"Killer, Dealer, Soldiers, Spies"

Hot from the Oven

Roger Ebert bemoans the implausibilities and plot problems. "A few loopholes I can forgive," he says in his review at the Chicago Sun-Times, "But when a plot is riddled with them, crippled by them, made implausible by them, I get distracted. I'm wondering, since Dr. Alex Cross is so brilliant, how come he doesn't notice yawning logical holes in the very fabric of the story he's occupying?" Michael Elliott at Movie Parables is likewise boggled: "A spider's web, to the human eye, is something that is precisely and intricately crafted. Along Came A Spider still has much to learn from the arachnids. The characters are forced to make incredible leaps of logic which defy understanding. The plot twists … become rather ludicrous." And The U.S. Catholic Conference review states, "The surprise ending in director Lee Tamahori's generic film does little to compensate for a sketchy story line that lacks character definition and a compelling plot."

Despite these rants, Morgan Freeman gains raves for returning to the role of Detective Alex Cross. Elliott says, "Accolades must be given to Morgan Freeman. His seemingly effortless portrayal of Alex Cross is a great study in control. He is proof that an intelligent actor playing an intelligent man can be a pleasurable thing to watch." And Phil Boatwright at The Movie Reporter writes, "Whatever a film's weaknesses, it always has a redeeming value if Morgan Freeman is in the cast. Truly an exceptional actor, Freeman doesn't need verbose dialogue or scene-chewing antics to keep us glued to the screen. He has a mystic presence. Real yet charismatic, he's intense and always likable."

Ted Demme's Blow is drawing comparisons to a long list of movies about the drug trade, from Traffic to GoodFellas. Johnny Depp plays George Jung, a drug smuggler who played a major role in introducing cocaine to America. Most critics divide their attention between praising the actors and expressing frustration with the film's failure to portray the impact of drugs on the culture. Peter T. Chattaway at The Vancouver Courier is impressed with "a refreshing lack of violence … superb acting and a great soundtrack." He mentions that the supporting work by Ray Liotta (GoodFellas) "shows a sensitivity and maturity that his past roles have never tapped."

But Chattaway is not entirely impressed: "You can never quite escape the feeling that the script has gone out of its way to shift the blame for Jung's downfall onto other people." At The Dove Foundation, Phil Boatwright calls Blow "well acted and poignant," but he has trouble with the script as well: "Writers David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes and director Ted Demme … neglect to showcase any victims of this over-indulgent and deadly lifestyle. Had there been at least one example of a life ruined by cocaine use, we might have seen [Jung] and his accomplices for what they truly were—soulless." J. Robert Parks at The Phantom Tollbooth has the strongest objections. "Blow is an enormous con job, designed to make George Jung look like some sort of martyr," declares Parks. "Jung is presented as some sort of enlightened businessman, delivering a product that 'everyone' wants. Demme and his writers, in collusion with Jung, have produced a film that attempts to invert and subvert important notions of morality."

Stephanie Zacharek does not see the film as immoral, but merely more subtle in its portrayal of the damage done. "It never stoops so low as to lecture us," she writes in her review at Salon.com. "That shirking of responsibility on Demme's part is going to be very disturbing to those who feel that the message 'Drugs Are Bad' has been underrepresented in our culture, but most of the rest of the responsible adult population should be able to handle it. But even in a movie as morally lax as Blow, actions do have their consequences. In the end, George doesn't get away with murder. As Depp plays George, the unspoken shame of what he has done is just a blink away, deep inside his eyes." Movie Parables' Michael Elliott argues that "the story is told from the perspective of George Jung and it is obvious that he was so self-absorbed that he remained oblivious to the horrific consequences which his actions caused the nation." And Focus on the Family's Bob Smithouser claims the film "does a remarkable job of showing how a series of immoral, illegal choices devastated Jung and the people he loved. Heartbreaking. He learned too late that drugs and crime don't pay. Maybe Blow will spare others similar pain."

Pokémon 3 throws fuel on the fire of an already outrageously popular children's entertainment and merchandising phenomenon. And this installment actually gains something other than the ridicule hurled at the previous movies. Phil Boatwright at The Movie Reporter writes, "this newest sequel may be the best yet. While it's the Fight Club for toddlers with its constant battles, it's not just an exercise in violence. With its jazzy score, life lessons about working together and your ability to become anything you want to be, Pokémon stimulates the imagination of tiny tots." Preview's reviewer agrees: "The basic message seems to carry a warning about getting trapped in imaginary worlds, and balancing imagination with reality. It also comments about remaining friends even when on opposite sides." But Preview's critic adds a caution: "Parents should be aware that the movies and TV series only serve as gateways to the Pokémon collection which includes aspects of occult and mysticism."

The U.S. Catholic Conference doesn't find any reason to recommend the film: "Though the popular animated creatures are likely to make director Michael Haigney's film a hit with children, the premise is nonsensical and the animation, while colorful, is flat."

Still Cooking

The staff at CultureWatch.net observe some unusual and inspiring themes in the film: "The Cortez family is trying to stay together, despite all the potential roadblocks of typical American life. With two children and two parents, they seem to be … as typical as a family with two international spies for parents can be. They face the issues that all families face today in trying to keep a family together. The kids struggle with not wanting their parents to know the truth about their school and social life. Meanwhile, the parents themselves struggle with juggling job responsibilities with their parenting responsibilities."

I caught up with Spy Kids this week myself—my full review is at Looking Closer. The matinee was as commercial and fun as a Happy Meal and probably healthier. The movie has its clever moments, and its cast is winningly enthusiastic. But I think it leans a little bit too heavily on the movies from which it liberally borrows, even though it does so with a wink. Movie buffs will be reminded of a wide range of films, from The Princess Bride to Men in Black, with echoes of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and, for the movie geeks, The City of Lost Children. Peter T. Chattaway also finds something lacking in the film. "There is a lot of action in Spy Kids, as one might expect from a Rodriguez film," he says in his Vancouver Courier review, "but no real sense of danger. There is also very little character development, beyond what is required to keep the story going or to make obvious points about families sticking together and family being the biggest adventure of all." But he does approve of the film for family viewing. "It's encouraging to see that a film with such mainstream ambitions makes no effort to hide its ethnic roots. One gets the impression that Rodriguez made this film for his own family, first of all; luckily, the rest of us should at least get a kick out of it, too."

In select cities, grownups are lining up for Memento, taking on its mind-boggling riddles and nonchronological storytelling. It's something of a cult challenge: Can you solve the mystery? Can you even follow what's going on? The film follows the quest of Leonard, a man who has lost his short-term memory, as he seeks vengeance for the murder of his wife. The scenes in the film run in reverse order so, like Leonard, in each circumstance the audience does not know how he got there or whom he can trust.

The U.S. Catholic Conference calls Memento a "remarkable yet flawed psychological puzzle," but cautions that "the unstable lead character's deadly revenge-seeking is disturbing." In my review at Looking Closer, I argue that the film is actually the antithesis of the typical revenge film. While movies like Braveheart and Gladiator romanticize revenge, Memento knows that indulging the appetite for revenge is not a healthy pursuit. As Leonard strives to set things right, evil finds a way to capitalize on his actions and make a bad situation far worse. For that, I admired the film, just as I am impressed with its complexities. Sure, it's implausible, but the writer and director have such fun in keeping us guessing that it proves to be a great escapist brain exercise.

For Peter T. Chattaway, it's an early 2001 favorite. He calls it "an exciting brain-teaser on several levels. First, there is the plot, which is convoluted enough to keep you and your friends hashing out the story for hours after the film is over. Second, there is the deeper issue of how memory, identity, and responsibility intertwine. Finally, there is the broader question of whether our actions have any absolute meaning beyond what we give them. Of course, no film can ever really answer a question like that, but Memento does a brilliant job of asking it."

Side Dishes

The U.S. Catholic Conference's critic writes, "Rob Sitch's feel-good movie recalls Australia's role in the Apollo 11 mission with both humor and awe." The folks at Preview rave, "The Dish is smartly written with laughs throughout. And while the movie is certainly a comedy, more serious messages, like trusting others, consistently shine through."

Roger Ebert, who has often praised Sitch's last film The Castle as an overlooked comedy masterpiece, is impressed with this film as well. "With The Dish and The Castle, Sitch and his producing partner Michael Hirsh have made enormously entertaining … good-hearted movies. Recent Hollywood comedy has tilted toward vulgarity, humiliation and bathroom humor. Sometimes I laugh at them, but I don't feel this good afterward. The Dish has affection for every one of its characters, forgives them their trespasses, understands their ambitions, doesn't mock them and is very funny."

Just Visiting, a comedy about medieval knights who time-travel to modern-day Chicago, is getting mixed reviews. The film, which is a new American remake of the French blockbuster comedy Le Visiteurs, features two actors who starred in the original—Jean Reno and Christian Clavier.

Few critics in the religious media have caught up with the film yet, but Phil Boatwright at The Dove Foundation calls it "diverting and often-hysterical fluff." The U.S. Catholic Conference is less pleased, saying that this time travel farce "offers some mildly amusing jokes and neat special effects, but the slender, familiar premise is soon engulfed by a predictable turn of events." Mainstream critics were split, but Roger Ebert likes the film for some of the same reasons that he liked The Dish: "Just Visiting isn't low and dumb like so many recent American comedies. It depends on the comedy of personality and situation, instead of treading meekly in the footsteps of the current gross-out manure-joke movies."

I find Ebert's comments to be consistent with many of his recent reviews. He seems to be taking more of an interest in how good comedies have a sense of what is appropriate. Issues of shame, decency, and conscience are explored increasingly often in his writing. In my opinion, this is an exciting trend, considering he is the most widely read critic in the mainstream press. Perhaps his focus on these themes will challenge critics (both in the mainstream and in the religious media) and audiences to develop greater discernment and to pay closer attention to what they are consuming.

Jeffrey Overstreet is on the board of Promontory Artists Association, a non-profit organization based in Seattle, which provides community, resources, and encouragement for Christian artists. He edits an artists' magazine (The Crossing), publishes frequent film and music reviews on his Web site (Looking Closer), and is at work on a series of novels.

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