CAPSULES
By
Catholic News Service
NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following
are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film
& Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The
A-Team (Fox)
Explosively noisy, stunt-laden, cheesy and somehow engrossing film based
on the TV series in the 1980s without that program's self-mocking humor.
Director Joe Carnahan, who also scripted along with Brian Bloom and
Skip Woods, reinvents the story line as sort of a video game, with Liam
Neeson, Quinton Jackson, Bradley Cooper, and Sharlto Copley playing
four Army Rangers, all specialists in covert missions, framed in Iraq
for a crime they didn't commit, then escaping from prison to clear their
names and seize the CIA operative who set them up. Some fleeting crass
and crude language, most of it before the opening credits are over,
a fleeting reference to premarital sex, and abundant explosions and
gunfire. The Catholic News Service classification is A-II -- adults
and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is
PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate
for children under 13.
Jonah
Hex (Warner Bros.)
The popular DC Comics series springs to life with a bang as the title
character, a Civil War soldier turned bounty hunter and drifter, seeks
revenge on the man who killed his family and left him disfigured. Jonah
Hex (Josh Brolin) chases his nemesis, Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich),
across the country to prevent him from blowing up Washington and restarting
the Civil War. The body count along the way is enormous, and while it
is always clear that the bad guys go to hell, it's hard to condone Hex's
fanatical drive for revenge. Stylized if unbloody violence, including
gunfights, brawls, and explosions; implied sexual activity; occult rituals;
and some profanity. The Catholic News Service 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.
Toy
Story 3 (Disney/Pixar)
A satisfying, action-packed conclusion to the "Toy Story"
trilogy that offers valuable lessons in the importance of family, friendship,
and destiny. Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the
rest of the "Roundup Gang" consider their options as their
owner Andy (John Morris) heads to college and puts away his childish
things. Instead of being safely packed away in the attic, the toys wind
up in a day care center filled with new toys and unruly kids. Lots-O'Huggin
Bear (Ned Beatty) soon reveals he is not the benevolent toy leader he
appears. Will the toys escape and make it back to Andy's house, or does
the recycling bin beckon? Both kids and their parents will find the
answer happy, heartfelt and hope-filled. Mild cartoonish violence and
scenes of peril. The Catholic News Service classification is A-I --
general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating
is G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.
Copyright (c) 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops
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