Movie Review: Robin Hood - PG13

cross-posted from A Catholic View

The latest version of the Robin Hood tale.   I'm more of a Kevin Costner fan than a Russell Crowe fan , but I give Crowe the nod on this story.

Robin is part of the army of King Richard the Lion Heart.  When Sir Richard Loxley dies in battle,  Robin returns Richard's sword to his widow, Marion Loxley.  He poses as her husband so she won't lose her property (this is 12th century), and later  falls in love with her.  

When King Richard is also killed in battle, his brother John becomes king.  King John is neither qualified nor reputable.

There are two battles being fought.  The people are rebelling against the tyranny of both the Sheriff of Nottingham and King John,  and the  King's army and the people are resisting an invasion by the French.  Robin is key in both battles.   Robin's crew are very capable, and very loyal to him.

There is lots of action, mostly battle scenes.  The scenery is beautiful. The story could have been told better, because it doesn't always seem to flow well.   The audio could have been better, because in many scenes, Russell Crowe sounds like he is mumbling.  I did like the characters because they are unique, personable and entertaining.  

Content warning: There is one scene where one of the sheriff's men gets Marion alone and there is a very sexually suggestive scene.

I would NOT recommend for kids, but adults will likely enjoy it.  Overall, very enjoyable.

http://www.robinhoodthemovie.com/

Book Review: "Buried Sins" by Marta Perry

cross-posted from A Catholic View

In the first book, "Hide in Plain Sight", the central character was Andrea. The second book, "A Christmas to Die For" focused on Rachel. This third and final book in the Three Sisters Inn series focuses on the youngest sister, Caroline.  She's been living in Santa Fe, and comes home to the inn after her husband dies...or did he?   It's been years since Caroline lived with her  family, and she isn't quite sure what type of a reception to expect.   She's drifted away from her faith as well.   She describes her deal with God as  "He leaves me alone, I leave him alone".  She's been in trouble in the past, and she's brought some with her: someone has followed her home from Santa Fe.  Fortunately, Police Chief Zach Burkhalter is quick to figure out that Caroline is in danger and he helps her uncover the truth about her husband's death, and who is threatening her.  She must now rely on three things she is very unaccustomed to relying on: her family, a cop, and her faith.

I very much enjoyed this trilogy.  Ms. Perry has definitely saved the best for last.  I enjoyed the characters, and the story is very well told.  It is  a good mystery, but it is not so involved as to make it hard to enjoy.  I like the intertwining of the mystery with values such as faith and family.  I was only able to figure out one of the guilty parties, but Ms. Perry saves a nice twist to surprise us.

An excellent book.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

In one word--magnificent. But you will need more than one word. So--it is beyond comprehension that this is a first book. The elements of story, character, setting are so tightly bound, so perfectly intertwined, and so absolutely in-tune with one another. It is as if one had taken the fine-tuned sensibility of a Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer and wedded it to the intricate series of incident and entanglement (but NOT coincidence) that makes up a Dickens plot.

Steven Riddle's review at A Momentary Taste of Being is practically a work of art in itself. I already had requested it from the library before he began posting excerpts. This culminating summary makes my mouth water even more. No wonder I am #304 out of #350 requests at the library. I'd like to quote the entire review, but won't. I will let you enjoy it all at his blog. Here's just a touch more to lure you over there.

This is NOT a romance, even though it is a classic love story. It is a story centered around love and learning to love and understanding what love is and what love means, and by that understanding coming to forgive oneself one's shortcomings and to forgive the shortcomings so obvious in others. It would not be an exaggeration to say that properly read, this novel can be life-changing in the best possible way.

Book Review: "A Christmas to Die For" by Marta Perry

This book is a follow-up to "Hide in Plain Sight", which I reviewed earlier.   Andrea and Cal are away on their honeymoon, and Rachel is now running the Three Sisters Inn Bed and Breakfast, along with her grandmother.  One of her first guests is Tyler Dunn.  He has come to town to both dispose of his grandfather's property, which he now owns after the death of his mother, and to uncover the circumstances of his grandfather's death some 20 years earlier.  Because she knows the town and its residents, Rachel assists Tyler in his investigation, which can best be described as a 'relentless pursuit of the truth',  because it threatens to implicate Rachel's family.   Despite this, they begin to develop feelings for each other;  he doesn't want to hurt her, but he will not be deterred from his pursuit.  I like Rachel's occasional uttering of short little prayers such as "Lord, show me the way", reminding us to include God in our lives. 

Again, Ms. Perry does a very good job of developing and shaping her characters.  You'll never figure out the guilty party...and isn't that the way a good mystery should be?  The story is well told, at a good pace.  We even find out the answer to one of the mysteries from the earlier story.  The circumstances of Tyler's grandfather's death,  combined with their feelings for each other, creates a very suspenseful reading experience.

An excellent book.

Book Review: "Go in Peace"

Go in Peace: Your Guide to the Purpose and Power of Confession

by Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J. and Sean Brown
West Chester, PA: Ascension Press, 2007

If there is one area of Catholicism that causes more confusion than any other, it is the Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as confession). In "Go in Peace: Your Guide to the Purpose and Power of Confession," Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J. and Sean Brown do an admirable job of explaining this sacrament. In a straight-forward question and answer format, they provide concise explanations of 101 aspects of sin, confession, heaven, hell, purgatory, and indulgences. Non-Catholics who wish to understand more about Catholicism will gain much information from this book. Catholics who struggle with the Sacrament of Reconciliation will find more reason to appreciate its value and the need for it. Catholics who regularly take advantage of the sacrament will still learn from "Go in Peace." The section on indulgences is particularly well-written and does much to clear up misunderstandings regarding this practice. "Go in Peace" also features a helpful Examination of Conscience at the end of the book to help people review the state of their soul prior to going to confession.

- Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
http://spiritualwomanthoughts.blogspot.com

Movie Review: Iron Man 2 - PG13

From the beginning, it is obvious that Tony Stark has parlayed being Iron Man into celebrity status.  His behavior is erratic and unpredictable, but that is because the power cell in his chest is making him sick.  Despite that, the point is quickly made that others have tried, and failed, to replicate the success of his Iron Man suit.   It's like he has become the country's only defense, and the reason for world peace.  But that is about to end, because evil  Ivan Vanko (Rourke) is working on replicating the suit, and gets backing from billionaire Justin Hammer (Rockwell). 

There was  more of a plot than I expected.  The visual effects were awesome, and there was plenty of action. I think Iron Man's alliance with War Machine (Jim Rhodes'  alter ego) and Natasha Romanoff added a lot to the story.

I liked the characters. Specifically, the strong character portrayal.  Robert Downey was very narcissistic, which was the main requirement for his character. Mickey Rourke was diabolical as Ivan Vanko. Sam Rockwell was annoying as Justin Hammer.  Don Cheadle was a better fit as James Rhodes than Terrence Howard was.  Scarlett Johansson was very weak as Natalie Rushman, but better as her alter ego  Natasha Romanoff. However, the best acting was Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts.  Samuel Jackson was flat as Nick Fury.

When watching a sequel, it is natural to draw comparisons between the two,  In this case, I think Iron Man 2 was much better than Iron Man.  I think at least some of the audience agreed;  at the end, the audience applauded.

2 words:  SEE IT!

http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/

Comedy Central developing Jesus Christ cartoon

What a bunch of hypocrites.

They were too afraid to air even one episode mocking Muhammad, but they're doing an entire series to insult Jesus.

Comedy Central might censor every image of the Prophet Muhammad on "South Park," yet the network is developing a whole animated series around Jesus Christ.

Jesus-south-park As part of the network's upfront presentation to advertisers (full slate here), the network is set to announce "JC," a half-hour show about Christ wanting to escape the shadow of his "powerful but apathetic father" and live a regular life in New York City.

In the show, God is preoccupied with playing video games while Christ, "the ultimate fish out of water," tries to adjust to life in the big city.

"In general, comedy in purist form always makes some people uncomfortable," said Comedy Central's head of original programming Kent Alterman.

When asked if the show might draw some fire, especially coming on the heels of the network's decision to censor the Muslim faith's religious figure on "South Park," Alterman said its too early in the show's development to be concerned about such matters.

story

They don't even mention it on their site, and they really don't appear to want any feedback or comments:  HERE is their "feedback" page.   Their parent company, MTV, is not much better.  HERE is their "feedback" page.

You can mail Comedy Central's CEO, Doug Herzog,at 2049 Century Park East, Ste. 4000, Los Angeles, CA, 90067. 

His email is doug.herzog@comedycentral.com 

COMEDY CENTRAL UNVEILS MOCK JESUS SHOW

Movie Review: The Preacher's Kid - PG13 - Now on DVD/Blue Ray

"The Preacher's Kid" was released on DVD & Blue Ray today, May 4.

As the title implies, Angie King is the daughter of a preacher, Bishop King in Augusta, GA.  She is young, talented and  eager to explore the world.  She gets the opportunity to do just that when she leaves home and joins a traveling gospel show.  Her father is angry when she leaves, and tells her not to return. Angie turns her back on the life and the people she knows but doesn't appreciate, to enter a world she doesn't know, but gets drawn into.  She learns a lot about people, and herself in the process, especially who her real friends are.   She finds herself in a bad position, because the world she is encountering is NOT the world she expected, but she is also afraid to go home, not knowing if her father will welcome her.

As with the story, some of the characters are not as they appear, and some are exactly what you'd expect.  My favorite character is Wynton; my least favorite character is Devlin. 

I like the pace at which the story is told; it progresses and unfolds in a well told manner.  There are no sex scenes, but it is clear that Angie spends the night with Devlin.  I did not like the scenes where a man hits a woman.  The whole story is reminiscent of the parable of the Prodigal Son.   The primary recurring  theme is that of family. There is also the theme of redemption when people wander away from God and return to Him.  I particularly  enjoyed the music.

For an uplifting movie: check out the DVD!

http://preacherskidmovie.com/

Reviewing "Paul: Tarsus to Redemption" ... He's back, he's manga, and this time ... it's personal

We all know that with St. Paul it was always personal. Right?

This is not specifically Japanese manga, but a graphic novel that should entertain young readers (12+).

Paul's a young Jewish firebrand who kills or captures anyone who follows the new sect of Christianity. His closest friend, Septus, is a renegade Roman officer who helps Paul dominate the countryside. Paul gains a mentor but loses his friends when he finally embraces truth. He faces death at the hands of his closest companion, betrayal, constant danger, and destroyed love. Lose yourself in this epic reimagining of first-century Palestine.

I really enjoyed Paul: Tarsus to Redemption. One thing you've got to admit, scriptural stories are bigger than life (even though they usually were life) and lend themselves very well to dramatic depictions graphically.

The only point that somewhat confused me was the beginning ... who was Paul's blond buddy, why were they going to see the rabbi, and so forth. However, I believe that I was bogged down by my adult knowledge of St. Paul and trying too hard to connect it with the book. Once I "let go" then I was able to fully sink in and enjoy the story telling.

Likewise, I appreciated the ending of the book (is that a potential sweetheart we see on the scene?) completing the story full circle, even though it is clear that Paul will be traveling on. In fact I went back and read the beginning again. Whereupon it all made perfect sense. This graphic novel tweaks St. Paul's story only in the sorts of details that the best storytellers use to make their tales come alive. It is true to Biblical roots.

As I mentioned when I excitedly posted because this book was on the way ... if only Paul had shed some of those streaming manga tears, my joy would have been complete. He comes thiiiiiis close. So near and yet so far. Well there is always volume two to hope for.

I never met a girl yet who didn't enjoy stuff written for the guys, but in case you've got more feminine readers around than I did you might want to check out the upcoming Judith: Captive to Conqueror.

The Israelites have returned to their homeland after the Babylonian captivity, but now a new threat looms on the horizon. Holofernes, the wicked and conniving general of the Assyrian army, is sent to conquer all the world's temples, and now heads toward the Promise Land. But in Bethulia, the one city that stands between the Assyrians and Jerusalem, is Judith, the only woman with enough faith and courage to defend the Temple with her life.

Oh yeah. She's got it going on.

Bill Donohue reviews newest Philip Pullman book on Jesus

Philip Pullman's new book, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, is available in the U.S. on May 4; it is published by Canongate U.S. Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on it today:


The publisher was kind enough to send me an advance copy of Pullman's new book, no doubt hoping I would give it some free publicity by hammering it. They may be disappointed: it's an interesting fable and not in the slightest degree anti-Catholic.

My beef with Pullman's trilogy, His Dark Materials, and more specifically with the movie based on the first book, "The Golden Compass," centered on the attempt to seduce young people into thinking that atheism is the answer and the Catholic Church is the problem. But this book has no hidden agenda—it's a fanciful account of the Gospel story, one that displays the author's fervid imagination. Pullman's fairy tale sees Mary giving birth to twins: Jesus, a figure who bears resemblance to the Son of God known to Christians, and Christ, a less admirable character who is preoccupied with institutionalizing his legacy.
The most important statement about the book is not its contents, rather it is the decision to write it in the first place. Why would England's most famous atheist storyteller find it necessary to repair to the Gospels to write this book? What is it about Christianity that Pullman can't live without? And why does his fascination with religion not extend to other religions? To be sure, had Pullman taken liberties with Islam, he would have been a marked man. So much easier to deal with those Christians, most of whom are very nice.

The real issue remains. Christian novelists are not known for finding material in atheistic accounts of human existence—they simply ignore them—but the contra is not true. Perhaps Pullman can write another story explaining why.