Movie Review: X-Men First Class

X-men First Class is the most recent superhero flick to hit the DVD and Blu-ray shelves and we thought it would be good to do a quick review. We discuss the plot, the content, and any moral to the story. You can check out our 3 minute review on our Youtube channel.

Click here to watch our review of X-men First Class

X-Men First Class has a running time of 2 hours and 12 minutes and is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, language, brief nudity, and sexual content. You can read more about the movie on it's IMDb page.

Uturn understands that entertainment is a staple within our everyday life. To help get students thinking about their entertainment choices we do periodic reviews of popular movies and music. Just because Uturn does a review, does not mean they endorse the product.

Movie Review: Surf’s Up

Animation, comedy, family

IMDb Site for Surf's Up

***Reminder: Uturn JH does not always endorse the movies reviewed, we do this to help students and families know about the content and messages within popular movies. We also hope to challenge you to evaluate your own entertainment choices.***

Review:

Surf’s Up is a fun, engaging, and totally righteous movie about a young surfer penguin with big dreams. Cody Maverick grew up in Shiverpool, Antarctica where he was the only surfer. He has dreams of seeing the rest of the World and surfing with the best of them. The movie takes place at a surf competition where young Cody Maverick has a chance to prove himself as a pro surfer. This film gives a fun spin to the animated movies as it is shown as a documentary. There are times when our young surfer talks directly to the camera, and when reporters interview people and describe the gnarly waves. I recently watched this movie for the first time, and feel that it is highly enjoyable for all ages.

Final Thoughts:

This is a great film for the whole family. I found it very clean and hilarious. The animation was very well done, and the scenery was beautiful. This movie makes me want to grab my board and hang ten. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

(post by:Jason Langsev)

Movie Review: The Social Network

The Social Network

PG-13 for sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and language

Running Time: 120 minutes

Official Website

IMDb Page

***Reminder: Uturn JH does not always endorse the movies reviewed, we do this to help students and families know about the content and messages within popular movies. We also hope to challenge you to evaluate your own entertainment choices.***

Review:

The Social Network is a well written film depicting the creation of the widely popular and culture-shifting social networking site, Facebook. Site creator, Mark Zuckerberg, is a student at Harvard when he's inspired to create a website that will allow college students to network with each other. The film shows how the creation of the site wasn't an easy process as he faced many lawsuits from peers wanting to sue him for stealing their concept. Zuckerberg also faces legal issues from former friends/business partners demanding their cut of the profits after some shady business decisions. It is interesting to see how Facebook was originally intended for college students, but quickly expanded and grew in popularity.

The entire movie is driven by its quick, witty, and intellectual dialogue, there is almost no action or special effects that would dazzle the eye. There may be a lot of students wanting to rush out to see this movie because they're on Facebook and would therefore be interested in seeing it and posting their thoughts on their Wall. Don't feel complelled to run out and drop tons of cash to see it on the big screen, it's lack visual excitement, superb writing, and great acting will translate to the same level of enjoyment on DVD/Blu-ray.

Look At Your Shoes Moments:

There are few scenes in the film that could have been skipped over, but when you're at the theater you just look at your shoes. Some scenes are set in parties or clubs where the ladies are dancing in their underwear or other skimpy clothes. In one scene two of the main characters have sexual encounters with ladies in a public restroom. No nudity is seen, but sexual acts are implied.

Final Thoughts:

After seeing The Social Network I was definitely inspired by the limitless possibilities of younger generations. Facebook wasn't started by business people, it wasn't created with the intention of altering our culture's daily habits or vernacular, and it wasn't exploited to fill their wallets. These young students wanted to use their talents and technology to create something that people would use and think was cool. It seems so easy for our culture to overlook the young because they lack the proper amount experience, education, or grey hair. We can't forget to encourage and empower younger generations to operate in their God-given gifts, talents, and calling. We don't know the potential of a young person, so how dare we disregard them. I'm a firm believer that we need to constantly be in relationships that allow ourselves to be mentored by the older, but we must remember to build relationships and mentor those younger than ourselves.

Movie Review: Date Night

Rating: PG-13 for sexual and crude content throughout, language, some violence and a drug reference

Running Time: 88 minutes

Date Night is a comedy about a married couple that goes out for a night on the town and end up in the middle of a dangerous yet hilarious case of mistaken identities.

Steve Carell and Tina Fey really show off their comedic skills in this movie. What's interesting is that there seems to be more plot than just slapstick humor which was a nice surprise. There are lots of funny jokes about marriage and communication, but I'm not sure if a teenager would find them as funny because they can't relate to the marital circumstances.

Look At Your Shoe Moments:
Some of the characters are dressed pretty scandalously with skimpy outfits. One of the ongoing jokes is that Mark Wahlberg's character won't put on a shirt so you see him shirtless throughout. Towards the end of the film there is a long scene is a dance club that includes a lot of lady dancers barely wearing anything. The two main characters also perform a very sexual dance that lasts quite a while. Just a quick FYI, there are sexual jokes and swearing throughout the film that could cause some viewers to be uncomfortable too.

What I liked about the movie is that it made you laugh a lot, the trailer didn't give too much away or show all the funniest parts, and they had some nice sentiments about marriage without being too sappy. Often movies make a noticeable switch in tone when they try to get preachy about the topic, but Date Night subtly includes them throughout.

Overall I think you could save the extra cash and WAIT make DATE NIGHT a DVD Night.

Additional Websites:

Official Page
IMDb Page

Movie Review: Clash of the Titans

Rating: PG-13 for fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief sensuality
Running Time: 106 minutes

This latest remake is a tale based in Greek mythology of a demigod (half man, half god) who fights the gods on behalf of the humans. The Greek gods (Zeus, Hades, etc) have had some trouble keeping the humans happy. Apparently their livelihood is based on the prayers of man, and mankind has been trying to live life without the gods. So Hades stirs up an idea to make the humans miserable and thus start praying in their distress. Zeus goes along with the plan, but an unexpected fisherman begins to create some opposition.

This movie is filled with battle scenes and action sequences that will keep any audience member entertained and on the edge of their seat. There's everything from huge scorpions, to a battle with Medusa and the rise of the Kracken. While the plot is somewhat predictable, the film is an exciting ride.


Look at Your Shoes Moments:
According to the rating there are some scenes of sensuality, but we'll spell it out more for you. There is a scene when Zeus has sex with a woman, everything is covered by the sheets, but intimacy is displayed. There are some scenes when the female characters are wearing skimpy outfits that seem very revealing or suggestive. While there are sensual scenes there's no blatant nudity.


Obviously Uturn Jr. High does not agree with the theology of this film and if that subject matter bothers you I suggest you avoid this film because its saturated with Greek mythology and heresy. Although we don't agree theologically there were some interesting discussion points that came from the film. Some of the gods had some thought provoking lines about the relationship between gods and man. Much of their view was a fear based relationship that focused solely on pleasing the gods. Their gods were also imperfect and impulsive which caused a lot of chaos. Whereas we believe that the one true God is a perfect God full of love, kindness, gentleness, patience, goodness, peace, joy, and self control. God doesn't want to sit up there and force us into relationship and he's not waiting for us to perform for his entertainment. We don't act in obedience to feed his ego, we obey his commands because its a response of love and devotion.

Overall it was an action packed warrior flick that could lead to some interesting theological discussions. I wouldn't waste the extra cash on seeing it in 3D, but I'd see it on the big screen. If you're going to wait until you can rent it, I'd at least see it on a big TV in Blu-ray.

Additional Links
Official Website
IMDb Page

Movie Review: Where the Wild Things Are

Where The Wild Things Are

Rating: PG, for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language
Running Time: 101 minutes

This child book adaptation portrays a young boy who is experiencing some troubles at home. His interactions with his family are rocky and he struggles to be able to communicate his feelings. He is aggressive and constantly agitated about even the littlest of things. In a moment of rage he runs away from home and takes a boat ride to a mysterious island. On this island he discovers these large, furry, talking creatures. Its with his interactions with these "wild things" that he experiences moments of revelation about his own life and circumstances.

To be honest I was skeptical from the start as to how a short children's story could be stretched into a feature film. As expected it was a stretch. It felt like every scene was longer than it needed and dragged on profusely. It was interesting to hear the voices of familiar actors speaking for the wild things, but that's the extent of intrigue with this film. One of the reasons I think it fell flat is it missed a target audience. It obviously wasn't made for children even though its based on a children's book and yet it lacks any intrigue for adult viewers. The drab coloring and boring plot lines caused this movie to be a snooze. They should rename it "Where the MILD Things Are."

Additional Links:

Official Website
IMDb Page

Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Rated: PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar.

The latest Johnny Depp/Tim Burton collaboration looks at this classic tale from the perspective of Alice returning to Wonderland years after her initial visit. Growing up she was convinced that her first time in Wonderland was a dream that she had created, then faced with many life changing decisions she finds herself following the White Rabbit back to Wonderland.

Overall the storyline is pretty simplistic and slightly predictable, so don't expect a "wonderland" of plot. But that's not why people are paying to take this adventure. Theaters are filling up to see the mind-boggling special effects and Johnny Depp's highly anticipated portrayal of The Mad Hatter. While Depp's performance was amazing, I thought the other characters were just as entertaining. The visual artistry of the film is amazing as you feel truly transported to a whimsical land of wonder. This movie is made for the big screen with such precision put into all of the details; everything from off-the-wall costumes to the minuscule hints of coloring added to Depp's eyelashes. This film is a feast for the eyes.

Bottom Line:

Be sure to tumble down the rabbit's hole and see this film in theaters; waiting until DVD won't do it justice.

Film Links:

Alice in Wonderland - Official Site

Alice in Wonderland - IMDb page

Movie Review: 2012

2012

Rated: PG-13, for intense disaster sequences and some language

This 2.5 hour long movie tells the story of the end of Planet Earth as we know it. Due to the rising heat of the sun and the deteriorating crust of the Earth there are constant geological catastrophes that boggle the mind. While some of the occurances may seem unrealistic, it is still a thrill ride that keeps you biting your nails.

2012 is your standard "End of the World" flick with great special effects and very little thought provoking storyline. Of course you can't go into a movie like this expecting amazing acting and gripping plotlines, but you can expect to see incredible special effects and heart pounding action scenes. Although the plot may be a bit cliche and predictable, I do have to admit that I did become a little misty eyed in some scenes. It challenges you to think about what's most important in life. Amidst disaster and destruction, it's not the size of your house, the car you drive or the depth of your bank account that truly matters. When all is lost, the most valuable thing in life is sharing your last moments with the ones you love.

If you're at all interested in seeing 2012 you shouldn't wait until it gets to Blockbuster. This most recent disaster film by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Day After Tomorrow) is worth every penny to see on the big screen. Unfortunately we couldn't find it on any IMAX screens; 2012 seems much more "IMAX-worthy" than the current installment of The Christmas Carol. No offense to Jim Carrey.

Bottom Line:

It would be the end of the world if you miss 2012 while it's in theaters.

Movie Review: Watchmen

Watchmen
Rating: R for strong graphic violence, sexuality, nudity and language

From the director of 300 comes this over the top action flick full of special effects, gory violence and continual sexual content. This comic book adaptation is about what society would be like if crime-fighting vigilantes were a normal part of the culture. The original group of superheroes or "Watchmen" united in the 1940’s and combat local criminals without the help of the local authorities. The film picks up in 1985 when after decades of Watchmen some have retired and new heroes have risen to power, all of this despite the US governments restrictions on masked vigilantes. After the murder of one of the older Watchmen, some of the current rogue Watchmen reunite and begin an investigation. Their discoveries lead to moral crossroads and dilemmas about whether or not they should intercede and help humanity despite society's rejection of the Watchmen.

Look at your Shoe Moments:
This movie had an absurd amount of violence that was both disturbing and extremely graphic. This "action movie" was as uncomfortable to watch as the current horror/torture movies like the Saw series. Also, there was so much sexuality and nudity that the DVD needed to be fast forwarded constantly. For instance, there are prostitutes on the streets that flash people, some of the Watchmen have sex with each other, and there is a Watchman who is completely CGI, but also completely naked throughout most of the movie.

This film was a complete disappointment not only in content, but in plot and storyline. It was way too long at over 3 hrs running time, but it was slow at times, confusing and had a dud for an ending. Hindsight 20/20 we should have shut the DVD off within the first 30 minutes. A movie like this is totally targeting an audience of young men, but I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone, especially not teenagers.

Bottom Line:
Don’t Watch Watchmen

Movie Reviews: UP and The Hangover

UP
Rating: PG for some peril and action.

Pixar has done it again. They’ve gone and made a great animated movie that keeps your attention, makes you laugh out loud and has some sentimental value in the end. In their latest flick we’re taken on a journey of an old man who has recently lost his longtime wife and has been forced to sell his home to a new developer. Instead of giving up and walking off into the sunset at the local retirement home he decides to attach thousands of helium balloons to his house and he heads off to an exotic location that he and his late wife always wanted to live.

This was a great story about seeking adventure in life and pushing yourself to move on to the next season of your life. We don’t want to be people who get so stuck in routine and the monotony of life that we miss out on our dreams and aspirations.

If you have the chance you should totally see this in 3D. It was my first full length feature film in 3D and it was amazing.

The Hangover
Rating: R for pervasive language, sexual content including nudity, and some drug material.

This crude comedy is set in Las Vegas when three friends take a buddy for his bachelor party for a night of partying and regrettable moments. The movie shows the guys heading to Vegas for this great night of debauchery, but then skips over the actual party and picks up the next morning. Three of guys wake up in a drunken stupor and realize that the soon to be groom has gone missing. The remainder of the movie is them trying to figure out what happened the night before and retracing their steps so they can find their missing friend. The thing that really bothered me about this movie is that there was no accountability for their actions. Throughout the film and even in the end; no one has to take any real responsibility for their actions. This frustrated me because real life is full of consequences for our actions and we can’t expect to live in sin without taking responsibility for our choices.

Look at Your Shoes Moments:
The whole movie is filled with crude jokes and lots of swearing, and not only that but there are a few moments of nudity. A lady breastfeeds in front of the guys and in another scene a naked man jumps out of a trunk and starts beating the guys up. The worst scenes of nudity were in the credits when they show pictures of what happened at the bachelor party.

The Hangover is one of those movies that has the lure of comedy and nonstop laughter, but there is a cost to seeing it. You’ve got to really ask yourself, is it worth watching a movie that contradicts many of your values about marriage, purity, and self control. Plus because of the nudity, crude jokes and constant swearing a movie like this could be a stumbling block for many and my recommendation is to avoid it all together.

Movie Reviews: Star Trek & Yes Man

Star Trek
This high flying summer blockbuster is a thrill ride from beginning to end. I had the privilege of watching this on the IMAX which because of the huge screen and the bone shaking sound quality it makes you feel like you’re the one hurtling through space on the Enterprise. Some may wonder if they need to be a Trekkie to understand this film, but its definitely made for anyone whether they’re considered half Vulcan or haven’t Trekked much. They did such a good job with the story that anyone can enjoy this film. Its fun to watch the formation of the famous Star Fleet crew and how these legendary characters got into their roles. You learn about the early years of such characters as Captain Kirk and Spock and how they all ended up on the USS Enterprise.

“Look at your Shoes Moments” –
There was one point early on where Kirk’s in bed with a girl and they’re passionately kissing. She’s in her underwear and her roommate comes in as well and she’s in her undergarments too. This scene lasts less than 2 minutes.

Overall this movie is a must see theater movie; you won’t want to settle for DVD on this one. If you enjoy action, humorous one-liners, and a complicated yet intriguing storyline Star Trek is the movie for you.

If you haven’t already you should have Scotty beam you up to the nearest theater to see Star Trek.

Yes Man
We recently watched this Jim Carrey comedy that just hit DVD and Blu-Ray. The basic plotline is that this man who lives a boring and hermit crab lifestyle is confronted by a longtime friend to join a trendy support group. After attending the support group he makes a covenant with himself to say “Yes” to any invitation or proposition thrown his way. Whether its giving a ride to a homeless man, letting someone borrow his cell phone, learning guitar, planning a wedding shower or bungee jumping. As he does this he discovers that life is more enjoyable when you get out of your comfort zone and start experiencing life with others.

It really got me thinking too about saying yes to what God is asking me to do rather than giving him my excuses. As I look for new opportunities and live in obedience there will be a dramatic difference in my daily living.

“Look at your Shoes Moments” –
There are a couple of awkward scenes, swearing and crude jokes are used sporadically, but there is one scene where he’s propositioned to have sexual relations with an older neighbor lady. This was awkward and unnecessary, but could be avoided with a fast forward button.

Overall the movie had its moments of humor and was better than I expected. If your parents object or you’re not a fan of Jim Carrey you’d want to say NO, otherwise I would say YES to seeing Yes Man.

Movie Review: The Day the Earth Stood Still

In this sci-fi thriller mysterious alien spheres start showing up around the world landing in various locations. One very large orb lands in Central Park in New York City. As the military and other key leaders show up to discover what this strange object is it opens and 2 life forms appear from the light. One turns out to be a highly volatile alien that they name GORT. He can disable any technology and destroy anything in its path. The other alien lifeform turns out to be Keanu Reeves. After some long and drawn out interrogations and boring conversations we realize that Keanu's character is trying to warn mankind that their time on earth has come to an end. Apparently these aliens view Earth as a sort of hot commodity in the universe and in an attempt to preserve it they will destroy humans. It was at this point that the movie moved from sci-fi thriller to a preachy, "go green" advertisement.

Despite some cool scenes of visual effects the overall film seemed very unoriginal. And not just because it was a remake. The dialogue, the scenes and even the way it was filmed reminded me of previous movies. There were times that I was reminded of Independence Day, The Happening, The Matrix and Cloverfield. The whole thing just felt like leftovers from these previous movies. The really funny thing is to compare the movie poster's picture of Keanu Reeves with the actual face of Keanu in the movie. There was definitely some work done in Photoshop for those posters because he has definitely aged.

To sum up I would rename this movie, The Day the Plot Stood Still.

Movie Review: Twilight

Talk about your interesting love story. Going into this movie there was so much hype and publicity that it was built up to be the best movie of all time. In fact there was so much talk about this movie that there was no way it could live up to all the attention.

Twilight is a story about a teenage girl, Bella, who moves from Arizona to the rainy Pacific Northwest. As she’s settling into her high school in Forks, WA she meets a very pale companion, Edward. It’s comical how pasty white Edward and his “family” are. They look like they would glow in the dark. As their friendship continues to blossom she discovers that Edward is in fact a vampire and so are his family members. Throughout the remainder of the movie Bella becomes the prey for other vampires, but Edward steps into the role of protector. To be honest not much really happens. You could tell they were just setting it up for the sequel.

Overall the film was kind of a letdown. The storyline barely progressed beyond the discovery of the vampire family and Bella’s continual crush on the blood sucker. Robert Pattinson spends a lot of his time overacting his role as Edward. It seemed like he was trying too hard to be serious and broody instead it looked like he was confused or even constipated. I do give credit to the film makers for their depiction of the Pacific Northwest. The cinematography accurately portrays the rainy, gray feel of Washington that often zaps us of our jovial moods.

It is interesting to think that girls were flocking to the theaters, renting the DVD’s and reading the books due to their infatuation with Edward the vampire. Why would teenage girls fall for a guy badly in need of a tan and who wants to suck your blood. It reminds me of when the prequel Star Wars movies released and girls fell in love with the handsome Anakin, and they were blind to the fact that he portrays the evil Darth Vader. I’m not trying to read too much into it, but I think it’s funny that girls are interested in a guy because of his pretty face rather than what he represents.

In conclusion, I’m just glad I didn’t spend 10 bucks at the theater to see this movie; Twilight wouldn’t even be worth the matinee price. It was worthy of a DVD rental, but even then I probably could have waited.

Don’t buy into the hype, Twilight will suck your high expectations right out of your veins, and leave you disappointed.

Movie Review: Marley & Me

Marley and Me is a delightful film about a young married couple that gets a young puppy. The dog definitely adds life and energy to their home as well as chaos and destruction. As they deal with life issues such as employment, pregnancy, and buying a home you get to see how they handle these issues and how having a crazy dog like Marley can be a part of life's adventures.

There were some sexual jokes and bits of language that could have been avoided, but this is definitely a great family film with many moments for laughter and even tears. I found myself wondering why I was crying in a movie about a dog, but the story seemed so believable that you find yourself attached to the characters, even if one of them is a dog.

FINAL REVIEW:

I would summarize this movie as Old Yeller for this generation.