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Disney’s Penguins opens this weekend, telling the “coming-of-age” story of Steve, a two-foot-tall, 15-pound Adélie penguin.
Steve is a male Adélie penguin on a 100-mile annual
expedition to Antarctica’s shore.
For the past few months, he’s been out at sea with his
fellow Adélie penguins, simply trying to survive. But now that spring has
arrived, he’s heading to the place he was born—the place where every penguin he knows was born—in order
to breed.
It’s not as simple as it sounds. For starters, Steve just
entered adulthood (He has never had to find a mate). Then there’s the problem
of locating a spot on a shore with millions of other penguins (All the good
spots are taken). Finally, there’s the pesky problem of protecting the egg and
then feeding the chick (How do you do that?).
But Steve is ready to learn. He’s also ready to rely on his
instinct—which comes in handy when he has to barf food into the mouth of his
hungry chick.
Disney’s Penguins
opens this weekend, telling the “coming-of-age” story of Steve, a
two-foot-tall, 15-pound penguin who is slower than most other Adélie penguins
but who makes up for it with a resolve and determination to keep his babies
alive.
It is the 10th movie from Disneynature, which releases a
kid-friendly, nature-themed film every year or two, often around Earth Day. Penguins (G), though, contains nothing
controversial, and all sides of the environmental political debate can enjoy
it. Actor Ed Helms directed it.
It gives us the same type of awe-inspiring cinematography
seen in Planet Earth or Frozen Planet, minus the evolutionary
talk that concerns many parents.
My 3-year-old son tagged along with me, cackling from
beginning to end. I laughed a lot, too. It is nearly the perfect kid-friendly
nature film.
Warning:
minor spoilers!
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal. Penguins hit one another. Birds eat one or two
penguin eggs. Killer whales and leopard seals hunt penguins (We see a leopard
seal pull a penguin underwater). All of Steve’s family members survive.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
None. The word “mating” is heard a few times. Steve wonders
if he’s “attractive” enough. We hear the phrase “love birds.”
Coarse
Language
None. Oh my gosh (2), geez (2).
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
A penguin throws up. We hear two popular mainstream songs:
REO Speedwagon’s Can’t Fight This Feeling
and Whitesnake’s Here I Go Again.
Life Lessons
Steve teaches us about determination, perseverance, caring
for your family and fatherhood.
Worldview/Application
It’s hard to watch Penguins
and not see God’s handiwork in a creature—the Adélie penguin—that survives and
thrives in a harsh climate.
These penguins (there are millions of them!) return to the
same shore every year. They set up camp at the same spot. Often, they find the
same mate. Perhaps like Steve, it’s all new to them. Yet they work by instinct.
They build a nest out of rocks. They regurgitate food to feed their young. They
play dead when caught by a predator, hoping it will get bored and let them go
(It works!).
And let’s not forget their value as champions of comedy.
It’s as if an intelligent designer created them, simply to make us laugh.
Random chance caused all of this? I’m not buying it. The
penguins operate the way an all-powerful God designed them to work (Luke
12:24).
What Works
The cinematography. The drone shots. The underwater scenes.
What Doesn’t
I prefer my nature documentaries without Whitesnake rock
songs, thank you.
Discussion
Questions
1. Name three positive character traits of Steve.
2. Was Steve a good father? Why or why not?
3. Name three things you learned about penguins.
Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 4.5
out of 5 stars.
The animated film “The Pilgrim’s Progress” plays in theaters Saturday, telling the story of Christian’s dangerous-but-determined journey to the far-off land that has everything he’s never experienced.
His name is Christian, and he’s just read a life-changing
book.
It describes a grand far-off land, the Celestial City,
that’s ruled by a peaceful and loving king.
It also warns of a future war that will destroy his
hometown.
Christian wants to journey to the other city and escape the
coming destruction, and he wants to take his family, too. But his skeptical
wife doesn’t want to go. She laughs at him.
“Ever since you started reading that book a few days ago
you’ve gone on and on like some lunatic,” she says, telling him to choose
between his family and his fantastical dream.
Christian tries one more time.
“I only want what is best for us all,” he tells her. “If the
city is destroyed, I don’t want you, the children or anyone else for that
matter to perish.”
But she’s still unpersuaded, and so Christian sets off, on
his own, to the Celestial City with the goal of returning someday and taking
his family with him.
The animated film The
Pilgrim’s Progress plays in theaters Saturday, telling the story of
Christian’s dangerous-but-determined journey to the far-off land that has
everything he’s never experienced. It is based on John Bunyan’s classic 1678
allegorical work of the same name and is the first theatrical adaptation.
It stars comedian and voice actor Ben Price (Australia’s Got Talent) as Christian,
John Rhys-Davies (The Lord of the Rings series,
Raiders of the Lost Ark) as
Evangelist, and Christian singer Kristyn Getty as the narrator. It was directed
by Robert Fernandez, who also helmed more than a dozen of the popular Torchlighters Christian heroes series.
The story—if you’re new to it—is allegorical. Christian
represents the typical believer on the Christian walk. His friends represent
Christian and non-Christian friends around us. The Celestial City represents
heaven. The king, of course, represents Christ.
The animation is far from Pixar-quality—what is?—but the voice acting more than makes up for it. Price and
Rhys-Davies are truly talented, and Getty does a fine job, too.
Yet the story is what makes the movie soar. It’s engaging,
entertaining and—for children—funny.
Most of all, it’s allegorical.
An annoying friend named Obstinate urges Christian to turn
around and come back to the City of Destruction (I’ve had friends like that).
An encouraging friend named Evangelist tells Christian to stay on the straight
and narrow (I’ve had friends like that, too).
He falls into the quicksand-like Swamp of Despondency. He
travels through the easy-to-get-lost-in Worldly Woods. He stumbles upon the
legalistic Morality Hill. One of his final hurdles is the theme-park-like
Vanity Fair, which has everything our modern world has to offer. When he’s
asked what the Celestial City has that Vanity Fair doesn’t, he responds,
“Peace, joy, love, unselfishness, patience, contentment and a crown that never
fades away, among other things.”
“Do we sell those kind of things?” the Vanity Fair prince
asks.
“Of course not,” the prince is told. “This is Vanity Fair.”
It’s convicting to watch Christian persevere despite
countless obstacles and temptations. He’s living life the way Jesus called us
to live. But too often, we get lost in the Worldly Woods or enamored with the
Vanity Fair. Too often, we don’t want to journey toward the Celestial City. Too
often, we fail to keep our eyes on the eternal prize.
The
Pilgrim’s Progress
is a film children will enjoy watching … and families will enjoy discussing
again and again.
For a film based on a classic, it hits the allegorical
bullseye.
The
Pilgrim’s Progress is unrated.
Content
warnings: ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ contains no sexuality or language but a few
disturbing scenes that may trouble sensitive children. Giant people place
Christian and a friend in a cage. Demonic-like dragon creatures (symbolic of
Satan) chase Christian. Christian stabs a creature with a sword.
Lots to discuss in this week’s DHD. Thanks for taking the time to read!
1. Ohio’s governor
signs heartbeat bill
The heartbeat bill is growing in the United States. Georgia,
Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi have state legislation approving bills and signing
into law that would not allow an abortion to be performed after a fetal
heartbeat can be detected. This week, the state of Ohio joined the ranks, and
this is huge.
All of the lawmakers in all of these states are to be commended for supporting and passing an important legislative work that supports the Sanctity of Human Life. But it is commonly known that Ohio is one of the more influential states when it comes to political trends, especially in presidential elections. For the Ohio lawmakers to make such a strong move supporting the pro-life cause could be persuasive on the national scale.
It will be challenged in the courts and probably overturned,
but I appreciate National Review’s Alexandra
DeSanctis’ commentary:
“…these (state heartbeat) bills are an essential component
of a broader anti-abortion strategy,” DeSanctis explained. “Perhaps most
important, they create an opportunity to educate Americans about the facts of
embryology and fetal development by highlighting the scientific fact that a
fetal heartbeat can be detected so early in pregnancy. According to a recent
Rasmussen poll, after being told that a fetal heartbeat can be detected at
about six weeks’ gestation, a majority of Americans (56 percent) said they
support banning abortion after that point.
“At the most fundamental
level, these bills also challenge the common arguments and obfuscations of
abortion-rights supporters,” she continues. “If a fetus is just a ‘clump of
cells,’ as they say, why does it have its own heartbeat? If a fetus is nothing
more than a ‘part of the woman,’ as they insist, why does it have its own
heartbeat independent from that of the mother? These questions expose the
euphemisms that the abortion-rights movement uses to convince the public that
abortion is just like an appendectomy, and that’s worth celebrating.”
2. Horn needs to sign
‘abortion survivors’ petition
Continuing on the topic of abortion, a “discharge petition”
is being offered to members of the U.S. House of Representatives to bring to
vote the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
Tony Lauinger of Oklahomans for Life has pointed out that
four of Oklahoma’s House members have signed the petition supporting the bill.
The only House member from Oklahoma who has not signed is Kendra Horn.
Lauinger is asking people to call either Horn’s office in
Oklahoma City—(405) 602-3074—or in Washington D.C.—(202) 225-2132—asking her to
sign the petition.
I ask my fellow Oklahomans to pay attention to Horn’s voting
record and consider it for how to vote in the 2020 election.
3. Films featuring foster and adoption families
I appreciate a noticeable trend in movies recently released.
Last week, the movie Shazam! opened
nationally in theaters. Next week, the movie Breakthrough will debut on Easter weekend. Both of these films
feature foster or adopted kids as part of their plots.
I saw Shazam last night. It had some disappointing elements, but I believe it’s due to DC Comic movies consistently falling short and not fully understanding what movie watchers enjoy.
But I did like how the movie presented a couple who fosters many children in their home. It’s one of the high marks. This couple prays with the kids; they demonstrate unconditional love as well as a willingness to sacrifice their own interests in order for kids, some who can be difficult, to have a home.
I have not seen Breakthrough, but WordSlingers entertainment writer Michael Foust has and offered his review, which can be read here. Dealing with adoption issues is a big part of the movie, and Foust gives Breakthrough his highest entertainment ranking (5 out of 5 stars).
4. Mohler on black hole
discovery
One of the major news stories this week is scientists
revealing a picture of a black hole in space. I confess, my knowledge and
interest in outer space is limited and lacking. However, I am aware that
secular theorists always seem to find such discoveries as opportunities to disprove
intelligent design or a sovereign creator.
This is where I rely on Christian leaders like Albert
Mohler, and I’m grateful he offered commentary on this hot topic in The Briefing.
“So how are Christians to think about this kind of headline
news?” Mohler asked, regarding the news of the black hole photo. “Number one,
we should never be afraid of it. We should never be afraid to look at a story
like this to look at scientific reports like these and come to an understanding
of how this is to be understood in a Christian biblical worldview perspective.
The world can’t throw anything at us that will be something that the biblical
worldview cannot explain or cannot understand. As we’re looking at this, one of
the central affirmations of the biblical worldview that helps to explain why
modern empirical science emerge out of a Christian worldview—one of the most
basic affirmations—is what is called the intelligibility of the universe. The
Bible begins with the declaration that begins biblical revelation and begins a
biblical worldview. ‘In the beginning,
God created the heavens and the earth.’ The theory of everything comes down
to God being the Creator of all that exists.”
It would benefit you to listen to Mohler’s entire monologue
on this scientific discovery. He proves through Scripture how God is in control
of the universe and that we can trust God and should praise Him.
“…our response has to be majestic, theistic, biblical worship,”
Mohler said. “What a God who would make such a cosmos, and reveal His glory in
it, and create human beings and crown us with the glory of His image, allowing
us to observe the world and to see such things with our own eyes. Christians
looking at news like this do not, in any way, see less than the secular science
community sees. We just see infinitely, even eternally, more.”
5. Women flock to
Falls Creek
The Oklahoma Baptist women’s retreat is this weekend at
Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center in Davis. It has been reported this will
be the largest-attended women’s retreat since the event began meeting at Falls
Creek. An estimated 5,000 women will be hanging out in the Arbuckle Mountains
of southern Oklahoma.
I’m excited for everyone who is attending. I’m especially
envious because one of my favorite speakers Rosaria Butterfield will be addressing
the retreaters.
May God bless this event and may He also give them nice
weather throughout, which is not in the forecast tomorrow.
6. Palm Sunday
commentary
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and I wanted to share a great
commentary from an Australian Christian writer.
Simon Camilleri is from Bundoora, which is outside
Melbourne, and I love his take on the Gospels explaining what happened on the
original Palm Sunday. Check out “Palm
Sunday & the Unexpected King.”
“Jesus was going to Jerusalem
in order to be captured,” Camilleri wrote. “He was going there to die. He was
going there to be resurrected. He was going there to bring about the first
Easter.”
The faith-based film ‘Breakthrough’ (PG) opens next week, telling the real-life story of a boy who was thought dead after not breathing for 45 minutes
John Smith is a typical 14-year-old Missouri boy who loves
basketball, video games and pizza.
He loves his parents, too, but he has trouble expressing it.
He rejects his mom’s affection. He turns down her food. Occasionally, he even
calls his dad by his first name.
“It’s just a phase,” Brian Smith tells his wife, Joyce.
“He’s just trying to get a reaction.”
John also is trying to find his place in this world. He was
adopted as a child from Guatemala and never has understand why his biological
mother didn’t keep him. Maybe that’s why his relationship with his mom has
suffered. Or maybe it’s just because he’s a teenager with an attitude.
But John does get
along with his classmates, and one winter day he and two boys walk onto an icy
pond to test their bravery. They’re told by a stranger to get off the pond—it’s
dangerous, he says—but they ignore him. Seconds later, they plunge through the
ice and frantically begin fighting for survival. Two of them make it back to
the surface, but John—in the confusion—is kicked even deeper.
First responders raise his lifeless body to the surface 15
minutes later and transport him to the hospital, where doctors perform CPR and
shock treatment in an attempt to restart his heart. Both fail. Forty-five
minutes have passed since he fell into the water and stopped breathing, and
John is considered dead.
Then his mom prays. And then his heart starts beating again.
Doctors are amazed, but they deliver more bad news to his mom: He likely has
severe brain damage.
Joyce, though, isn’t giving up.
“I believe God can heal our son,” she says.
The faith-based film Breakthrough
(PG) opens next week, telling the real-life story of a boy who survived a
tragic incident that captivated a corner of Missouri in 2015 and eventually
captured national attention. It stars Golden Globe nominee Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) as Joyce Smith; Topher Grace
(Spider-Man 3) as her pastor, Jason
Noble; and Dennis Haysbert (24) as
John’s doctor. Marcel Ruiz (One Day At a
Time) plays John.
DeVon Franklin (The
Star, Miracles From Heaven) produced it, and Roxann Dawson (This Is Us, House of Cards) directed it.
NBA star Stephen Curry is an executive director.
The movie involves three parts: 1) John’s struggle with his
identity as an adopted child, 2) Joyce’s never-give-up, faith-filled outlook on
his recovery, and, finally, 3) The town’s questioning of why God spared John’s
life but didn’t spare others.
It seems unfair to call Breakthrough
one of the best faith-based films I’ve seen—even though it belongs in that
conversation. That’s because Breakthrough
is simply a great movie. Period.
Metz is magnificent. Dawson’s veteran skills as a director
are evident. The script is entertaining and inspiring. You know how the film’s
going to end, but you’re still enthralled.
Most of all, Breakthrough
is a great film because it’s based on an amazing true story written by a powerful
God.
“I wanted to stay really true to the story,” Dawson told a
panel of Christian media members. “So I did a lot of research.”
John Smith’s miraculous recovery is documented in 301 pages
of medical records. Doctors saw it. Nurses saw it. First responders did, too
(And if you’re curious, John doesn’t visit heaven).
Warning:
moderate/major spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Minimal. The scene where John and his two friends fall
through the water might frighten sensitive children (Although my 7-year-old
wasn’t troubled). We see medical personnel perform CPR and shock treatments on
John.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
None. Boys talk about a girl being “hot.”
Coarse
Language
Minimal. H-ll (2), OMG (2). We hear John say “h-ll” in his
home prior to falling through the ice. His mother corrects him. Later, we hear
the pastor say the same word in excitement when John shows signs of recovering.
Other
Positive Elements
John’s family prays together before a meal. We see them in
church. The entire town begins praying when they learn about John’s
accident.
Joyce and her pastor don’t get along—he’s too edgy and
modern for her tastes—but they set apart their differences and join in prayer
when John is in the hospital.
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
We see a young John ask his mom about his biological mother,
“Why didn’t she want me?”
One of his school assignments involves a report on each
student’s family tree. John doesn’t want to do it.
Life Lessons
Breakthrough gives us lessons on forgiveness and
reconciliation (Joyce and the pastor, and others), the power of prayer (Joyce
and others), supporting and encouraging one another (church members and
townspeople) and patience (Joyce). It also raises questions about church styles
(Joyce’s pastor says he changed the music to attract a younger crowd).
Worldview/Application
Corrie ten Boom once asked, “Is prayer your steering wheel
or your spare tire?” For Joyce Smith, the answer is obvious. She prayed
constantly—or without “ceasing,” in the words of Scripture (1 Thess. 5:17).
Jesus told us to pray. He even told us prayer works (Mark 11:24).
That is the message of Breakthrough.
Like War Room, it displays the power
of prayer. John was thought dead. Less than a month later, he walked out of the
hospital as a healthy, normal kid.
Breakthrough also examines the unanswerable
question: Why does God heal some people and not others? Ultimately, we don’t
know. But we do know that God’s glory is displayed in both healings and
weakness (Rom, 8:28). It’s all part of His plan. Remember: This world is not
our home. Eventually, all of us—John included—will die (Heb. 13:14-16).
So, why did God
heal John? Maybe it was to show miracles still happen. Maybe it was to remind
us that prayer works. Maybe it was to display the power of God and to show
others that He is real. Or maybe it was to give John himself a platform for
future ministry (The real-life John Smith wants to become a pastor). Maybe all
those possibilities are true. Only God knows.
Discussion
Questions
1. Do you believe Joyce’s prayer led to John’s heart
starting to beat again?
2. Do you believe miracles still happen today?
3. Why does God heal some people but not others?
4. What did you think of the church’s worship service? What
did you think of the pastor’s explanation for modern worship?
5. What lessons can we learn about God from miraculous
healings? What can we learn about God when people aren’t healed?
Entertainment rating: 5 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 4 out
of 5 stars.
Breakthrough is rated PG for thematic content including peril.
Thank you for reading my weekly thoughts on six timely
topics. This week, three of my topics relate to one specific production, the
film Unplanned. I confess, because of
scheduling conflicts, I have yet to see the movie, but I plan to see Unplanned. I
hope you will too, if you haven’t seen it yet!
1. Unexpected
response
It was reported that Twitter
banned the movie’s account. It also was reported
that “several prominent cable networks—Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, the
Travel Channel, the Cooking Channel and the Food Network—have all refused to
allow ads for the movie.”
Baptist Press reportedUnplanned was ranked No. 4 in the box
office in its opening weekend, collecting $6 million, which was double what the
movie was projected to draw. BP also quoted WordSlingers
entertainment writer Michael Foust who said the movie’s success “defies logic.”
“It was rated R—a rating
that automatically makes it a no-go for many Christians,” Foust said. “It’s
about abortion—a topic that most Americans would rather avoid.
“Most films would have failed
in such a scenario. But the controversy about the rating and the advertising
ban gave it attention it otherwise would not have received, sparking a backlash
among moviegoers who supported it in droves.”
Chris Forbes had the chance to talk with Abby Johnson, whose story is told in Unplanned, and actress Ashley Bratcher who portrays Abby in the movie. Watch this edition of Messenger Insight here.
3. West sings ‘Unplanned’ song
Finally, I had to share Matthew West singing his song that
goes along with the movie. It’s powerful. Watch the video:
4. Prior proclaims
abortion ‘unthinkable’ in 50 years
I have blogged about Karen Swallow Prior previously. She
fascinates me.
Check out her article
in Vox (not considered a conservative site), as she explains why she
believes abortion will be unthinkable in 50 years.
“Nothing marks the progress
of any society more than the expansion of human rights to those who formerly
lacked them,” Swallow Prior wrote.
And I love this comment of
hers: “…rights for women that come at the expense of unborn children
aren’t true liberation; they merely, as one writer put it, enable the ‘redistribution
of oppression.’”
Swallow Prior is a BOLD advocate for the unborn. I admire
her fearlessness when it comes to defending the Sanctity of Human Life.
5. Great piece on
origin of African Bible Study
I’ve said this before: I wish I could write articles as well
as Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra. I’m rarely disappointed and often fascinated with the
information she shares. Most of the time, I enjoy her articles so much, I read
them again.
Finally, I close with sharing Berry Tramel’s column
on Al Eschbach who is being inducted into the Oklahoma Broadcasters Hall of
Fame.
Two people who had a major influence in my pursuing a career
in sports (covering not playing) are Mike Treps, former sports information
director at the University of Oklahoma, and Eschbach who literally was the
first radio broadcaster to host a sports talk show in Oklahoma.
Many of my days of youth were spent listening to KTOK (AM
1000) from 6:15 to 7 p.m., as Al would come on the air on weeknights, and on
Fridays he would have trivia nights when you could call in his show, ask a sports
trivia question, and if you stumped Al, he would ask you a trivia question
back. If you got his answer right, you’d win a big prize. I never got far
enough to get Al’s question correct.
But read Tramel’s article, and you can find out about Mike
Steely’s success, which is quite impressive, as well as many great memories and
achievements of Al’s career.
The DC Comics film ‘Shazam!’ opens this weekend, telling the story of an insecure young teen boy who learns how to be a superhero by trial and error.
Billy Batson is a 14-year-old foster kid searching for his
identity in life. And to discover that, he’s going to find his biological mom.
“I’ve got a mom… She’s out there. I know it,” he tells a
social worker.
But so far, all he’s finding is trouble—with his foster
parents, with the police, with the system.
He’s run away from all six foster homes that have taken him
in, causing so many problems that they don’t want him back. Now he’s moving in
with number seven. The names of his new parents are Victor and Rosa Vasquez, a
couple who began their own lives as foster kids. They have a big home and a big
heart for at-risk kids. Billy, in fact, will be the sixth foster child in their
house.
He likes his new home. He likes his new siblings, too. He
even likes his parents.
Yet his search for his biological lineage soon takes a
backseat to a supernatural event. Billy is riding home from school when he’s
transported to another dimension, in the presence of a wizard known as Shazam.
This wizard is looking for a replacement who is “strong in spirit” and “pure in
heart.” You know—a “truly good person.”
“I’m not one,” Billy responds. “I don’t know if anyone is,
really.”
Yet that doesn’t matter. Billy is Shazam’s only hope, and
within seconds, he is given the powers of a modern superhero—complete with a
muscular frame, tights and a cape. He becomes “Shazam,” a 20-something common
man of steel who can fly, run faster than a bullet and—yes—leap tall buildings,
too.
The DC Comics film Shazam!
(PG-13) opens this weekend, telling the story of an insecure young teen boy who
learns how to be a superhero by trial and error. To gain his strength, he only
needs to say one magic word (You guessed it: “shazam”).
It stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, Zachary Levi (Thor: The Dark World) as Billy’s
alter-ego Shazam, and Jack Dylan Grazer (Beautiful
Boy) as Billy’s brother and good friend, Freddy.
The movie follows two angles: Billy’s crash course on how to
be a superhero (at first, he uses his powers for selfish reasons), and the evil
Thaddeus Sivana’s hunting of Billy in hopes of stealing his powers.
Shazam! is as funny as it is original, as
we watch our superhero learn how to fly, jump and fight—just like an immature
14-year-old boy would. Each step is accompanied by wonderful wide-eyed
giddiness, with Shazam and Freddy (who is filming him for YouTube videos)
laughing in disbelief at their stroke of fortune.
The film has plenty of PG-13 content, but it also tackles
some heady questions, too, such as: What is family? What is home? How are we
shaped by our parents’ decisions?
Overall, Shazam!
is a fun ride, even if it may not be for small kids.
Warning:
minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key:
none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Moderate: The film has its share of superhero punching and
fighting, but its inclusion of demonic, ogre-like creatures is what will
trouble some parents the most (not to mention give children nightmares). The
creatures are Sivana’s sidekicks and accompany him wherever he goes. The most
disturbing moment involves them killing two of Sivana’s family members (one is
tossed out a window, the other eaten). We also see a creature bite off
someone’s head. Earlier in the film, we see a truck crash into a car, nearly
killing one person. Bullies beat up a tween boy outside school.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
None.
Coarse
Language
Moderate. OMG (11), s–t (5), a– (3), h–l (3), misuse of
“God” (2), d–k (1), JC (1). The film includes a handful of inappropriate
references to the male anatomy
Other
Positive Elements
Shazam and Freddy show mercy to the bullies.
The film’s positive portrayal of the foster care system is
commendable.
Other Stuff
You Might Want To Know
Twice, Shazam and his friends end up outside a strip club
known as “The Booty Club.” We never see inside the building, but the film would
have been more family-friendly without either scene.
Shazam and Freddy also buy and drink beer. They hate it—Shazam
says it tastes like “vomit”—and they eat candy and chips instead.
We see Billy’s brother bullied for being adopted.
Life Lessons
The film’s ads and promotional materials tell us that “we
all have a superhero inside.” Perhaps that’s true on some level, but it’s not
the movie’s major theme.
The film’s theme is this: Families matter. A home does, too.
Sivana hates his father because of how he was treated and
ridiculed as a child. Billy has positive feelings for his biological mother but
has never met her; he got lost in a crowd at a young age and was never found.
Both instances, though, show how the verbal abuse or absence of a parent can
impact a child for life.
Shazam! provides positive (even Bible-based)
answers on the film’s two questions: What
is family? and What is home? The
film comes down squarely on the side of love—that is, Billy’s love for his
foster parents and their love for him. Faith is never discussed, but we do see
them pray before meals.
It may have been the first time I shed a tear during a
superhero flick.
Worldview
Wizards, demons and mythical gods form the film’s backdrop.
Shazam the wizard tells Billy he will be as powerful as Atlas, Zeus and others.
Sivana’s powers come from seven demons, each of which represents one of the
seven deadly sins.
Sponsors
Xbox, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Zaxby’s, Watz, Stewart Haas
Racing.
What Works
The plot. The family-centric story. If you’re curious, it
ends with a cliffhanger, guaranteeing a sequel.
What Doesn’t
Shazam! seems to be partially aimed at
children and tweens. If so, some of the content (the scary creatures, the strip
club, the language) should have been excluded.
Discussion
Questions
1. What caused Billy finally to accept his new parents?
2. For children: How should you treat your friends who are
adopted?
3. Do we all have a “superhero inside”?
4. Did you like the film’s foster care message?
Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5
stars. Family-friendly rating: 2.5
out of 5 stars.Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action, language, and suggestive
material.
