Jerry Howell

Years ago, I saw the Nancy Drew movie starring Emma Roberts. It was pretty much my first experience with the famed teenage sleuth; not only had I read absolutely zero of her books at the time, I was just as unfamiliar with the Hardy Boys. The main reason I was seeing that flick was because Emma Roberts was the star; as a longtime fan of young Hollywood talent, I was curious about her, especially since she and I share a birthday. Prior to that, about all of my experience with the franchise was Relient K's song about Nancy Drew. I remember very little about that Emma Roberts film, but I did enjoy it.

In recent years, especially after working at a library, I have become much more familiar with Miss Drew. I've read numerous novels about her; mostly from the original series and the Files one from the eighties, the latter of which I have a random garage sale in my area to thank for jumpstarting my collection of those. I've also seen some episodes of a nineties(?) series based on the franchise on the Tubi app. So, you might say that me and that famed teenage sleuth have become much better acquainted, which meant I was watching this celluloid version of her through much different eyes.

So, what did I think? Mostly, I enjoyed it: Nancy was (generally) her typical likable self; her friends were (pretty much) just as reliable; there was a mystery afoot, and Nancy used her sleuthing skills to solve it; and, some action and intensity--a hallmark of the books--were present. However, some unnecessary content found its way into the mix. Between misuses of God's name, the immodest outfits of some of the female characters, a suggestive remark here and there, and Nancy engaging in a revenge prank. this was not entirely what I'm used to from this franchise. Granted, it's still cleaner than the CW version, but, at one point, I felt like I was watching a trashy reality show instead. From what I hear, this film tanked at the box office, and it's not the first attempt at making a film series based on the long-running book series; maybe that's a sign that Nancy Drew should stay a literary character.

Who hasn't heard the song "Amazing Grace"? Even if you've never attended a church service, you've probably heard it in some form or another. I can remember a scene in According to Jim where that hymn was played on a harmonica during a funeral of sorts, and an episode of Home Improvement where Jill alluded to it. Most songs have a story behind them, and "Amazing Grace" has quite the history; after seeing this, you won't hear that hymn the same way ever again! Better yet, the production values and story were better than usual for a Christian film; the performances were all outstanding, especially the lovely Romola Garai as Barbara. However, what I didn't expect was for some problematic content to be thrown into the mix. While I knew there would be disturbing descriptions of slavery, as that was a deplorable practice, I was bothered by some of the female characters' low-cut outfits, as well as several utterances of profanity, including British crudities "b----y," "b------s," "arse," and right many uses of the h-word not in reference to the place. Despite its problems, it was still a great movie; however, with a bit more decorum, it could have been much better.

Okay, confession time: I watched the entire series of The Librarians before completing this film. Many years ago, I tried watching this and ended up losing interest about halfway through it. Despite the fact that it was out of order, I'm actually glad I watched it that way...because I don't think I would have even bothered with The Librarians if I had seen this mess first.

As a longtime reader, fantasy fan, and current library employee, you'd probably think this is right up my alley...but it isn't, because this telefilm is downright absurd, especially its finale. The nonsensical plot seems like something out of a video game than a book, and some of the scenes were just ridiculous: Bob Newhart beating up bad guys? Seriously? Also, the content issues were disappointing; while I expected violence and occasional profanity, I wasn't prepared for slight bloodshed, a WWE-style catfight, and especially a scene implying sex. The latter two, along with the villainess' outfit, seemed to be merely there to appeal to male viewers.

If you're completely unfamiliar with the Librarian franchise, start with the TV series, not this garbage. Now, I'm unsure whether or not to continue with the next two movies, despite the fact that they're currently sitting on my shelf.

Thanks to Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The Clone Wars finally gets the conclusion it deserves. I was glad to see the return of Ahsoka; she was missed in the previous season. All of the episodes were rather epic, but what really moved me was the four-episode conclusion, which ties into Revenge of the Sith and does so quite well. RotS was a big deal to me; not only did I see it on the big screen--which I've only done with three Star Wars movies, and the IMAX version I saw of Attack of the Clones was cut--which made it all the more moving, but, that was also around the time I discovered the Expanded Universe, which also had a big impact on me. So, those episodes brought back very fond memories.

Fans of Star Wars knew from the beginning that this show wouldn't have a happy ending; even if you've only seen the original trilogy, you know that Anakin becomes the evil Darth Vader, and that Obi-Wan and Yoda have to go into hiding. Instead of giving us sweet schmaltz, the makers decided to go with the prequels' vibe...and it worked very well here. It's a shame that the same storytelling talent couldn't have been applied to the films; barring a reboot, the movies have been forever stained by the epic fail that was The Last Jedi. Still, I have to give Disney credit in this case; they did it right. Maybe, someday, they'll realize how badly they flubbed with the flicks and give us the Thrawn trilogy on the big screen. One can only hope...

Despite being a household name, Robin Hood is one figure with whom I'm not all that familiar. Sure, I read the original Howard Pyle book...but that was all the way back when I was in elementary school. The only flicks I've seen before that relate to the legends are Prince of Thieves (rather violent, in my opinion), Men in Tights (hilarious, though I only saw the edited for TV version; I don't want to see the uncensored one), and the Wonderful World of Disney telefilm _Princess of Thieves (starring Keira Knightley as the super-capable daughter of Robin; need I say more?). All those I saw well over a decade ago, so, this was a bit of a reintroduction to the characters and story.

So, how was the movie? It definitely had a lot of old-school charm going for it. Robin and Marian were likable, not to mention a cute couple. The villains were appropriately despicable. Though there was a lot of action--Robin was a thief, after all--the violence was completely free of blood or gore, and the fight sequences were spot-on. True to classic film style, this flick was completely free from profanity, and it also respectfully portrays the Christian elements of the legend.

The only annoyance I had with the movie was that, a few times, they tell you what happened via onscreen text instead of actually showing it. While I understand having words like that at the start--Star Wars, anyone?--to have it happen more than once is a bit annoying; why not just show us the events? Still, that's a minor complaint. Maybe I should check out more old-school flicks like this.

The good news about this eighth season is the animation is vastly improved. In the earlier episodes, it was obvious that different studios did each one, because character designs would vary from scene to scene; not so here. Also, the action and heroism that was a hallmark of the heroes in a half-shell's television serial from the beginning is definitely present here.

The bad news is that the mood is much, much darker. Gone are the wisecracks, the breaking of the fourth wall, and the overall lighthearted feel; most of these episodes take place entirely at night. Based on the opening sequence, I would guess they were trying to evoke the feel of the first live-action TMNT film; that was a bad choice, in my opinion, because that version of the Turtles is the worst I've ever seen, especially from a content perspective. (Then again, I've never read the original comics, which were reportedly very, very dark.) While the Turtles don't use the profanity here that said flick contained, I still liked this show better when it was lighter and funnier; this season almost felt like a cartoon version of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies at times. I've seen about three and a half seasons of the 2003 cartoon, and, while they're overall edgier than the earlier episodes of this one, they still contain moments that will make you laugh or at least chuckle; not so much here. Plus, for most of the episodes, Shredder and Krang don't appear; the Turtles fight other mutants that are rather unconvincing villains. Even the theme song wasn't as good. I think this season is when this series "jumped the shark"; unfortunately, it happens to pretty much all long-running shows, so, it had to happen sometime.

Still, there are two more seasons left, albeit with only eight episodes each; we'll see if the makers were able to recapture the magic that made the first seven seasons such a blast.

Years ago, on Christmas Day 2013, my entire immediate family and I headed to the theater to see Frozen, the movie about which everyone was talking. It had been out for a while; a friend from work told me she and her kids saw it on Thanksgiving. While I had heard the song "Let It Go," and even had the Demi Lovato cover of it on my iPod, I was unfamiliar with the fairy tale The Snow Queen. (I know; what kind of avid reader am I?) The story was engaging, and the animation breathtaking, especially seeing it on the big screen. Since then, my mom and I have often referenced that movie, particularly Elsa's infamous show-stopping number; I would even think to myself about how various people I knew needed to "do an Elsa and let it go."

As big of a success as the first film was, it's no surprise that the House of Mouse churned out a sequel; thankfully, it wasn't another direct-to-video one. How does this one stack up to the original? Well, everything here looks incredible; at times, I felt like I was watching a Pixar flick instead. The story was exciting, and had plenty of twists and turns. Olaf was his usual hilarious self, and Anna and Elsa were likable and attractive heroines.

Unfortunately, the music here fell flat. As a kid, I was always a bigger fan of Disney's live-action productions--Flubber, George of the Jungle, Rocketman, etc.--than their animated fare; part of the reason why was because the cartoon characters tended to randomly break out into song, which I found annoying. I still feel that way to a degree, though I have learned to like some of the tunes from old-school Mouse movies. However, despite many people's annoyance with it, I found "Let It Go" to be rather iconic; I can see why plenty of other artists have covered it. This sequel's music is nowhere near as good. While the singing is beautiful, the tracks here lack the punch of the first film's. Of lesser note is occasional bathroom humor; was that really necessary?

In spite of its flaws, this is still a great movie; it's just not what it could have been. If they make a Frozen III, they need to bring back the style of music that the first film had. I enjoyed watching this over the past week; however, I could have enjoyed it more. Then again, that's a non-musical-fan talking; if you like your characters to break out in song, you might feel differently.

Many years ago, VeggieTales made its theatrical debut with Jonah, where the various fruits and vegetables retold the story of the prophet who went the other way when God told him what to do, only to be swallowed by a whale (or big fish, depending on who you ask). In the special features on the DVD release of Jonah, one of the producers or directors mentioned that they had considered doing a Noah's Ark movie, but decided not to, saying that "the fur would kill us." I have no experience with doing computer animation, but, from what I've heard, that's one of the hardest things to animate realistically. Even secular studios have trouble with that; remember how fake Scooby-Doo looked in his first two live-action flicks?

Since then, there have been plenty more Veggie episodes...but, this one takes a different tack. Not only is the animation style upgraded--for good or for ill--but mainstream stars Wayne Brady (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and Tress MacNeille lend their voices to this project, alongside CCM singer Jaci Velasquez and the usual cast. As usual, Big Idea makes the Bible story kid-friendly, and there were plenty of cute moments alongside an inspiring story of faith.

Unfortunately, what ruins this episode is the new animation. While technically superior, it loses the charm of the original episodes. The first time I saw the cover for this DVD in a LifeWay catalog, Larry's appearance reminded me of that dumb purple dinosaur. Your kids may not care that much about the graphics, but, for longtime fans like me who grew up on the old-school releases, that's a deal-breaker. Online research shows that Big Idea eventually went back to the original character designs; while that's good, it may be hard for the franchise to recover from such a big shark-jumping moment.

I used to like Christian cinema.

When I was younger, I had a blast with VeggieTales, especially the Jonah movie. Though I never saw The Passion of the Christ due to the graphic violence, I enjoyed other Christian flicks such as Hangman's Curse (which, oddly enough, aired on ABC Family during their "13 Nights of Halloween" in 2004) to even Thr3e.

However, I've matured since then, and what used to enthrall me no longer does.

Case in point: I was an avid reader in elementary school, but fell out of love with literature in middle school thanks to being introduced to Pokémon/Nintendo, contemporary Christian music, and classic television. That trend continued when I became the Disney Channel guy in high school...until my junior year was nearly over, and I found a couple of Star Wars books at a local garage sale. Lucas' space opera was a big deal at the time; Revenge of the Sith had recently been released in theaters. I bought those novels on a whim, and ended up being enthralled by one of them, called I, Jedi. For years after that, I sang that book's praises...until earlier this year, when I read it and thought: What is this garbage? It was nowhere nearly as good as I remembered; that just goes to show how one's tastes can change over the years.

The same applies to other forms of media, including Christian cinema: What used to keep me glued to the screen no longer does; sometimes, finishing a movie over the course of a week--regardless of its genre--can be a chore...and that was the case here.

First off, the movie is rather edgy for a Christian flick, especially one rated "G". I was disappointed to hear a usage of the h-word; it was only one, but it was still unnecessary. Other unfortunate exclamations included two crude uses of the term "suck," one of which was by Joshua. Another letdown was the character of Maggie; most of her outfits were either low-cut or too tight.

The biggest problem, however, is with the plot: It's just inane. While Jesus is going to return to Earth, He isn't going to return the way this movie portrays; one reading of the Biblical book of Revelation shows that Christ will return as King, not a humble carpenter. While this film could be taken as a parable, there doesn't seem to be much of a lesson here; this is no Prodigal Son story or anything in that vein.

It's a shame; with A-list talent, including Oscar nominees/winners, a movie like this could have had serious benefit for the Christian faith. Instead, all it does is make people of the Way look bad.

The Good: Will Smith was amazing as the Genie; while he may be no Robin Williams, he brings his own flair to the role and does it very well. Naomi Scott also did very well as Princess Jasmine. The songs were fun, and I was glad to see a new tune included instead of all the same ones I practically know by heart. I enjoyed the special effects, and had a blast with the slightly modified version of the original story.

The Bad: Though not quite as egregious as in the original, some of the wardrobe choices of the female characters bothered me. Jafar was nowhere near as convincing this time around; he seemed like a "bad guy" from Sesame Street. Also, though the longtime entertainment fan in me enjoyed watching this, I have to question why this is necessary. Disney has become to movies what Nintendo used to be to video games: constantly re-releasing "new" versions of the same films we've seen time and time again. As classic and timeless as the original Aladdin was, why even remake it? It's been available on DVD for ages! It seems that the House of Mouse would do anything to make some moolah; the executives there must not know the words of 1 Timothy 6:10: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." (NIV)

This flick was of interest to me for two reasons: One, my mom is a longtime fan of Broadway musicals, especially this one, so, I grew up hearing the songs and knowing the story. While I've never read the Victor Hugo novel--I know; what kind of reader am I?--I've become familiar with it thanks to its various interpretations. Two, Anne Hathaway is an old Hollywood "flame" of mine. In March of 2005, she replaced Hilary Duff as my number one favorite female celebrity after I saw Ella Enchanted thanks to a friend's recommendation. (Believe it or not, not only was that friend of the male gender, he was a former drill sergeant; no joke!) So, when I saw this recently at a garage sale, I knew I had to give it a whirl.

In short: I was blown away. The grand scope of the story; the performances, especially from Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Samantha Barks; the authentic sets; the musical numbers; pretty much everything about this flick wowed me. Better yet, it portrayed faith in God in a positive light; so much so, I almost felt like I was watching a Pure Flix production at times. An appearance by original Broadway cast member Colm Wilkinson was a plus. Not since the celluloid adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera have I been this impressed with such a film. Despite their popularity and my penchant for Disney Channel media, even the High School Musical and Camp Rock flicks didn't have such an effect on me.

However, I did have one quibble: There were certain moments that I found unnecessary. I understand that violence and sex were a big part of the original novel, and any faithful adaptation would have to be at least "PG-13"; still, there were a few brief scenes that could have been left out, and that would have embarrassed me if I'd had a friend--especially one from my church--watching it with me. So, discerning viewers may want to proceed with caution.

When Disney bought Marvel, people had a lot of questions: How would the universes of beloved characters such as Spider-Man, the X-Men, or the Avengers be affected? Some people had their doubts, and rightfully so; when the Mouse owned Saban, the Power Rangers seasons they produced are still to this day widely considered to be the worst, and many longtime space opera fans feel that The Last Jedi was a shark-jumping moment for Star Wars. Still, Disney has gotten their own franchises wrong, too; The Lizzie McGuire Movie may have been the first theatrically released film to be the series finale of a television show, but it betrayed the now-iconic sitcom on which it was based. So, they could have either hit a home run...or completely strike out.

Well, if this movie is any indication, then Mickey's ownership of Marvel is working very well. This film packed a punch unlike any animated movie I've seen in a while. Some scenes made me almost tear up, whereas others made me want to cheer. The animation was outstanding; seriously, it was on par with Pixar's creations. As usual, there was plenty of action and heroism, not to mention a cameo by Stan Lee, albeit one after the credits.

However, I do have to warn viewers that, though this movie was amazing, it is also very emotional. Early in the movie, the main character's brother is killed; later on, multiple characters are feared dead, including the protagonist's robotic companion. For those who can't handle seeing such tragedy because of events in their own lives, it might be best to avoid this.

I've always been a fan of strong female characters. My first celebrity crush was the original Pink Power Ranger, and most of the ones I've had since were best known for playing characters who were both powerful and feminine: Lizzie McGuire, Mindy McConnell, Mia Thermopolis, Maddie Fitzpatrick, etc. When I was a senior in high school, I wrote a novel (of sorts) about a super-heroine who, alongside her best friend/significant other, saved her entire town from the threat of a dastardly villain. Part of it was inspired by the first two Tobey Maguire Spider-Man flicks; however, I would never have even come up with such an idea if I hadn't seen my high school's production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers...which featured a longtime female friend of mine as its lead. Looking back, I think the Disney sitcoms were a big influence, too.

So, to see a film center around a superhero of the fairer sex is a dream come true. True, we already got that when Gal Gadot wowed the world as Wonder Woman; still, Captain Marvel features a former Disney actress as its lead, so, in a way, I was more eager to see her flick than Diana Prince's. The fact that it takes place in the 1990s--complete with grunge music on the soundtrack and a scene in a Blockbuster Video location--had my curiosity piqued even more.

While good for what it was, it wasn't quite what I've come to expect from Marvel. Superhero movies usually have epic battles and lots of excitement; though there was some action towards the end, parts of this film were a bit dull. Brie Larson is attractive, but, her acting leaving something to be desired here. If this wasn't a Marvel flick and didn't feature a female superhero, I wonder if it would have gotten nearly as much acclaim as it has.