Another excellent family picture in the “Ice Age” series. I took my 11 year old grandson to see the film and we both had fun.

Again, the main characters are about family, friends, and growing pains. This time they are sent on an adventure that reminds one of the “Journey to the Center of the Earth”—a place where dinosaurs still exist. Manny is no longer ‘the biggest’ beast around and we are introduced to a new character—a little weasel named ‘Buck’. But there is nothing small about his heart and guts as he continues a long-lasting battle with the largest dino of all.

Oh yes,  Scrat the squirrel is still after his acorn with one hilarious disaster after another but in the process finds something else to pursue or we should say someone—a lady squirrel.

If you liked the previous offerings in this series than this will be a can’t miss family winner for sure.            *Top

**Warning: This is not a family friendly film!

Here is the best family review that I have found of this film—by Mark Corallo : 

On the Wisdom of an Eleven Year Old Boy in ‘Land of the Lost’

A far better picture than most of the reviews indicate. The story provides a panoramic picture of the Australian frontier in the late 1930′s and early 40′s up to the beginning of WWII.

The setting is a huge cattle ranch outside of Derby in northern Australia. Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) leaves England and arrives in Australia to check on her husband, who owns the Faraway Downs cattle ranch, and finds that he has been killed and his ranch in danger of being taken over by a rival cattle company.

Lady Ashley decides to stay and make a go of it, asking for help from a dashing, rugged cattle driver named Drover (Hugh Jackman), as well as the aboriginal helpers on the ranch. In the process she develops a special relationship with a young “half-caste”–half aborigine orphan boy, named Nullah (Brandon Walters), and decides to raise him as her own in disregard to the cultural/racial conventions of the time.

A rival cattle baron is doing everything he can through an evil employee-the former ranch foreman for Ashley and her husband, to ruin Lady Ashley’s ranch and force her sell out to him. Turns out that the former foreman is even far more evil than originally expected–he is also Nullah’s real father.

The story line builds up over the point whether Lady Ashley and co. will be able to bring their cattle to market against incredible odds and save the ranch. Then the storyline seems to begin all over and build up to a new climax. There is a lull in between that lasts for longer than it should.

A great story and one that I highly recommend. A growing love affair between Lady Ashley and Drover is clichéd but satisfying. The panoramic scenery is actually worth the price of admission. It is a classic cattle baron story that pits good against evil with both very clearly defined.

The racial divide between the European Aussies, the aborigines, and the “half-castes” is a continual subtext to the story that gives it an ethical edge that those of us in the 21th century will have a hard time reconciling. It clearly demonstrates that times have changed in the last 60 years or so.           *Top

One year has passed since they returned from their adventures in Narnia. The four Pevensie children are preparing to go back to school and it is obvious that they are having problems dealing with kids their own age and with the fact that they are merely regular children and not the grown-up kings and queens of Narnia.

But soon they are off for another adventure. One minute they are in a train station, and the next in far away Narnia. Prince Caspian is running for his life with his uncle’s troops after him, he calls for help by blowing on the magic horn that once belonged to Queen Susan, and immediately the four Pevensie children find themselves whisked away to their magical land once more.

It has been only a year for the Pevensie kids, but over 1,000 years have passed in Narnia. Their former castle in in ruins and now they are merely remote legends that have been are nearly forgotten in a realm that has changed so much that many of the creatures have forgotten how to speak, and magic and faith seem to be long gone.

This Narnia is far closer to the world we live in, where the strong take advantage of the weak and Lions who are divine are usually not directly experienced.  Lucy is the only one who sees Aslan through the ‘eyes of faith’. God is far more remote in this land than previous.

Since Aslan doesn’t seem to be around, Peter takes over and makes a number of Kingly decisions which turn out be disastrous. Some of the followers decide that the old evil witch had more ‘power’ and actually try to bring her back and replace Aslan with her in the place of worship. Fortunately, they are stopped, Edmund being a hero in this case.

At the moment when it looks like Prince Caspian’s uncle and his army will conquer and enslave them all. They send Lucy to find Aslan and of course Lucy and Aslan save the day.

Just like in our own experience in today’s world, many times Christians with the best of motives and intentions will attempt to do things on their own without the help and counsel of the Lord. Impatient to do something even when God seems rather remote at the time. Disaster strikes, and then we remember to seek the Lord and he pulls us out of the fire.  That is the basic religious lesson and theme of Prince Caspian.

While the movie didn’t really stick to the original book, the important lessons and themes are still there. Besides, the story is entertaining and the scenes are rather awesome.            *Top

Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is a self-made down-on-his-luck entrepreneur, or loser.  Take your pick.  He is about to lose his apartment and his ex is threatening to cut him off from his son Nick (Jake Cherry).  He needs a regular job to save his situation, but the night guard position he takes at the Metro Museum is anything but ‘regular’.  As soon as the sun goes down and the doors are locked, the fun begins.

The ‘retiring’ former guards leave him with an instruction book, but fail to tell him that everything comes alive at night, including all the statues, the stuffed animals, and even the miniature displays.  This movie is incredible fun and family friendly.  Robin Williams comes alive as the ‘wax’ figure of Theodore Roosevelt and gives Larry support in controlling the uncontrollable.  Owen Wilson as a miniature cowboy is a riot and his counterpart, the miniature Octavius (Roman General) played by Steve Coogan also brings levity with an ostentatious attitude.

Much of the plot is predictable but who cares, this becomes a fun family frolic every time the sun goes down.  You can’t wait to see what happens next, even if you do sort of know how it’s all going to turn out.  I highly recommend it, see it now or see it later on DVD.

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Non-stop action without taking a breath.  This is a good film for total escape–no thinking or pesky philosophical underpinnings allowed.  In the old TV series, the IMF team was always on the same side. But in the movies, ‘betrayal’ is always the major subtext.  This was a lot more fun than the first two.  Lots of action, though some of the chase scenes in China remind me of a recent 007 film.  Anyway, no one runs better in the city than Tom, and it all turns out well in the end.  No real surprises here.

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  ” I saw a great movie this week while I was out of town–’End of the Spear’–a story of five missionaries who went with their families to Ecuador.  It is a true story that demonstrates the true strength of Christianity. It really does show that the gospel & the Kingdom is more than just wisdom, philosophy, and scholarly study–but there is a reality in the power of God that transcends time.  Christianity is the greatest scientific experiment of all history–duplicated in every generation with the same results–angels, miracles, healing, inspiration, sacrifice, repentance, faith, redemption & changed lives.  What a great movie, like the Book of Acts only with airplanes!  It is told from the perspective of the tribe. If you see it, make sure you stick around for the credits–the real people are shown at the end.”

     It really is a shame that the controversy over shadowed what is a movie celebration of a really famous story & triumph in Christian missions.  Critics have conclusively been shown to be wrong in their assertions that the producers knowingly cast the actor.  It would be a shame if Christians did not support this film when it comes out in DVD.  Especially since a portion of the proceeds goes to the actual mission.

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See: Major review and associated articles

My favorite film of the year.  Especially since I read the Book it is based upon.  I look forward to more of this series coming to the screen in the future–I’ve read all the books, in fact I believe I have read all of C.S. Lewis.  My question–when is somebody going to make some movies based upon Lewis’ Sci-Fi triology?

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