WINGED MIGRATION
RATING: G
DISTRIBUTOR: Sony Pictures Classics
DIRECTOR: Jacques Perrin
PRODUCER: Jacques Perrin
WRITER: Jacques Perrin
GENRE: Documentary/Nature Film
INTENDED AUDIENCE: All ages
SUMMARY: Winged Migration is a breathtaking look at the migratory patterns of birds on all seven continents. With stunning cinematography, this movie is a terrific summer choice for American families who want to combine education and entertainment.
Nominated for an Oscar this year, Winged Migration is a masterpiece of natural filmmaking. After the 50th time of asking yourself how in the world they captured that shot, you will get caught up in the grandeur and thoroughly enjoy the flow of this stunning display of God’s wonder. With little monologue and a creative use of music, this nature film portrays the life and death cycles of migratory birds. It shows how they die to both natural predators and human hunters, but the tone is light and natural, not preachy or holding forth any anti-hunting sentiments.
To make this movie, producer Jacques Perrin took 450 people, including 17 pilots and 14 cinematographers, and followed various bird migrations through 40 countries and all seven continents. The film covers landscapes ranging from the Eiffel Tower and Monument Valley to the remote reaches of the Arctic and the Amazon. All manner of man-made machines was employed to follow the birds. Also, numerous innovative techniques and ingeniously designed cameras were utilized to allow the filmmakers to fly alongside, above, below, and in front of their subjects.
One does not have to like "nature films" to thoroughly enjoy Winged Migration. It is a terrific choice for families who value beauty, education, and summer togetherness.
CONTENT: Moral worldview as art and science combine to exult in the splendor and document the ways of some of God’s most fascinating creatures - birds; and, nothing else objectionable.
RUGRATS GO WILD
RATING: PG
STARRING: The Voices of Bruce Willis, Chrissie Hynde, Tim Curry, E. G. Daily, Nancy Cartwright, Lacey Chabert, Cheryl Chase, Danielle Harris, and Kath Soucie
DISTRIBUTOR: Paramount Pictures
DIRECTOR: Norton Virgien and John Eng
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Albie Hecht, Julia Pistor, Eryk Casemiro, and Hal Waite
PRODUCER: Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo
WRITER: Kate Boutilier
GENRE: Animated/Comedy/Fantasy
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Older children to adults
SUMMARY: In Rugrats Go Wild, a feature length cartoon, little Tommy Pickles and his baby friends are stranded on an island, where they meet animal expert Nigel Thornberry, who’s looking for a rare leopard. Rugrats Go Wild has a positive moral message that families should work together and play together, but it also has some light crude humor and language.
Rugrats Go Wild successfully combines two popular Nickelodeon series, The Wild Thornberrys and Rugrats. Children, especially fans of the two series, will enjoy the colorful antics on the island, though there is some crude bathroom humor and several light obscenities to give parents pause. The comedy and action may also be inappropriate for younger children.
CONTENT: Solid moral worldview with a moral message (baby refers to God), but images of pagan island totems in two scenes (but used only for decoration and atmosphere) and one brief comical reference to Buddhist meditation during credits; several uses of the word butt, and several jokes about diapers and dogs using trees and sniffing themselves; comical and action violence includes huge ocean storm tips boat over, kids rolling down hills, man knocked out a couple times, man falls down cliff and lands on his crotch, and dog teases tiger, which lunges at him and tries to claw him; rear nudity and upper nudity of babies; no alcohol use or smoking.
