MOVIES

Clash of the Titans

By John Mulderig

Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Though hardly a favorite with critics -- the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting, for example, termed it "languid and hopelessly episodic" -- Desmond Davis' 1981 swords-and-sandals exercise, "Clash of the Titans," was a box-office hit on its initial release and has gone on to become something of a cult classic. Perhaps that's the impetus behind director Louis Leterrier's 3-D remake (Warner Bros.) which retains the original title.

Whatever the motivation, the result is a muddled mythological epic in which long, frequently violent action sequences and an emphasis on special effects leave little room for engaging drama.

Like the original -- and like the current, exhaustingly titled children's film "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" -- this is a retelling of the ancient Greek myth of the demigod Perseus (Sam Worthington). The offspring of one of Zeus' (Liam Neeson) characteristic dalliances with a beautiful mortal -- portrayed here in a discreet flashback -- the infant Perseus and his mother are both cast into the sea by her enraged cuckolded husband, Calibos (Jason Flemyng). This despite the fact that Zeus had temporarily disguised himself as Calibos for the encounter. So how was poor Mom to know?

Unlike his mother, Perseus survives, and is rescued and raised by the family of a simple fisherman. As a teen, however, Perseus is left orphaned when his entire clan is killed off during a rampage by Hades (Ralph Fiennes), the god of death.

Hades has been unleashed by his brother Zeus, the king of the gods, to wreak havoc on humanity for their growing dissatisfaction with, and attempted rebellion against, the whole pantheon of Olympian deities.

Determined to defend humankind and gain vengeance on the lord of the underworld, Perseus embarks on a quest that sees him and a small band of hardy companions -- including his immortal spiritual guide and intrepid comrade Io (Gemma Arterton) -- battling giant crabs, the Medusa, an ubermonster called the Kraken and, eventually, Hades himself.

Though the theme of a human revolt against the divine -- even in its debased pagan form -- is potentially troubling, the collaborative script by Travis Beacham, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi treats the subject so inconsistently that audiences will be hard put to draw any direct analogies or arrive at any definite conclusions.

Characters display a variety of reactions to the uprising, ranging from outright defiance -- "We are the gods now!" declares one -- to fearful submission to quiet, sensible piety and on to the rabble-rousing attitude and activities of a religious fanatic who pops up in a few scenes.

But weighty matters like theology are hardly the point here, as it's never long before the next in Perseus' formidable succession of adversaries takes center stage, and combat is renewed. Munching away on their popcorn, undemanding viewers will likely be content enough with the proceedings not to notice the gifts of top-tier players such as Fiennes and Neeson being squandered on stilted dialogue.

The film contains complex, though undeveloped, religious themes, constant action violence, some of it bloody or gruesome, a bedroom encounter with implied sexual activity, at least one sexual reference and a couple of mildly crass terms. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
- - -
Mulderig is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies.
- - -
Date Night

By John Mulderig

Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Occasionally, amid the frenetic proceedings of the romantic comedy-action blend "Date Night" (Fox), the tale's two protagonists -- an ordinary married couple from suburban New Jersey -- pause to reflect on their enduring commitment to each other and on the threat posed to the vitality of their union by the exhausting demands of professional life and child rearing.

But these well-intentioned elements of Josh Klausner's script are eventually overwhelmed by an increasingly seedy milieu and by the wayward behavior of a number of the characters the pair encounter during the unexpected nocturnal odyssey through the streets of Manhattan on which the plot -- which hinges on a case of mistaken identity -- launches them.

Anxious to get out of their rut, financial adviser Phil (Steve Carell) and real estate agent Claire (Tina Fey) Foster spontaneously decide to shift the venue of their weekly date night from a local tavern to a popular and pricey Gotham restaurant. With no reservation and no hope of ever being seated, they take the opportunity of another couple's no-show to snag the table they had reserved under the name Tripplehorn.

As the mild-mannered Fosters soon discover, however, Tripplehorn is an alias used by two lowlifes (James Franco and Mila Kunis) -- he a drug dealer and she a stripper -- who are involved in a blackmail scheme that has roused the ire of local mob boss Joe Miletto (Ray Liotta).

Pursued by two of Miletto's thugs (played by Common and Jimmi Simpson), Phil and Claire turn for help to a former client of hers, James Bond-like international intelligence agent Holbrooke Grant (Mark Wahlberg). Buff Holbrooke -- whose perpetual shirtlessness and flirtations with Claire are played for laughs -- proves willing to cooperate, despite the fact that the Fosters' visit has interrupted his commitment-free bedroom frolic with a female Israeli agent of his acquaintance.

As directed by Shawn Levy, the Fosters' further adventures bring them into contact with the cohabiting duo whose absence from the eatery started all the misery, and lead on to an underground sex club, awash in scantily clad, pole-dancing bimbos, where they briefly find themselves forced to entertain a powerful patron with perverse tastes.

Though their travails aid Phil and Claire to rekindle their flickering love for each other, and though the well-paired Carell and Fey provide at least a few scenes of enjoyable, understated humor, the sordid doings of the comic foils they meet on their frequently bullet-ridden journey preclude endorsement for most viewers.

The film contains considerable, though bloodless, action violence, partial rear nudity, much sexual humor, including gags about casual sex, masturbation and aberrant practices, at least one use of profanity and of the F-word and some crude and crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Letters to God

By John Mulderig

Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Though its underlying theology is evangelical, Catholic viewers -- and Christian believers of every stripe -- will welcome the inspirational and touching drama "Letters to God" (Vivendi). That's because director David Nixon's family-friendly tale of courage and conversion celebrates the power of Gospel values to transform lives in a way that transcends denominational divides.

Based on real events, this is the story of Tyler Doherty (ably and endearingly played by Tanner Maguire), a faith-filled 8-year-old boy stricken with brain cancer. Tyler's favored method of praying -- and of reflecting on his struggles -- is to write letters to the Almighty, describing daily events and asking for favors in the kind of chatty tone one might use with a close friend.

But Tyler doesn't just put pen to paper, he also mails his notes, addressed simply "To God, From Tyler."

Initially, this befuddles Brady McDaniels (Jeffrey S. Johnson), the postman who has just taken over the local route in Tyler's Norman Rockwell-esque hometown. Depressed over his recent divorce --and a potentially disastrous mistake that cost him visiting rights with his young son -- war vet Brady leads a squalid, solitary life, drinking to excess by night and barely holding on to his job by day.

Still, Brady's unwilling to trash Tyler's correspondence or even drop the envelopes into the dead letter box. Eventually he tries to leave them in a local church, but he's interrupted by the pastor (L. Derek Leonidoff) who insists that Brady keep the missives, since God must have had a reason for choosing him to receive them in the first place.

As Brady gradually befriends Tyler and his family -- which includes widowed, overtaxed mom Maddy (Robyn Lively), devout grandmother Olivia (Maree Cheatham) and teen brother Ben (Michael Christopher Bolten), who's emotionally conflicted over Tyler's illness -- he finds the lad's innocent piety and against-the-odds optimism, (expressed both in person and through those messages to God which Brady has by now begun to read), subtly wearing away at his own cynicism.

The only noticeable divergence from Catholic teaching comes late in the script -- developed by Sandra Thrift from an original draft by co-director Patrick Doughtie, father of the real youngster on whom Tyler's character is modeled -- when Tyler's perky best friend Samantha (Bailee Madison) expresses the assurance, rather than the trusting hope, that her acceptance of Jesus into her heart will lead her to eternal life.

(Audience members of a certain age will recognize Ralph Waite, who plays Samantha's seemingly gruff but ultimately good-hearted grandfather, Mr. Perryfield, as John-Boy Walton's daddy on the long-running CBS Depression-set drama "The Waltons.")

There are also hints that Brady and Maddy's friendship may develop into something deeper; Tyler prays, in one of his letters, for God to send his mother someone who will relieve her loneliness. But this remains only a vague possibility by the time the credits roll, so the issue of a morally troublesome second marriage for Brady never really arises.

While the inclusion of the mature subjects listed below make this unsuitable entertainment for the youngest viewers, objectionable material of any kind is entirely absent from this heartwarming look at the infectious faith of a young man who, despite the ravages of a potentially terminal illness, continued to treat God as his pen pal.

The film contains themes of life-threatening illness, divorce and alcoholism. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
- - -

Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?

By John Mulderig

Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Fans of the prolific -- and often predictable -- Tyler Perry will find themselves on familiar terrain with his ninth film project in five years, the sequel "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?" (Lionsgate). Though dramatically uneven -- with some scenes working quite effectively while a few go embarrassingly astray -- this mix of comedy and drama is, for the most part, a morally steady examination of the challenges and rewards of committed marital love.

The writer-director reunites the eight old college friends -- all upwardly mobile African-Americans -- whose relationships he explored in his 2007 hit "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?" for another of their annual marriage retreats, this time in the Bahamas.

Providing most of the comic relief, once again, is Tasha Smith as salon owner Angela, the hyper-suspicious and ever-quarrelsome mate of ex-NFL player and current sportscaster Marcus (Michael Jai White).

At the other end of the emotional spectrum is Janet Jackson as Patricia, the successful self-help author whose talent at counseling others is ironically contrasted with her own excessive perfectionism and inability to express her feelings openly, traits which steadily undermine her marriage to architect Gavin (Malik Yoba).

The breakdown of their relationship eventually leads not only to harsh verbal exchanges but to an unsettling physical confrontation involving drunken, semi-abusive behavior by Gavin.

Herself a victim of both physical and emotional abuse in the past, Sheila (Jill Scott) has split with her rotten ex, Mike (Richard T. Jones), and found a supportive new spouse in Troy (Lamman Rucker). But Troy's ongoing unemployment is putting their bond to the test, while Mike's unwelcome appearance at the retreat -- motivated, partially at least, by his remorseful desire to win Sheila back -- adds a further strain.

Perry's character Terry, who was feeling neglected by his work-obsessed lawyer wife, Dianne (Sharon Leal), at the last get-together, now has doubts about her fidelity.

While implicitly endorsing Sheila's remarriage, the script is otherwise all about dedication and stability. But the highlighted values -- such as open communication and self-giving love -- do not rest on a spiritual foundation and, unlike some of Perry's other offerings, faith has no explicit influence on the characters' lives.

The mention of one wife's past decision to have her "tubes tied" will strike Catholic viewers as another flaw in the fabric of what is, overall, an ethically sound -- though occasionally cliched -- survey of married life.

The film contains brief, nongraphic marital lovemaking, a nonmarital bedroom scene, intense domestic discord, adultery theme, numerous sexual references, including mention of sterilization and venereal disease, drug references and frequent crass language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
- - -

Copyright (c) 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops