Jerry Howell

Synopsis: It's the best-loved Christian song in a long time...but, do you know the story behind it? Young Bart Millard has a tough life; his dad is abusive, and his mother walked out on him. To escape his dire situation, Bart hits the road as part of a Christian band. He and his bandmates want to make it big...but, they're not having much success. When Bart writes a song inspired by his hard upbringing, he has no idea the impact it will have on his band...and the world.
Based on a true story.

The Good: As a longtime fan of contemporary Christian music, this kind of film is right up my alley. The performances were wonderful, especially by Dennis Quaid, although his character was rather despicable. Seeing a young Amy Grant and hearing names such as Audio Adrenaline made me happy. This film's story was rather inspiring, all the more so because it's true. While there's plenty of Christian songs heard here, I also liked hearing ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down"; one of my favorite mainstream tracks.

The Bad: Not necessarily bad, per se, but...this may be tough to watch for some. Seeing Bart get abused by his father and abandoned by his mother could trigger bad memories for viewers who had similar childhoods. Pretty much every scene of this flick is rife with emotional intensity; it makes the story all the more powerful...but, it could prove to be a stumbling block for sensitive people. Proceed with caution.

Conclusion: Me and the song "I Can Only Imagine" have an interesting history. I used to hear it on the way to and from church in my sister's car; she was a big contemporary Christian music fan, and she and my brother-in-law got me into the musical stylings of dc Talk, Audio Adrenaline, and the Newsboys. One time, during a communion devotional, a guy read the lyrics to "I Can Only Imagine"...only for us soon to start singing it during services. Our church was never one to use instruments, so, we sang it a cappella...and it was a tough one. One time, the song leader said just before leading it, "I can only imagine what this song would sound like if we got it right." Back in the day, I wasn't a big MercyMe fan; in recent years, my tastes in everything, including music, have seriously broadened, so, I now have many of their albums on my iPod...and I love them. So, maybe that makes me biased, but I really enjoyed this film; more than just a "behind the music" flick, it's an inspiring story of triumph over dire circumstances. However, for some, this may be too intense; if you're still haunted by childhood memories of abuse and/or abandonment, I'd think twice before watching this.

Synopsis: Young Phiona lives in the African country of Uganda, and sells corn her mother grows only because it's the only source of income her family has. When Phiona is introduced to the ancient game of chess, she finds she has an affinity for it; she learns to predict her opponents moves so far in advance, they think she is reading their minds. Phiona has what it takes to become an international chess champion...but, between the funds required for entering and traveling to the tournaments, her family losing their home, and Phiona not believing 100% in herself, the odds to reaching that dream seem insurmountable. Can she overcome them?
Based on a true story.

The Good: What an amazing film! It took me to a faraway yet real land, and illustrated its people's struggles quite vividly. It also features a main character who overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds, and challenged me to refrain from chickening out when faced with problems, whether small or big. Better yet, it portrays the Christian faith in a positive light. Though there are references to sex, they're handled with very old-school decorum. The performances, sets, and production values in general were all fabulous.

The Bad: Other than one misuse of God's name, I can't come up with any complaints. I will say one thing: Largely accented dialogue may make you want to turn on the closed captions or English subtitles in order to understand what they're saying. Also, some Lugandan dialogue, which is subtitled in English, may present a problem for those with reading issues.

Conclusion: While I've adored many of Disney's live-action productions, this is in a class all its own. Inspiring and affirming, this is the kind of cinema we need more of. If you haven't seen this, you definitely should.

Score: 5/5

Synopsis: It's the happiest day of Skylar's (Alexa PenaVega, Spy Kids) life! She and her fiancee are getting married, and they and all their friends and family are beyond happy for them! Unfortunately, the joy soon turns to sadness when, during the reception, wedding guests--including Skylar's parents--and people all over the world inexplicably drop dead. What could be causing this? Skylar, her new husband, and their friends are about to learn a hard lesson about their faith...or lack thereof.

My Review: I haven't done a longer review like this in a while, but, this film is so epic, it deserves it. Before I watched it, I thought: A Christian horror movie? Are you serious? Surprisingly, though, it's done very well, and brings home a chilling message: You never know when the end will come...so, be ready! While I don't agree with the Rapture theology--though it's presented much differently here than in the Left Behind series or any of the Pure Flix films--I have to say that, after watching this, nobody is going to want to be stuck on this Earth after Jesus returns. A gripping story, excellent performances...all in all, outstanding.

Content Concerns: Like with many Christian films of this rating, you should take the "PG-13" seriously; this is definitely not for kids. I also wouldn't suggest watching it before bed, unless you like having nightmares. Seriously, it's that creepy.

As usual, I'll start with my history with this franchise: In 2000, when I was in sixth grade, our teacher had us all read The Hobbit as it was adapted into a play in our literature textbook. Another teacher that year had copies of the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in her personal collection, so, I tried it...and just couldn't get into it. The next school year, a teacher recommended that I read the actual Hobbit novel, so, I attempted to...and had the same problem. When the movie came out in 2001, me and some family members went to see it on Christmas Day...and I was quickly bored. Not only was the flick overly long--probably the longest one I'd ever seen, and definitely the longest I'd watched in a theater--but, we arrived at the theater quite early, so having to sit still that long just drove me crazy. I was used to sitcoms and quick Super Smash Bros. Melee matches; a three hour movie couldn't hold my interest.

Despite that history, thanks to DVD technology, I discovered that watching long films in more than one sitting helped me appreciate them better. For example, I had trouble sitting through Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban at the cinema, but watching it and the other flicks in the series on DVD over the course of two or more days was much more fun. So, since I had the Lord of the Rings flicks on my DVD rack, I figured: Why not give them a whirl? For the past couple weeks or so, I've been watching Fellowship in fifteen-minute increments; this time, my reaction has been completely the opposite. The flick that once nearly bored me to death has proved amazing, inspiring, and beautiful.

I would say that I can't wait to watch the sequels...but, before I do that, I'm going to try out the extended edition, so I can see the entire story. Plus, I'm going to give the original novels a try as well; I had them years ago, and enjoyed the first two...but never finished the trilogy, even though I meant to do so for quite a while.

If you're a fantasy fan, and haven't seen this...you need to!

Synopsis: Emmet is just an average guy. He lives his life by the same routine every day, and always follows the instructions. One day, a weird mishap leads to him being declared The Special: the one person who can stop the evil President Business' dastardly plan of unleashing the Kragle on the entire world. The only problem is: There doesn't appear to be anything special about Emmet. Will he be able to save all his fellow citizens regardless?

The Good: This movie is a wonder to behold. The animation really brings inanimate Lego bricks to life, and the humor and pop culture references are spot-on. It also brings home an excellent moral: that everyone is special and valuable, no matter who they are. All in all, a wonderful flick.

The Bad: Nothing, really.

Conclusion: Me and Lego blocks have an interesting history. My mom got me some Lego sets as a kid, but, I had trouble manipulating the small pieces due to coordination issues. I had a good friend at church who loved those building blocks so much, he dressed up as a Lego for Halloween. Toward the end of my high school days, I had fun playing Lego Star Wars on my Nintendo GameCube; since then, I've had a blast with Lego's TV series, ranging from their comedic take on Lucas' space opera to Ninjago. I've been meaning to watch this flick for a while, but just recently got around to it; it was just as good as I expected and then some. If you haven't seen this yet...what are you waiting for? Go rent or stream it, now!

Score: 5/5

Synopsis: Ricky Mathis is an overnight musical sensation! What is the key to his success? The three teenage spies are sent to investigate, posing as Ricky's opening act. When one of their own falls victim to Ricky's fame, it's up to the remaining two spies to thwart the dastardly plan...which may be more than they can handle.

The Good: Where has this show been all my life? I wasn't sure if I would like this, but I had a blast with it! Sure, I know I'm not the target audience, but I didn't fall into the demographic for Lizzie McGuire either, and look how that show changed my life! I think this is going to fill the void that was left after I completed all three seasons of H2O: Just Add Water.

The Bad: Nothing at all!

Content Concerns:
Sex: Crushing and flirting.
Nudity: The teenage spies and other females are seen wearing midriff-baring and/or off-the-shoulder tops at times, made less sultry thanks to the cartoon style.
Language: One usage each of "heck" and "what the...?"
Violence: Fantasy action violence throughout, including a flashback where a man loses an arm in a fire (not graphic).
Drugs: None.
Frightening/Intense Scenes: The crazed fans could be scary to some; emotional intensity; scary villain.