Jerry Howell

The Hunger Games is a dystopian young adult book series that became a blockbuster film series. Usually, I don't bother much with popular movies unless they fall into the sci-fi/fantasy or superhero genres, but, I made an exception for these movies some years ago, and I'm glad I did. It's easy to see why this series has captivated moviegoers worldwide, especially given the state of our country and our planet. Modern screen legend Jennifer Lawrence excelled as heroine Katniss, and everyone else did very well; Haymitch has always reminded me of former dc Talk member Kevin Max, for some reason. There wasn't any profanity, and one brief kiss was about as sexual as it got, both of which are shocking for a "PG-13" film. I honestly wish I had the sequel on hand; I can't wait to see what happens next. By now, I would think all fans of the franchise have already seen this; if you're unfamiliar with these movies, you definitely should check them out...but, they're not for the faint of heart!

Content Concerns:
Sex: One brief kiss; a girl invites a guy to snuggle with her in bed, only for her to wake up and find that it's a dream. 4/5
Nudity: None. 5/5
Language: Nothing worse than "shut up" or "horse manure," which is shocking for a "PG-13". 4/5
Violence: People are shot dead; scenes of massively destructed towns; a bombing or two; a guy attacks a young woman, and she ends up with a neck injury as a result. 2/5
Drugs: Alcohol and prohibition are mentioned; nobody actually drinks, though. 4/5
Frightening/Intense Scenes: The whole tone of the movie is dark; the scenes showing destructed towns; the aforementioned attack; frankly, there's little here that isn't intense. 1/5

Score: 4.5/5

Synopsis: In first century Rome, evil Emperor Nero rules with an iron fist. Those who follow Christ live in hiding and fear for their lives; Nero has been casting those of the Way to the lions because of their faith. Paul, world-traveling missionary, is imprisoned and nearing the end of his life. Luke, a doctor and fellow believer, visits him in prison. When military commander Mauritius' daughter is sick, he is desperate to save her...but, nobody seems to be able to help. He has heard that Luke is an amazing physician...but, he can't bear the thought of having one of those Christians set foot in his home. Will he be able to save his daughter...and learn the error of his ways?

The Good: For a Christian movie, the production values here are incredible. It really took me back to the time of Acts, which, ironically, was where I was in my Bible reading plan when I started and finished this. The actors all did amazingly well, and this flick doesn't shy away from showing the brutality that those of the Way faced back in the day. There is some blood, but much of the more intense violence is implied...which can leave quite the picture in your mind's eye. Showing Paul's past haunting him was a plus; I'm a Christian now, but, I had a rather troubled childhood as well, despite being raised in a faithful home. So, when his deeds in his younger years haunted him, that just makes me identify with him all the more. All in all, this was excellent, except...

The Bad: I had a hard time getting into this at first; the jumping around made me feel like I was watching a clips show instead of an actual movie. Plus, though Jim Caviezel did well as Luke, hearing his voice made me think I was hearing Jesus instead, as he does the voice of Christ in The Word of Promise audio Bible.

Conclusion: Other than Jesus, who is your favorite person in the Bible? I've heard answers ranging from Peter to Abraham to even Samson. (I don't understand the reason for the latter answer; he may have been really strong...but he was also a rather messed-up guy, and undone by a woman.) For me, that answer is Paul, because he is a lot like me: a checkered past, a passion for expressing ideas through words, and a head for Scripture. This film illustrates his life very well; though I've seen other cinematic interpretations of his life, this one ranks above the rest. Just make sure that you stick to it when you decide to watch this; it may be a bit hard to get through at first, but it's worth it.

Score: 4/5

Synopsis: In this follow-up to the Disney smash hit, Simba and Nala now have a daughter, Kira, who is as mischievous as young Simba himself. When Kira goes exploring, she finds those Simba banished in the aftermath of Scar's murder of Simba's father, Mufasa. They seem to be bent on destroying Simba and his family at any cost...except for their son Kovu, who has fallen in love with Kira. Will his love for her win out?

The Good: Prior to watching this, it had been a while since I've done any regular Disney animation; I've done live-action from the House of Mouse, as well as Studio Ghibli, but not something like this, especially a direct-to-video sequel. While I doubt any movie will live up to the epic original, this one had great animation, good music, super voice work...all the hallmarks of Disney animated fare.

The Bad: The songs were lame; then again, the musical aspect of Disney animated movies is something I've never really liked. Also, this movie is a bit short compared to the original.

Content Concerns:
Sex: Lions romantically nuzzling and pawing at each other.
Nudity: None.
Language: Name-calling, at worst.
Violence: Animal fights throughout, including a rather intense final battle where at least one character dies; a flashback to the stampede scene from the first film.
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: The evil lions are a bit scary; a dark mood in some scenes, particularly the climax.
Other: A bit of bathroom humor; communication with the dead.

Conclusion: Disney's direct-to-video sequels have drawn the ire of many a movie fan. Ever since The Return of Jafar, video stores have been flooded with many a film that never made its way to theaters, most of which have been scathingly reviewed by both amateur and professional critics everywhere. While I can't comment on most of the others, because I've never seen them, I have to say this one was surprisingly good for what it was. As long as you don't expect it to be as epic as the original Lion King, you might enjoy it; I know I did.