, modern-day Iraq as he stumbles on to the long forgotten and erased tale of Princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella) and her jealousy that lead to her ultimate downfall.  Inevitably, Nick ends up resurrecting Ahmanet who is in search of a mortal vessel to harness a god in order to rule the world.   Now Nick has a choice to make to sacrifice himself either to save the world or cling to the darkness that harnessed Ahmanet.

The film also brings in a new character to the Mummy saga, Dr Jekyll (Russell Crowe) who ultimately wants to learn more of the mummy through nontraditional methods though Jekyll’s character is a foreshadowing of what is to happen to Nick’s character in the end, as his assistant Jenny (Annabelle Wallis) follows Nick to help him destroy the evil.

At an hour and fifty minutes, The Mummy will have new audiences revisiting the ancient legend of the dead in a new modern way.  It’s a similar story line as the 1999  version with Brendan Frasier, but Universal Studios and Dark Universe has flipped the story around to show that even female mummies can be evil.  The film is full of adventure, suspense and a slight hint of a love triangle this time with Nick being drawn to two women, though one is not by his own choice.

The Mummy came out in theaters June 9, and is currently playing in one near you.

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“Circle” Review

Emma Watson is teaming up with Tom Hanks this time in the latest STX Entertainment thriller, The Circle.  Based on the book by Dave Eggers, ambitious dreamer, Mae Holland (Watson) gets the job of her dreams for a tech company with hopes of making the world a more open place.  She does this by using a tiny camera in order to record every moment of her life and show that openness and honesty are the best ways to live in harmony, but she soon discovers that not everyone is willing to be honest and her honesty costs the life’s of the people she loves most.

Now Mae has to decide what is more important, the honest life that she’s been living or the life of her family and friends.

At 1 hour and 50 minute run time, The Circle will have you engrossed in the world of social media that everyone holds dear and inevitably makes you wonder, how close is too close for comfort.  The drama also stars John Boyega and the late Bill Paxton who passed away earlier this year and whom the film was especially dedicated to.

The Circle opened in theaters the last weekend in April and henceforth has already brought in nearly 20 million domestically at the box office.

It’s still currently playing at a theater near you.

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Bestseller Turns To The Movies

While at the top of his gain at the Chicago Tribune, his young daughter nearly dies if not for the kindness of a stranger, but now Lee Strobel is questioning everything when his wife suddenly becomes a Christian.  Afraid of what will happen to his family, Strobel decides to investigate one of the founding claims of Christianity, the resurrection, but will he be able to disprove or will the facts hold solid for what he feels in his heart.

At an hour and fifty-two minutes, The Case For Christ will take you on the archeological journey with Lee Strobel, played by Mike Vogel, as his wife, Leslie, played by Erika Christensen, patiently waits and prays for her husband to change his heart and mind.  It’s by far one of the best investigative religious movies.  It gives the facts and lets those tell you what to believe, but ultimately the choice is yours.

The Pureflex film also stars Faye Dunaway as one of the professionals that Strobel interviews as well as L. Scott Caldwell as Alfie, the woman who starts the dominoes falling by saving Stobel’s daughter.

The Case for Christ came out in theaters, April 7 and has thus far risen over 5 million to date at the box office.  It’s the perfect movie to watch over the Easter weekend.