The Lady in the Water

Starring Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, ans Steven Wright.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

SUMMARY
A bedtime story. A maintenance man (Cleveland Heep) at an apartment complex comes across a young woman named Story, who is a Narf from another world. She has come to bring awakening to mankind, but she is in danger of being prevented from returning to her world, as a ferocious creature would prevent for fulfilling her destiny. Members of the apartment complex find that they are a part of this story as it continues to unfold.

REVIEW
I must start by comments by acknowledging that the critics are nearly unanimous in their opinion of this movie: They hate it. This made me very nervous. I am a big Shyamalan fan. I loved The Sixth Sense, and Unbreakable and Signs are two of my all-time favorites. That is important because I must emphasize that I but into Shyamalan. I love his themes, his story-telling, and the way he pictures amazing events coming upon mundane and broken people. Out of all of his movies (the three above mentioned, and The Village, which I did not like), The Lady in the Water is the one that most departs from reality. This is a big problem for some. In Unbreakable I found myself going back and forth on whether or not David Dunn really was a superhero. While I watched Signs I kept wondering if this was a hoax, or if aliens were really coming. The Lady in the Water solves this question immediately, as there is no doubt that supernatural things are happening. If the viewing can accept this, it makes it easier to accept the sometimes ridiculous events that follow. Just as Signs was not about aliens (they were just the backdrop), The Lady in the Water is not about Narfs or any of the other creatures or characters. It is about purpose, and healing, and (interestingly enough) stories. Many saw the previews and wondered at the fact that this was said to be adapted from a bedtime story that Shyamalan created for his children. After watching it, it is clear that he really did stick to his intent. It truly is a bedtime story. Accept that, and allow it to be a bit silly at times. The point is not to present a realistic picture of how people might respond to events like these. The point is that these events are Shyamalan's vehicle for expressing some powerful and pervasive ideas. One idea in particular, related to becoming significant through circumstances that are painful, is especially powerful and thought-provoking. You may understand by now, I really liked this movie. At the same time, Shyamalan is polarizing and I fully understand that many will hate it. The viewer must really put himself or herself in Shyamalan's hands and keep rememberring, "It is a bedtime story. It is not meant to be realistic, or in keeping with how people would really respond. It is the backdrop for a powerful message." Some will not be able to handle this. My wife and I were, and we loved it.

QUESTION FOR THOUGHT
Shyamalan deals with his normal subject matter, which is, as one critic put is, "broken people encountering the supernatural." One main question from the movie I will not pose here, because it would serve as a bit of a spoiler. However, the question of purpose was pervasive and put forth in a new and creative way. Do we believe that God has us here for a purpose? Is that purpose only a broad purpose for every human, or is there a more specific one for each individual? What are our criteria for determining whether or not our purpose is significant?

OVERALL
We all love the great stories. In the great stories there is someone who is ordinary. He or she then finds out that there is a battle going on he or she was totally unaware of. Then the character finds out that he or she has a key role to play in this battle. Read John Eldredge's Waking the Dead if you want more on that. Shyamalan's movie fits this bill on several levels. It has powerful themes, and once again makes us wonder if significant things are possible from seemingly ordinary (or even broken) people. Many will not get this movie at all. I did, and I appreciate Shyamalan for it. Some feel that he is pretentious for sticking to his unique methods and for acting in his movies (he has his largest part to date in this one). I instead view these things as evidence for the fact that he is deeply invested in his projects, and he believes in them. This means something to me. I got to the end of the film after reading so many negative reviews, and my first thought was, "That was Shyamalan. What did we expect?" If you don't like his movies, you probably won't like this one. If you are open, though, it can be a powerful experience.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5 possible.

Mission Impossible III

Starring Tom Cruise, Michelle Monaghan, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, and Lawrence Fishburne
Directed by J.J. Abrams

SUMMARY
This is the third MI film, and in it Ethan Hunt has left field ops in favor of training, and he is engaged to be married. However, as if we couldn't see it coming, he is pulled back into action when an agent he trained is captured by a terrorist. This event has a domino effect, leading to threats to national security, and to Ethan's personal life.

REVIEW
So, here is the deal. I didn't see this movie right away because I heard it was bad. I went to see Poseidon instead (which was maybe the worst movie of the year). When I finally got around to seeing this movie, my expectations were low, so that may have helped a little bit. In retrospect, however, I am more and more convinced that this was simply, surprisingly enough, a GREAT movie. It had the best bad guy of any of the three films. Hoffman was great and scary. It had the best female lead of the any of the three films. Michelle Monahgan was real, vulnerable, and very likeable. The MI team was great, the action was great, and the teaser to open the film comes together well when they finally return to it. This was a very satisfying movie (just never forget that it is a Mission Impossible movie; allow it to be a bit over the top).

QUESTION FOR THOUGHT
There was some powerful scenes in the movie related to trust, especially between a husband and wife. One character demonstrates amazing trust in another. It made me realize that it is easy for us to look at those who trust someone else as fools. To trust someone (to really trust them) is to put ourselves at their mercy. This is not something we value in our culture. How much more does real trust in God place us at his mercy, without the out of demanding explanations from him. Is this real trust? Do we have it? Should we have it?

OVERALL
You know by now that I really like this movie. It was excellent. Being an action movie it had its share of violence and suspense, but overall it was refreshingly clean. It was moving and fun to watch. Some people may have disliked this movie simply because of everything that is going on with Tom Cruise personally. If you are able to watch the film, however, without being distracted by that, it is hard for me to imagine it not being a pleasant experience.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 possible.

16 Blocks

Starring Bruce Willis, Mos Def, and David Morse.
Directed by Richard Donner.

SUMMARY
16 Blocks follows a down-and-out cop carrying out the mudane assignment of transferring a prisoner (Eddie) 16 blocks to the court house so that he can testify. What Jack does not know is that there are people who will stop at nothing to keep the testimony from taking place. What follows is a nearly-real-time story of cat-and-mouse with escapes, twists, and questions of the possibility of redemption

REVIEW
I expected this film to be somewhat formulaic, with a heroic cop and a slick-talking prisoner. This movie contains neither, and this works in its favor. While the questions about redemption are not new to the movie-watching experience, they are posed in a manner consistent with the story, and this works well. The movie does not try to do too much, and does not try to be something that it is not. The ending itself stays very consistent with the story, and will be found to be very satisfying (and much better than the alternate ending on the bonus features).

QUESTION FOR THOUGHT
It is obvious: Can people change? For those of us who follow Jesus, this is a very significant question. We can get in a rut and not see lifechange in ourselves of those around us, and we can start to see our lives as lackluster, and buy that the true Christian is "not perfect, just forgiven.

OVERALL
Movies, like many things in life, involve expectations. I went into a movie that I knew would receive no awards, and was not a blockbuster. I found a well-crafted story with engaging characters, and, by the way, a great bad guy. It exceeded my expectations, and, as previously stated, it did not try to do too much. It stayed within itself. It is not the kind of movie that people will remember five years from now, but it is certainly worth seeing, and Bruce Willis shows good range as an actor.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.

X-Men: The Last Stand

Starring Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan.
Directed by Brett Ratner

SUMMARY
The third installment of the comic book series that follows mutants with special powers as they battle oppressive humans and fellow mutants. In this film there has been a discovery of a "cure" for being a mutant. Some respond very positively to being cured, and others respond violently. Magneto (McKellan) leads an offensive against those who would use the cure, while the X-Men stand or protect humans. All the while, the presumed-dead Jean Grey re-appears as Dark Phoenix with frightening powers.

REVIEW
This film is not at all on par with the first two X-Men films (which were both excellent). It is not only that this story is darker. It is also that it is told in an inferior way. Interesting characters are not developed, and others are strangely left out. Battle scenes are decent, but the writing for the film is less than stellar. It seems contrived and formulaic. It is engaging enough if you have seen the first two, and if you are committed to the characters. Still, it would be better to pretend that there are only two X-Men movies (just as it is better to pretend there was only one Matrix movie).

QUESTION FOR THOUGHT
Not a lot to deal with here. The movie was lame. Okay, okay, I've got one. Why do we want to be normal? We say that all the time. "I just want to be normal." "I just want my child to have a normal life." How lame! But we still long for it. What is it we are really longing for, and are we cheating ourselves by pursuing normalcy?

OVERALL
Do you really need me to say it again. Don't see it. If you are an absolute X-Men fan, I guess you might want to see it, but prepare for an inferior installment. And also prepare yourself for a prolonged scene between Jean and Wolverine that made me think that the movie should have been 'R' instead of 'PG-13.' If you are not a fan, or have not seen the first two, I'll make it easy for you: Skip it.
Rating: 1.5 stars out of 5 possible.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, and Mark Ruffalo.
Directed by Michel Gondry.

SUMMARY
There is an office that is performing a special service to people. It is offering to erase certain events, or people, from their clients' minds. Had a bad relationship? You can have that person erased. This is exactly what Joel experiences when he finds that his ex, Clem, has had him erased. He decides to go through the same procedure, but has second thoughts while the service is being performed. He ends up embarking on a very strange adventure of trying to hide Clem in safe places in his mind and memory, so that she will not be erased.

REVIEW
This movie deals with a common question: Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all? However, it deals with it in such a unique and creative way, that it is hard not to find it incredibly engaging and interesting. It is sometimes very funny, but it is far from a comedy. It is very dramatic and often heart-wrenching. Characters are flawed and sometimes worthy of spite. It seems the the writer desired to deal with the quest for love and happiness in the context of people who are not immediately admirable. However, they do become increasingly accepted into our hearts as we watch. The ending leaves much room for thought and decision on the part of the viewer. Some may see it as increibly pessimistic, while others might view it as being a bit too hopeful. Perhaps that ambiguity is intentional.

QUESTION FOR THOUGHT
How do we move on from the hurts in our lives? Are we supposed to move on and get over it? How much do they define us, and should they? For anyone who is like me and struggles with bitterness, these are big questions. Can I hold onto this pain in a way that is right? I know I can do it in a way that is wrong and destructive. Can we move on too quickly, though?

OVERALL
I loved this movie, even though at times it was painful to watch. As a warning, there is a lot of bad language. This is unfortunate, but it is also part of the mood of the movie and the characters. I'm not an overly artistic person, but I appreciate originality, and this movie exudes originality. It also has a depth to it that is lacking in many movies that claim to deal with the human condition.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5 possible.

Superman Returns

Starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, and James Marsden.
Directed by Brian Singer

SUMMARY
This installment is actually in keeping with the original Superman movies, but takes place between 2 and 3. In fact it really happens after 1 and 2, and pretends that 3 and 4 never happened. Superman returns from searching for his home planet and struggles to re-insert himself into society as both Clark and Superman.

REVIEW
I appreciated that the special effects in this movie were, in my opinion, not overdone. The effects were classy and appealing, but they did not run the movie. The story ran the movie. Superman movies are different from other superhero movies in that Superman does not typically fight people. His is Superman! No one can stand with him. Batman, Spiderman, and the X-Men can all have long, interesting fight scenes, but Superman simply flies in, saves people, and throws the bad guys in prison. This, again, forces the movie to be driven by a good story, and this movie is. It deals with real people with issues. It deals with Superman's/Clark's issues, but not his alone. Other characters wrestle with issues such as significance, identity, and the need for a Savior. It sounds cheesy to hear it said as I just said it, but it does not take itself more seriously than it should, and this allows it to explore some good issues. When it comes down to it, Kevin Spacey steals the show, in this reviewer's opinion. He is always amazing.

QUESTION FOR THOUGHT
Do we sacrifice for our calling in life? What is okay to sacrifice, and what is more important than any "calling" we think we might have? This movie, like the Spiderman films, wrestles with this question, but in the way that comes out differently than in Spiderman.

OVERALL
Definitely worth seeing. I am not a Superman fan (never read a comic book), but it was another winner in the recent trend of well-done comic book movies (the best of which was Batman Begins). Worth seeing, and (in case you're interested) very clean.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 possible.

Big Fish

Starring Ewen McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange.
Directed by Tim Burton

SUMMARY
Big Fish tells the story of a young married man desperately trying to discover the truth about his father. His father (Edward) is known as a man who tells tall tales, and his son (Will), who is about to have a son of his own, struggles to separate fact from fiction. The movie chronicles the final days of Edward's life, and the discoveries Will makes through reliving the stories and going through his father's possessions. We meet a giant, siamese twin singers, circus performers, and a witch along the way.

REVIEW
This movie is both original and imaginative, but who would expect anything less from Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow)? It is frequently ridiculous, and sometimes shocking and a bit over the top, but this is intentional, so it is forgivable (and even enjoyable). The movie is incredibly off-beat, but I found it very enjoyable to watch. It's the kind of movie that makes you remember why stories are so great. Stories communicate ideas, moods, emotions, and truth. While the stories seemed so fanciful that they could not possibly be true, they were communicating the way Edward viewed the world, his decisions, and his adventures. It was truly beautiful.

QUESTION FOR THOUGHT
We are very factual in the way we interact with stories. This even comes through in the way we expose movies that aren't historically accurate. Is that the way we should be? Are we missing something good that stories are communicating simply because we are obsessed with the facts? How does this relate to the fact that we as believers is Jesus know that truth and history do matter? Is there something redeeming in viewing stories (even stories from our own lives) from a very subjective perspective?

OVERALL
Content-wise, there is little objectionable in the movie. I remembered virtually no profanity, and there is nothing even remotely resembling a sex scene. There is some unfortunate nudity that is intended to be more fanciful and imaginative than sexual, but it still is not something that we guys need to be exposed to. Sometimes we see marriage and family life as something that keeps us from adventure and liveliness. This movie is worth wathcing for its exploration of this topic. It is in some ways reminiscent of Dennis Franz's character in City of Angels. On top of all of this, it is rare for me to get to the end of a movie and find that the best phrase to describe it is, "That was beautiful." This is the only movie rental in recent memory that I watched twice.
Rating: 5 stars out of 5 possible.