Omen, Thou Art Loosed!

The son of Satan has arrived.

No, no, this has nothing to do with the child of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. It's just another recycled big screen horror flick. Horror movies are so hot right now, Hollywood just can't stop cranking out remakes along with the originals. And, sure enough, just in time for its 30-year anniversary, here's a whole new version of The Omen, starring Mia Farrow, Julia Stiles, Pete Postlethwaite, and Liev Schreiber.

The "son of Satan" plotline has opened the door for 20th Century Fox to vigorously market this new Omen to Christian audiences, just as Sony did with The Da Vinci Code. This week, I received a pamphlet in the mail that was filled with Bible verses that relate, in some way, to The Omen. And this "tract" also pointed out that the movie opens on 06.06.06. I was not spooked.

Neither are many of the Christian press critics who have seen the film.

Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies) gives it only two stars, even though he finds it to be "extremely faithful to the original. … Director John Moore, whose last film (Flight of the Phoenix) was also a remake, does not stray far from his source, though he does make a few slight changes."

Is it all just thrills and chills? Or does it actually mean something? Chattaway says it "taps into every parent's fear that the babies they dote on will grow up to become children who don't like them; it works because it presents a worst-case scenario of what can happen when children get older and develop their own separate identities, including friendships and interior lives that are not what their parents would wish for them."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says it's "skillfully crafted and well-acted," and that it differs from The Da Vinci Code in that it "does not attack core Christian beliefs, though its horror-film treatment of religion is obviously sensationalized." Overall, he finds it "a fairly decent, if occasionally lurid, thriller."

"It's still creepy after all these years," writes Steve Beard (Thunderstruck), who offers excerpts from interviews with the cast and director. "While some will speak with condescending tones about the superiority of the original version with Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, the performances of Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Mia Farrow, and David Thewlis were engaging and spooky. While the very premise of the film … will strike some as heretical or preposterous, it will definitely make for interesting conversation about the end of the world as we know it."

Most mainstream critics are calling this one a bad Omen.

Don't make a date with The Break-Up

Instead of talking about whether or not they can play a part in saving the world, most moviegoers spent the weekend talking about Jennifer Aniston and her tabloid-headline romance with Vince Vaughn. The two actors star together in The Break-Up, currently No. 1 at the box office.

Critics, meanwhile, are wishing the movie would just go away.

Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies) says it's "a romantic comedy that is neither romantic nor particularly funny. To some degree, this is intentional, since the story concerns the end of a relationship rather than the beginning of one; indeed, the filmmakers have called it an 'anti-romantic comedy.' But even given that premise, this movie represents one huge wasted opportunity."

He says the script "doesn't create characters so much as it falls back on stereotypes: men are pigs who would rather drink beer and play video games all day than do anything romantic, while women play passive-aggressive head games and try to change the men in their lives—and representatives of both genders … agree that the best thing to do after you have broken up with someone is to have sex with some really hot stranger, just to annoy your ex-partner."

Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) calls it a "tepid but only fitfully affable romantic comedy." He says, "Underneath the not-often-funny funny business, there are some universal truths about relationships, but the setup never quite rings true …. Overall, the script … could have been sharper, though to their credit, the film avoids a cliché d denouement."

Christa Banister (Crosswalk) says, "Sadly, The Break-Up is yet another instance where the movie's trailer promised far more than the finished product could deliver. … Basically, when it's all said and done [the movie] is nothing more than a really long sitcom with poorly conceived characters that most people couldn't care less about—[let] alone identify with. And in a summer filled with a plethora of attention-grabbing action movies, this isn't the welcome, feel-good date movie diversion that most audiences would hope for."

Christopher Lyon (Plugged In) says, "The spatting in The Break-Up settles for re-creating pedestrian domestic squabbling instead of making it outrageous enough to laugh at or making it revealing enough to move us. All we're left with is sitting on the sidelines with the couple's friends thinking, 'These people need to grow up already.'"

Mainstream critics are trying to break up the relationship between moviegoers and this film.

Gore Galore: A Must-See Movie?

Is it a disaster movie? Or is the movie a disaster? Technically, An Inconvenient Truth is neither.

What is it, then? It's a documentary about signs of pending disaster for our planet, due to the effects of global warming. And it stands out as a memorable big screen experience for several reasons:

• It brings the threat of global warming to vivid life, so we can see what may happen, and what is already happening, to the world—damage that we have the power to prevent.
  
  
• It's hosted by Al Gore.
  
  
• It's the first time moviegoers have paid to fill a cinema for what amounts to a fancy PowerPoint presentation.
  
  

An Inconvenient Truth may be the year's most important must-see. Audiences lined up to watch heroes try to survive the sinking of the Poseidon. How many will buy tickets to learn how we can prevent natural disasters?

It's likely that many who read this are not fans of Gore's politics or personality—and recent reader feedback at Christianity Today Movies would indicate as much. That's fair. But pay close attention to the responses of those who have seen this movie, especially those who wouldn't identify themselves as liberals or democrats. They're finding value in the Truth as well. In fact, many evangelicals are standing with Gore on this issue.

In a commentary for Christianity Today Movies, David Neff takes issue with some of Gore's scientific arguments. But he writes that the movie is "an effective introduction to the subject of climate change." He adds that it "engages its audience with its moral seriousness and its avuncular and folksy style." And he concludes that Gore "wants action now—and he's right about that."

Mainstream critics are going so far as to become advocates for the film. "In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review," wrote Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times), "but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to." David Denby (The New Yorker) says, "It will be interesting to watch how skeptics will deal with Gore's bad news on the environment without making themselves look very small."

Tired of reading about it? Try listening: Here's an NPR report, in which Bob Mondello, NPR film critic, Richard Harris, NPR science correspondent, and reporter Michelle Norris discuss the film's artistic and scientific value.

Stay tuned to Film Forum for further reviews in the upcoming weeks.

More reviews of recent releases

Duma: After a particularly taxing day last week, my wife Anne and I relaxed with a DVD of a movie we had missed during its theatrical run—Duma. What caught our attention was the name of the director. Carroll Ballard directed the masterful adaptation of The Black Stallion (1979), Never Cry Wolf (1983), and Fly Away Home (1996). Could this mean that Ballard had surprised us with yet another wonderful film about the grace and beauty of the animal kingdom?

The answer is, unequivocally, yes.

Duma takes you from a family home in South Africa to an ambitious journey through the wilderness in the company of a beautiful cheetah. Young Xan (Alex Michaeletos) is reluctant to let go of the wild cat he has raised since he found him orphaned and alone, in spite of the wise counsel of his parents (Campbell Scott and Hope Davis). And when Xan suffers a painful loss of his own, the experience forms a powerful bond between him and his furry friend.

But we all know that a cheetah isn't going to do well as a domestic pet. What will it take for Xan to heal from his wounds and make the right decision? A memorable adventure, apparently. Xan and Duma must survive a challenging trek across the desert in the company of a suspicious traveler (Eamonn Walker) who has an animal friend of his own—a mischievous kangaroo rat.

We were delighted by this film, largely for the beauty of its wild African backdrop, the majesty of that graceful cheetah, and the cast's understated performances. It may not be the most original story of its kind, but it boasts the kind of aesthetic pleasures that are hard to find in moviegoing today. Moreover, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better family film released in the last year.

Other Christian film critics are also discovering this delightful film. Mary Lasse reviewed the film for Christianity Today Movies almost a year ago, during its limited theater run: "Duma is one of Hollywood's better attempts at live-action family-friendly fare. … [It] is chock full of themes: the joys of childhood, the pains of growth, the importance of friends and family, reconciliation in relationships, the wildness of animals and humans—you name it, this film's got it."

Andrew Coffin (World) writes, "[Ballard's] African landscapes are luxurious and mesmerizing, and his action scenes spirited. More importantly, Mr. Ballard knows how to work with both children and animals, so that the former are stretched by their circumstances without growing too old in the process, and the latter become genuine friends without excessive anthropomorphization."

And Annabelle Robertson (Crosswalk) says, "Ballard shows great sensitivity and doesn't back away from tough issues, like the complex themes of home, loss and death.He coaxes excellent performances from [his] actors, and doesn't fall into the trap of anthropomorphizing the cheetah, as so many directors would.Any emotions he shows are real, and stem from the characters—not some projected sentiment we think the animal might be feeling."

And she concludes, "Overall, an outstanding film that not only deserves a place in every family library, but is also destined to become a classic."

Over the Hedge: Andrew Coffin (World) says the movie "doesn't begin to reach Pixar-level transcendence (in the age-defying use of the term), this DreamWorks effort holds up well as amiable entertainment. One might not be tempted to recommend Over the Hedge to adults without children, but the cartoon is fun, energetic, and, mostly, family-appropriate."

The Lost City: Andrew Coffin (World) says, "[A]lthough there may be some legitimate artistic gripes with the film, this 16-years-in-the-making project all but oozes with conviction—a trademark Hollywood would love, were the film not so thoroughly, magnificently politically incorrect."

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