Movie Review: "Checkmate"

Synopsis: High school student Aaron Carlson aspires to be a lawyer...but, his parents and his high school principal think it's just a pipe dream.  While pursuing his goal, Aaron finds his way into a local chess club...and finds out that becoming the regional champion could lead him to being accepted into his college of choice.  He studies the game extensively...only to lose badly.  Will he be able to emerge victorious and fulfill his goal?

The Good: As someone who grew up playing board games, both old and new, it's nice to see a movie that focuses on one, especially a timeless one such as chess.  Also, a story a character shares serves as a good analogy for what an obsession or addiction to something--regardless of what it is--can do to you...something that definitely hits home in a world where people everywhere are glued to their phones or social media.

The Bad: Unfortunately, the rest of this film falls flat; it's just utterly boring.  Add to that dislikable characters, a sparse and poorly done soundtrack, and a scene where the protagonist answers the door in his underwear--no joke!--and this was definitely a dud.

Conclusion: Back in the day, my neighborhood friends used to call me "the king of board games," because I had so many; most of them came from garage sales throughout my area.  I eventually had to get rid of all of mine, because I had nobody to play them with anymore; still, I do have fun when I play them from time to time, because you never know what will happen! Despite my history with checkers, Monopoly, and such, I don't really want to watch a movie about a board game...especially a thinking game like chess.  It may be fun to play, but, simply watching it is dull, especially how this movie presented it.  After my bad experiences this month with this and other films in the genre, I'm beginning to see why Christian cinema has such a bad reputation.

Score: 1/5

Movie Review: "Pure Country 2: The Gift"

Synopsis: Bobbie Thompson (country star Katrina Elam) has an amazing gift: a huge, exceptional singing voice.  Raised by her "aunt" after the death of her mother, Bobbie escapes small-town life and heads to Nashville, hoping to become country music's next "it" girl.  She soon gets a recording contract and is about to perform before a sold-out crowd...when she suddenly finds she can't sing anymore.  Where did her voice go? Will she ever get it back? If she can't...she could be in serious trouble!
Also features appearances by Dean Cain (God's Not Dead), Bronson Pinchot (Perfect Strangers), and George Strait (the original Pure Country).

The Good: Can a sequel be better than the original? In this case, yes; however, the first outing in this series wasn't very good anyway.  This second installment has a great moral compass, wonderful performances, a likable and attractive heroine, and portrays clergy in a positive light.  It's not groundbreaking cinema or anything, but it's still great fun for what it is.

The Bad: Though not as badly as its prequel, this flick does have some content issues.  Profanity pops up: about five d-words, two or three a-words, and a misuse of God's name here and there.  It's implied that a character was born of an illicit affair, and Bobbie is seen wearing some low-cut outfits.  Drinking is present, though it is vilified.  The biggest issue, however, was in the first scene: "angels" in what appears to be heaven are seen to be swearing, and are portrayed irreverently.  Some viewers, especially Christians, may take issue with such a display.

Conclusion: My mom is a fan of country music...but only the male singers.  I've heard the musical stylings of Brad Paisley, The Oak Ridge Boys, and Lonestar for years.  While country isn't exactly my favorite genre, I do enjoy some of it...by artists of both genders.  I'd never heard of Katrina Elam before buying this DVD, but, I have to say that I love her voice.  Unless you absolutely hate country tunes, this may make for a fun rental.

Score: 3/5

Movie Review: "The Home Coming"

Synopsis: Jordan, aka Jordy, seems to find trouble everywhere he goes.  Upon starting at a new high school after getting kicked out of his old one, he makes friends with Wally, a handicapped kid who is also a Christian.  When the competition between Morris High and the rival school gets out of hand, Jordy decides to fight fire with fire, which only makes things worse.  After his actions lead to Wally getting attacked, Jordy is going to be in big trouble again; will he learn the error of his ways?
From Billy Graham's World Wide Pictures.

The Good: At least this movie is only sixty-three minutes long; that's about the only good thing I can say about it.

The Bad: Where to begin? Most of the scenes feature high schoolers fighting with or bullying each other, which isn't pretty to watch.  The scenes with the Billy Graham crusade and Jordy's eventual conversion feel tacked on, as if someone flipped the channel from Bravo to INSP.  Most of the characters were rather dislikable.  This is the biggest mess of a Christian movie I've seen in a while.

Conclusion: As a fan of Christian cinema, I usually enjoy the productions from World Wide Pictures, which was sponsored by the late evangelist Billy Graham.  The first one I watched, The Climb, had a great plot and an inspirational story, even if the subject matter--rock climbing--didn't interest me that much.  All of the ones I've seen since have been at least decent...until I sat through this dreck.  I had high hopes for this one; it comes from the '90's, when many of my old favorites were made, and the jackets the kids wore look like the ones from my high school.  Unfortunately, it ended up being garbage...which is just sad.

Score: 1/5

Movie Review: "The Lego Movie"

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

DVD Review: "VeggieTales: Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men"

Synopsis: Robin Good (Larry the Cucumber) lives in the medieval town of Bethlingham, where he and his "merry men" try to raise money for the poor of the city.  When Robin witnesses a ham being stolen by the sheriff of the town by the prince's orders, he decides to do something about it...only for his friends to abandon him.  Will Robin be able to save Bethlingham from the clutches of the evil prince? Also, in a bonus story, Lenny (Junior Asparagus) is excited because it's his birthday...but, nobody seems to realize it's his special day.  How could they forget something that important?

The Good: What Big Idea has done well in the past, they continue to excel at here.  Amazing animation; fabulous values; fun humor...this is exactly what I've come to love about this franchise.  Though kids are the target audience, the moral here is one that adults should take to heart as well.

The Bad: Nothing, really.

Conclusion: I've been watching VeggieTales episodes since I was in middle school; I've had a blast with many of them, especially Jonah.  This is another hit for Big Idea; I've sat through some sorry movies lately, but, this isn't one of them.  Fans of Bob, Larry, and friends should check this out if they haven't already.

Score: 4.5/5

Movie Review: "Pure Country"

Synopsis: Dusty (George Strait) is the biggest country music sensation on the planet! Despite his massive fame, he is tired of playing one sold-out show after another...so, he abruptly leaves town after a concert, leaving his band flummoxed.  While they hunt for Dusty, they get an aspiring country singer (Kyle Chandler, Early Edition) to fill in, making everyone think he is the real Dusty.  Will his band ever get Dusty to perform again, or are his days of stardom over for good?

The Good: Like many movies about concert performers, this is a great look at what goes into live music.  It also shows how easily people can be duped into thinking that "stars" have talent, when they really don't; in a world full of Auto-Tuned singers, airbrushed photos, and sub-par Hollywood actors and actresses, that point hits home even more now than it likely did in 1992.

The Bad: Unfortunately, this movie betrays its "PG" rating.  While I expected some language--how often does a movie rated higher than "G" not have any?--I wasn't expecting seven or eight uses of the d-word, almost as many of the h-word, three or four of the a-word, and even two uses of the s-word, the latter of which was unspeakable on network television at the time.  Misuses of God's name, euphemisms such as "gosh" and "crap," and unkind phrases such as "shut up" pop up here and there as well.  Sexual content is also present; one man talks about a one-night stand, whereas another scene has a woman walking into a men's restroom and making a reference to a guy's private anatomy.  There were some brutal fights; they weren't very bloody, but, one guy gets seriously injured.  Alcoholism is seen throughout.  This feels more like one of the "PG" flicks from the eighties, when the "PG-13" rating didn't exist yet.

Conclusion: As a result of my celebrity crush days, I'm better known for admiring celebrities of the female gender than ones with "Y" chromosomes.  Even some of my friends may be surprised to find out that I've admired famous guys, including actors, for years.  One of them is Kyle Chandler, who played the lead in Early Edition, a show my mom and I watched together back in the day not only when it was on, but also in reruns.  Some years ago, I revisited the first season on DVD; recent news that the studio is releasing the entire series sometime this year is music to my ears.  So, when I read that Mr. Chandler was in this movie, I gave it a chance.  I have to hand it to him; he did his part well...but, that didn't save this movie from being a mess.  Hopefully, the sequel (of sorts) is better.

Score: 2/5

Movie Review: "Forgiven"

Synopsis: Jake Kincaid, a convicted criminal who recently finished his prison sentence, is searching for a treasure trove of gold he believes to be his.  His search leads him to a town called Fairplay, where he soon falls in love and finds work, though the people there don't know his true intentions.  When notorious outlaws visit the town, it's up to Jake and his new friends to stop them.

The Good: Some of the characters here were likable.  It's also good to see Pure Flix to do something that isn't an end times saga, a Biblical interpretation, or a modern-day drama of faith.

The Bad: Unfortunately, this film falls flat in every area.  The acting wasn't very good; the plot is boring; all of the shootouts don't feel like a Christian movie; the sets are unconvincing and obviously low budget; and, overall, this is definitely not one of this studio's best.

Conclusion: I've said again and again that I'm a fan of Christian cinema.  Sure, sometimes, filmmakers of the faith get it wrong...but, so do mainstream ones at times.  However, when it goes wrong, it can be painful to watch, and makes people of the Way look bad...and this is a prime example of that.  I sure hope the other Christian movies I watch later this month are better than this mess.

Score: 2/5

Movie Review: "Pokémon: Jirachi: Wish Maker"

Synopsis: Ash, Brock, May, and Max travel to a city to see the Millennium Comet; as its name suggests, it only comes once every thousand years.  While there, they meet Butler and Diane, a duo of magicians.  During their magic act, Max hears a voice calling out to him: Jirachi, a Pokémon that supposedly has the ability to grant wishes.  The two of the immediately bond, but, Jirachi can only stick around during the seven days the comet is in the sky.  Worse yet, Butler has a plan to harness Jirachi's powers to complete a once-failed experiment.  Will Ash and friends be able to stop him?

The Good: Unlike the previous "pocket monster" movie I saw recently, this one had a story that kept me interested.  The animation and voice work were very good, and the ending was rather intense.

The Bad: While not as ingratiating as Latios and Latias, Jirachi could still be annoying at times.  Also, though I wanted to see this through to the end, it still felt a little lackluster.

Conclusion: I mentioned in a previous review the history I have with the Pokémon franchise.  Compared to my previous experience with one of these films, this was a step up...but, I'm still not all that impressed by these flicks.  Die-hard fans of those "pocket monsters" may feel differently.

Score: 3/5

Movie Review: "Taken By Grace"

Synopsis: Christian couple Shawn (Bradley Dorsey) and Carrie Everett (Haylie Duff, Napoleon Dynamite) are on a camping trip when things suddenly go awry; a recently released criminal (Angus McFayden) holds them at gunpoint and instructs them to drive him to another town...where he plans to kill someone.  He doesn't know that the police are on his trail...but, will they be able to catch him? Fearing for their lives, Shawn and Carrie are put to the ultimate test; will they make it out alive?

The Good: I have to hand it to Haylie Duff; she did well in this, despite it being a shoddy film.  There were some surprising plot twists towards the end that I won't reveal, just in case you decide to see this after all.

The Bad: This did not feel like a Christian movie.  For one, the female lead wears a low-cut outfit throughout...and she is supposed to be of the faith! With the scary criminal holding the lives of an innocent married in his hands, it feels more like a horror movie...which is not my bag.  Plus, the makers play tricks on the audience; they tell the later actions of the characters via on-screen text, as if it were a true story...only to say at the end of the credits that it's all fictional! Does that not smack of lying?

Conclusion: I'm a fan of Christian cinema.  Sure, filmmakers of the faith don't always get it right, but, then again, neither do mainstream ones.  When done correctly, celluloid can be an amazing teaching tool...but, when we get dreck like this, it's embarrassing for people of the Way.  I plan on watching more Christian movies later this month; I hope they're better than this mess.  It's a shame; with a mainstream actress like Haylie Duff, who has appeared in successful projects such as Napoleon Dynamite and That's So Raven, they could have done something much better.

Score: 2/5

Movie Review: "Pokémon Heroes: The Movie"

Synopsis: While walking around a town surrounded by water, Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum notices a strange young woman.  When he follows her, he finds a mystical land where two Pokémon, Latios and Latias, the guardians of the city, reside.  Hot on the two guardians' trail are Annie and Oakley, two thieves who will stop at nothing to rule the world.  When they discover a gem that will give them global domination, it's up to Ash and his friends to thwart their dastardly plan once and for all.

The Good: The best thing I can say about this is at least it was a feast for the eyes.  I sort of remember the anime on television being badly animated, but this one features gorgeous computer generated imagery alongside great hand-drawn animation.  Also, the content is clean...but, you expected that, right?

The Bad: Latios and Latias are the main problem; they're the most annoying characters I've seen in any movie or show in a long time.  Seriously, if you thought Pikachu was irritating, wait until you hear these two.  Also, Annie and Oakley dress immodestly in most of their scenes.  The overall story just feels lackluster; then again, I was unfamiliar with many of the monsters, even though I've played at least one game from most generations of the franchise.

Conclusion: Like most kids of my generation, I got into those "pocket monsters" around Y2K; unlike most of my peers, I continued being a fan for a while, and even played Pokémon games on my Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo GameCube.  Most people I know who were into it back in the day have long since given up on it, but, it holds fond memories for me...to a degree.  However, after watching this, I can see why many parents found the entire franchise positively nerve-grating.  I grew up playing the games, and I was still bothered by this film.  Maybe die-hard pocket monster fans will enjoy it, but, everyone else shouldn't bother.

Score: 2/5

Movie Review: "I Can Only Imagine"

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.

Score: 5/5