Hercules (2014)

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for epic battle sequences, violence, suggestive comments, brief strong language and partial nudity

Appropriate for: Ages 13+
Genre: Action Adventure War
Length: 98 minutes
Year of Release: 2014

The movie begins with a legend. Hercules was the son of Zeus and a mortal woman. Half man and half god, the man was amazingly gifted in strength and skill in battle. From a young age, Hercules was hated and hunted by the goddess Hera, but, even as a young boy, he foiled attempts at his life with his great skill. As an adult, his power only grew, and his completion of the twelve labors—among them slaying the hydra and killing a lion with his bare hands—brought him fame far and wide.

But that’s just the legend.

The Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) we meet in the film may have legendary strength, but it turns out that the real Hercules is just a man with a troubled past and a mercenary who fights for gold. Is he the son of Zeus? Is he half god? Not even he really knows. But the combination of his incredible strength and the stories of his past have earned him a name—a name that is feared among his enemies. That name has also made him and his team of mercenaries desirable to anyone who is looking to hire out a quick fighting job. These jobs have been stacking up for Hercules and his five fellow fighters, and each of them only need one more big bag of gold before they can retire in style. They just need to wait for the next job offer to come around.

It arrives soon enough, coming from the mouth of a princess (Rebecca Ferguson), the daughter of the King of Thrace. She and her father need help defeating a merciless warlord, and Hercules and his five companions are the people they need to give themselves the upper hand. All Hercules and his team have to do is whip the Thracian army into shape and defeat the warlord. After that, they can take their gold and live happily ever after. Simple, right? At first, it’s nothing that Hercules and his friends can’t handle. When things start to smell fishy, though, Hercules and his companions realize that the situation may not have been as simple as they expected—that, just maybe, they’ve ended up on the wrong side of the fight.

Based on a Radical Comics graphic novel, this film is all about the action. Consequently, the plot and character development are on the low side while violence, death, and gore are very high. The heroes of the movie have the skill and physique of the Avengers and fight with the intensity of characters from The Lord of the Rings. Needless to say, there are a lot of fighting and a large number of battle scenes. Throughout the film, Hercules repeatedly takes out multiple men with a single blow of his club, other characters are stabbed or killed by arrows, rotting heads are impaled on poles, warriors are run over by chariots or burnt to death in fires, and dead, bloody bodies—even the bodies of children—lay in piles on the battlefields. One character swipes his finger across a rotting body and licks the gore off of his finger. There are also a number of frightening mythological creatures, such as a three-headed wolf, a multi-headed snakelike water creature, and an enormous lion—all equipped with razor-sharp teeth and freaky eyes. The enemies that Hercules and his followers battle in one scene are tattooed all over and have a creepy green tint to their skin. The combination of that and their orc-like battle cries makes them especially frightening. In all, the level of blood and gore in this film is reminiscent of the 2011 movie The Eagle, but it lasts a lot longer. The violence alone makes this film inappropriate for young viewers.

The offensive language is also a cause for disappointment to families—and, unfortunately, the expletives are not in Greek. The words “b****rd,” “f***,” “c***,” “s***,” and “h***” are used about once or twice each.

To top it off, the movie also contains a few objectionable scenes and suggestive comments. The most offensive scene appears in one of Hercules’ tormented dreams—a very brief shot of his wife’s bare backside, from the knees up. It was absolutely unnecessary to the plot and to the movie in general. Even if that weren’t true, however, guys who choose to watch this movie would still do well to cover their eyes during this brief scene. There is also a scene at the beginning of the film in which Hercules’ mother is wearing a very revealing, low-cut dress that is nearly transparent in the front, resulting in a lot of cleavage. During a celebratory feast, a few scantily dressed belly-dancers sway to music. Low-cut, breezy dresses appear to be the norm for most female characters throughout the film. The one female warrior in the movie, however, is dressed for battle. But her choice of armor isn’t exactly what I would pick to wear in a fight. Her outfit consists of something like a mini-skirt and a short top that leaves her belly and lower back uncovered. Several characters also make some jokes referring to “breasts” and other private parts of the body. We also see the naked Hercules as a newborn baby, and the adult Hercules is shirtless for most of the film.

Although the worldview presented in this movie is certainly anti-biblical, I would not consider the worldview issues to be a reason for skipping this movie. Hercules introduces a strange mix of the ancient Greek view of the world and modern existentialism. One character is a seer and continually talks about visions of the future that the gods reveal to him. He also makes a reference to the Oracle at Delphi. In another part of the movie, a warrior assures his fellow fighters that they have no need to worry about dying in battle because they will join the souls of heroes in Elysium. Later, a character adds, “Or, if you’re lucky, you’ll go to Hades where all the fun people are.” While we see and hear characters praying to and speaking about the gods, characters also assert that humans “have it within themselves to write their own legends.” In the closing lines of the movie, one character says, “You don’t need to be a demi-god to be a hero. You just need to believe you’re a hero.” The movie asserts mankind’s autonomy—his power to make himself into something great. This message in the film is the perfect opportunity for discussion about man’s true capabilities. According to the biblical worldview, the life of a human is fleeting, and his powers are oh-so limited. Isaiah 40:6-8 says, “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” Those who hope in the Lord, however, are the people who will find true strength. God is “the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth… He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak” (Isaiah 40:28-29). Compared to God, all men are like grass. They will all wither and pass away. Yes—even Hercules.

Despite the objectionable content, I would probably still consider this movie worthy to rent. It’s nothing sensational and nothing incredible in the realm of acting or filmmaking, but it still has some exciting fight scenes, interesting plot twists, and discussion-worthy elements. However, this movie is not for everyone—especially for those who like to avoid blood and gore. Males should also be cautioned against choosing this movie due to the brief scene of nudity. If you enjoy battles, however, and are willing to close your eyes during a scene or two, view this movie with a mind ready to face the issues it presents and ready to consider whether a human can truly be a hero on his own.

The Scorch Trials

Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: Ages 13+

Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi

Length: 368 pages

Year of Publication: 2010

(This book is a sequel to The Maze Runner.)

The maze was all a part of an experiment. Led by the organization WICKED, the “Maze Trials” were used by WICKED to study the reactions, brain waves, and thoughts of the Gladers as a way to find a cure to the Flare—a disease that ravages a world nearly destroyed by sun flares. But Thomas and the Gladers—they survived the maze. They were rescued from WICKED. They are safe. It just all seems too good to be true.

The morning after escaping the maze and being rescued from WICKED, Thomas and the twenty other surviving Gladers discover that it was all too good to be true. Their world starts to fall apart all over again. They wake up to a mass of crazy, zombie-like people who call themselves “Cranks” swarming at the dormitory windows. The dead bodies of the people who had rescued them from WICKED are hanging from the ceiling of the dorm’s common room. Only a short time later, both the Cranks and the dead bodies suddenly and inexplicably disappear without a trace. To top it all off, the only girl Glader, Teresa, is missing. In her dorm room is a teenage boy named Aris who claims to have also escaped from a maze and to have never heard of Teresa before. What’s going on? Has the world gone mad?

Soon, a mysterious man arrives and explains to the Gladers that the maze and their subsequent “rescue” were the first of many “trials” or “tests” to aid WICKED’s study of their brain functions in order to find a cure for the Flare. This highly contagious disease reduces people to animals, making them heartless and violent, and the man tells the Gladers that all of them are already infected with the virus—although the symptoms will not start appearing for a while yet. The next experiment needed to discover a cure is called the “Scorch Trials.” Thomas and the Gladers are transported to a desert-like area of the world. Their task is to cross one hundred miles of the treacherous land in two weeks. In return, WICKED promises them their lives and a cure for the Flare. Between them and their goal lies miles of burning sun and sand, confusion, betrayal, and a city filled with heartless, violent Cranks. Thomas and his friends continue their struggle for survival—now more dangerous than it ever was in the maze.

James Dashner’s sequel to The Maze Runner is another page-turning post-apocalyptic novel that is big on action, thrill, and danger but low on character and plot development and valuable themes. Although The Scorch Trials does not quite match its prequel in originality, it surpasses The Maze Runner in suspense and excitement. With this extra dose of suspense and excitement comes more language, violence, and gruesome descriptions.

As in the previous book, the Gladers continue to be well-versed in insults, often speaking to other characters in a very disrespectful manner, and they also continue to frequently utilize their own made-up cuss words. Unfortunately, the use of common expletives seems to go up a notch from the previous book. God’s name is also used in vain a number of times.

Even if the language is not actually much more offensive than the previous book, the violence and gruesome descriptions in The Scorch Trials certainly bring the PG-13 content in James Dashner’s novels to a new level. Since the new characters have left the controlled environment of the maze and are now in the “real world,” they must face the dangers and horrors of post-apocalyptic earth—including a new disease. Humans infected by the Flare disease slowly lose all compassion and become more and more brutal and violent as the disease eats away at their brains. This leads to a number of frightening and disturbing characters who play a big role in most of the more scary scenes. Dashner’s descriptions of these “Cranks” resemble the description of zombies. Some Cranks who have completely lost their minds talk about eating the body parts of other humans and also attack some of the main characters. In addition to this new element of the zombie-like creatures, Dashner introduces several other innovations to add to the excitement of the novel, such as a strange substance that encircles a victim’s head and decapitates the body and an oven-like desert that scorches its visitors. Among other things, a character is shot, several are struck by lightning, characters are drugged against their will, others are threatened at gun- and screwdriver-point, and another character stabs an enemy in the chest with a knife. Needless to say, the blood and gore of this second book make it even more scary than the previous book.

Unlike the previous book, The Scorch Trials has a bit of boy-girl content that is also cause for caution. Although there is nothing sexually explicit, a couple scenes contain kissing, and, in one scene, Thomas dances with a girl in a shady, bar-like place filled with people who are all partying to loud music. Dashner describes the two dancing with “their bodies pressed tightly together, clasping each other.” It’s not exactly a romantic scene, and that’s about as steamy as it gets, but it still something for parents to keep an eye out for.

In all, the second book of Dashner’s Maze Runner series is a quick, exciting, and easy read but contains enough objectionable content to make it out of the question for children and pre-teens. This book is not one to be avoided altogether, but parents of teens who are interested in this series should not hesitate to guide their children through the issues in the book as well as the occasional valuable lesson it presents. Although the book is not big on valuable themes, Dashner still promotes ideas such as perseverance and working as a team. The book can also spark some profitable discussions on what makes someone human—what gives people their humanity. Both Dashner’s protagonists and antagonists are fighting for the good of the human race, yet they have different views of what exactly “the good” is. The characters also present interesting views on the sanctity of human life. Parents should guide their teens through these issues, teaching them to not simply accept the concepts presented in books but to examine them from a Christian worldview. As a discussion-starter, this book does have its value. On the other hand, however, it might be a good call for potential audiences to simply wait for the movie and spend their time reading something more nutritious.

The Maze Runner

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Appropriate for: Ages 13+

Genre: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi

Length: 376 pages

Year of Publication: 2009

His name is Thomas. That’s all he can remember.

He is riding in a dark, clanging, swaying elevator, barreling upward. He doesn’t know where he’s going or where he came from. His only memory is of his name. When the elevator stops and the doors open, Thomas emerges and finds himself in a large courtyard surrounded on all four sides by enormous stone walls. He is gruffly greeted by few dozen teenagers—all boys. And so begins his life in the Glade.

Surrounding the Glade, behind the enormous stone walls, is a labyrinth of mazes. Every morning, when the doors of the maze open, runners enter and search for a way out. Every night, the doors close and strange, deadly creatures called Grievers roam the maze. If the runners don’t make it to the doors by nightfall, they are trapped in the maze until the morning with no way out, making them easy targets for the Grievers. It’s been two years, and, still, no one has found an exit. No one has ever survived a night in the maze either. Not until Thomas arrives, that is.

Thomas is more curious than any of the boys who arrived before him. And, even before he knows much about the Gladers’ situation, he finds himself experiencing an inexplicable desire to be a Maze Runner. He doesn’t understand it, but the Maze and the Glade almost seem familiar to him, and he feels like he was sent there to do something big. 

Things start getting weird soon after he shows up. When an unconscious girl arrives in the elevator, carrying a note that says she’s the last newbie they’ll ever get, Thomas realizes that, whatever he was sent there to do, he needs to figure it out and do it fast.

This first book in James Dashner’s Maze Runner trilogy is full of mystery and excitement, aimed at readers who enjoy books such as The Hunger Games trilogy and the Divergent series. The story contains some valuable themes such as the importance of teamwork, loyalty, and friendship. It also lauds self-sacrifice and second chances. However, the author’s attention is on presenting an engaging plot to engage readers, not on developing these themes.

The writing style is easy to read. Although the plot starts out a bit slow, the chapters are short and the action picks up after a while, making the material manageable for even less experienced readers. The PG-13 content, however, poses some problems for less mature audiences.

The book is not as intense as The Hunger Games, but it still contains those life-or-death situations, creepy creatures, and somewhat gory descriptions that have become standard in post-apocalyptic literature. Some of the main sources of danger and conflict in the book are the Grievers—huge slimy creatures with retractable mechanical arms used to “sting” the Gladers. Throughout the book, some boys are attacked, injured, and even killed by these Grievers. A number of boys are “stung” by the Grievers and survive, but their bodies go through a troubling and frightening process called “the Changing” in order to recover. The author’s description of “the Changing” could be especially disturbing to young readers. There is also some strife between the Gladers themselves that leads to some PG-13 content. One boy attacks another and attempts to kill him. Another Glader explains how one boy was killed by being sliced in half. Someone is shot in the head with an arrow, and someone else is killed by a knife in the chest. The book is cluttered with other such frightening and bloody descriptions that make the novel out of the question for more sensitive readers.

In addition to the violence, there is a bit of inappropriate language and toilet humor. Many—although not all—of the bad words are actually terms made up by the Gladers to substitute for certain frequently used expletives. However, the made-up words are still used by the boys for the purpose of degrading or insulting people, and the fact that they are made up doesn’t necessarily make them less offensive. Even the way that the characters talk to each other is so frequently filled with stinging sarcasm and implied insults that it made me wonder how the Gladers ever even function as a community. Although it can be funny at times, the manner of their conversations gets a little numbing and annoying after a while.

I decided to read this book after seeing a trailer for the movie that is coming out in September 2014. While I enjoyed reading it and had fun being immersed in the mystery and adventure of the story, I now kind of wish that I had waited and only watched the movie. If you read the first book, you almost have to read the next two if you want your questions answered, and all three of them are hard to put down. They absorb your time without really offering you any enrichment. Ultimately, The Maze Runner is perfect for teens and young adults who are looking for a fun and exciting summer read. If you choose to read the series, however, don’t let it be the only books on your summer book list. Reading too many books like this is like eating cotton candy without having any real food: it can be extremely unhealthy. This book isn’t toxic to the soul or something to be avoided completely. However, if you read it, make a point to balance out its “processed sugar” with another book that is both tough and wholesome.

Earth to Echo

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

MPAA Rating: PG for some action and peril, and mild language.

Appropriate for: Ages 7+

Genre: Sci-Fi Family Adventure

Length: 89 minutes

Year of Release: 2014

(Family discussion questions for this movie can be found at http://christianperspectivereviews.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_7.html)

Tuck (Brian Bradley), Alex (Teo Halm), and Munch (Reese Hartwig) live in an average neighborhood in Nevada. They may be average middle school boys, but their friendship is anything but average. The three of them do everything together, and they’ve always got each other’s backs. When a highway construction project comes to the neighborhood, however, the future of their friendship becomes uncertain. The plans for the new highway have no room for their neighborhood, and the families of the three boys are forced to move away. Their separation seems imminent, and the boys are dreading it.

During their last week together, weird stuff starts happening. To start it all, Alex’s phone goes nuts and starts displaying an image consisting of random blotches. Soon, the other boys’ phones start receiving similar signals. After some digging, they discover that the image is actually a map of an area in the nearby desert. They decide that there’s something big going on, and they determine to solve the mystery. The night before Alex’s moving day, the three boys hop on their bikes and take off into the desert to find out what the map leads to. Their search brings them across a mysterious but friendly creature. Communicating to them through a series of beeping sounds, the cute, metallic alien tells them that he is from outer space. He’s trying to return to his home, but there’s something wrong with him, and they are the only ones who can help him. That’s when the real adventure beings for Tuck, Alex, and Munch—an adventure that will change their lives—and their friendship—forever.

A new and improved version of the classic E.T. and a low-budget, PG version of the 2011 Super 8, Earth to Echo is a fun alien flick for the family. The film has an adventurous, imaginative edge that will attract younger viewers and some clever humor that both parents and children will enjoy. The perspective from which the movie was filmed is also very interesting. The entire thing is shown as if it is all footage that the three friends recorded on their cameras and phones. At times, the camera can get pretty wobbly and cause some dizziness (especially to viewers with a tendency for motion sickness), but it was actually pretty innovative and made the story come alive.

Although—in my opinion—this movie is probably one of the most family-friendly movies of the summer, there are still some things for parents to look out for. There is a small smattering of profanity, including a few exclamations of  “oh my G**,” a declaration that an object is “a piece of c***,” one “what the h***” that was barely audible, and the statement that something was “scary as balls.”

On the boy-girl side of things, one of the boys lies to his friends, telling him that he and a girl kissed. He claims that he has “kissed better,” and he and the girl are later jokingly referred to as “kissing buddies.” Talking about the same girl, one of the other boys calls her the “mannequin girl” and explains that he thinks “mannequins are hot.” At another point in the movie, after two of the friends tell Tuck’s camera that they are sleeping over at their friend’s house to play video games, the third boy jokingly says, “I’m sleeping in your mom’s bed;” he mentions that he’s not going to be playing video games. There is also a scene in which the young characters go into a dimly-lit bar filled with some sketchy people. Later, they search for a character’s brother in a house filled with a bunch of high schoolers who are drinking and partying, and we see a couple making out. These scenes will probably make parents nervous, but it’s all kept PG and will likely not trouble younger viewers.

The violence is nothing to be concerned about and consists mostly of just a few intense moments of objects flying around and breaking things, a brief tussle between two boys, and children being chased by the authorities.

Other objectionable issues mostly involved the relationship between the kids and the parents. As in many other recent films, the parents are depicted as somewhat stupid and careless, and the boys disobey their parents and lie to them without suffering any real consequences. One middle school girl is also shown speaking to her parents in a very disrespectful and sassy manner. Parents should not hesitate to discuss these issues with their children. In Exodus 20:12, God commands his people, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” A relationship defined by disobedience and lies is not what God wants for families.

As a whole, the film is a great family film, appropriate for kids ages seven and up. Parents should certainly discuss the issues they see in this film with their children. At the same time, parents should also point out the merits of this film. It has some very valuable themes, such as the importance of friendship and of loving people who are different. The movie also shows us that true friends are there for each other, even when they are far apart.