THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
RATING: G
STARRING: Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Davis Krumholtz, Eric Lloyd, Spencer Breslin, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Liliana Mumy, Art LaFleur, Kevin Pollack, Jay Thomas, and Michael Dorn
DIRECTOR: Michael Lembeck
PRODUCERS: Brian Reilly, Bobby Newmyer and Jeffrey Silver
WRITERS: Don Rhymer, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio
DISTRIBUTOR: Walt Disney Pictures/Buena Vista
GENRE: Fantasy/Comedy/Satire
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Children and adults
SUMMARY: In The Santa Clause 2, Tim Allen reprises his role as Scott Calvin, a divorced man forced to become Santa Claus. Scott discovers his real-life son, Charlie, has been put on the "Naughty" list. He also discovers that he must find a Mrs. Claus, or else he will lose the power to be Santa. Before going back to town, he decides to make a life-sized Toy Santa, or Android Santa, to take his place at the North Pole.
The Santa Clause 2 is one of the better-produced holiday-oriented family offerings from Hollywood in the last few years. The sets are colorful, the story is exciting, and Tim Allen is very funny in his dual roles as the Real Santa and the Fake Santa. Despite positive messages about responsibility and grace, however, the movie contains some objectionable pagan elements.
CONTENT: Eclectic pagan worldview about the Christmas holiday includes references to legendary figures like Santa Claus, Mother Nature, the Tooth Fairy, and Cupid with some solid moral and redemptive elements (especially about the need for Grace) and some unbiblical moments where Santa replaces the redemptive birth of Jesus Christ as the reason for the season; no sex or nudity; no smoking; and, lying implicitly rebuked, public school principal bans holidays, teenager inflicts graffiti on school walls but is punished and totalitarianism rebuked in a comical fashion.
TO END ALL WARS
RATING: R
STARRING: Robert Carlyle, Keifer Sutherland, Ciaran McMenamin, Mark Strong, Sakae Kimura, Masayuki Yui, James Cosmo, John Gregg, and Shu Nakajima
DIRECTOR: David L. Cunningham
PRODUCERS: David L. Cunningham and Jack Hafer
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Greg Newman, John Quested and Scott Walchek
WRITER: Brian Godawa
BASED ON THE BOOK BY: Ernest Gordon
DISTRIBUTOR: Premiere Marketing & Distribution Group
GENRE: War Movie/Historical Epic
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Older teenagers and adults
SUMMARY: To End All Wars is the true story of four Allied POWs who endure harsh treatment from their Japanese captors during World War II. Despite minor script weakness and excessive foul language, the movie winningly portrays brilliant Christian truths. In the movie, the Japanese capture and torture Captain Earnest Gordon’s unit and order them to build a railroad from Thailand to Burma.
To End All Wars contrasts the warrior culture of the Japanese, which demands honor, valor and submission to the Emperor at any cost, with Western culture, which focuses on the individual, and with true Christian sacrifice and forgiveness. The photography is noteworthy, and the direction is to be commended. Overall, the movie teaches valuable lessons, has brilliant acting, and deserves the awards it’s winning. In spite of the violence and foul language, mature people of faith and values need to support this profound movie.
CONTENT: Extremely Christian worldview with negative and positive references to Japanese cultural and religious beliefs; 31 obscenities; extreme wartime violence including pumping water into a prisoner to bloat him, point blank executions, crucifixion, bombing causes dismemberings, beatings, kickings, torture, and starvation with blood and gore; comfort girls brought to POW camp; natural male nudity with no private parts shown; drinking; and smoking.
