Film Review – a double feature
I've had the chance to see a lot of movies this summer. Which is pretty typical of any summer for me. I love movies. I love the popcorn, the previews, and the whole theater experience really. Something about getting together with a room full of people to watch a story get told is something I just can't get enough of.
As far as critics go, I'll admit I'm probably not the cream of the crop. I tend to be pretty forgiving, and am generally willing to suspend my disbelief more than most. I'm not overly cynical of the movies. I don't expect every film to be The Godfather If a movie can entertain me, I tend to like it, even if the science or logic of the movie doesn't make a lot of sense in real life. Movies are entertainment, and I think a lot of film critics could stand to be a lot less cynical.
I've been given a lot of freedom in writing these reviews. I'm pretty grateful for the soapbox that I've been given to stand on and talk about how movies, popular ones, and even ones with violence, sexuality and coarse language can stir up some pretty important thoughts and messages for movie-goers. There are big ideas on the big-screen, and stuff that we as Christians could stand to give some serious pondering to.
That being said, occasionally there are movies that don't have a whole lot of instructive or teachable value. To some extent, every review I write is an exercise in jamming a square peg into a round hole. But in rare cases, even I have to admit that we can't learn something from every movie we see.
A teddy bear, some old guys, and a whole lot of machine guns
Take Ted for instance. Directed by and starring Seth MacFarlane, it's a story about a stuffed bear who comes to life when a boy's wish for a friend is magically granted. A pretty innocent starting point, before devolving into a romp through the world of shock humour. It's a story of a man and his crude-talking teddy's adventures through irresponsible adulthood. The film also stars Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, a couple whose relationship is put to the test on multiple occasions when Ted comes between them. The move features a lot of drugs, a lot of sex, and a whole pile of profanity. Plus some racial-based humour.
Another example is The Expendables 2. The movie stars just about every action movie star you can think of (Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Chuck Norris, Jean Claude Van Damme, among others), and is pretty much the definition of barbaric. Possibly one of the more violent movies you could see this summer, The Expendables 2 is probably the ultimate mindless action movie for fans seeking nostalgia and nothing more than a good "shoot-em-up" flick.
Can't we learn anything?
It's at this point in the review where I typically move past the disclaimers and dig to see what kind of redeeming value there is in any given popular movie. But in the case of these two movies, there's really not much to say. Don't get me wrong, they serve their purpose—I'm just not convinced it's a purpose we can honestly find Christian value in.
Ted and The Expendables 2 are both entertaining movies. If you're not easily offended, you'll likely get a kick out of some of the ridiculousness of a talking bear mouthing off to his boss, or seeing endless explosions and gun-fights with your favourite action stars.
If nothing else, these two movies should serve as an exercise in common sense. If you're not into violence, or a talking bear saying some shockingly risqué things: have the common sense to stay away. And as parents, have the common sense to advise your kids not to see them.
Movies like these should also serve as a reminder that sometimes there isn't a whole lot of deeper meaning to things. Neither of these films are meant to be taken very seriously, and it's obvious that neither of the studios were setting out to make some multi-layered work of art to be combed for spiritual truths. They're entertainment for the sake of entertaining the general public. And as much as we may not like to think so, the entertainment world is pretty indifferent to the place of the Church in popular culture. Maybe we don't like it, but that's how it is.
Let me be clear: if you see either of these movies, you may enjoy them. But you probably won't learn anything from them. Maybe some karate and a few colourful words, but probably nothing you couldn't do without.
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