The following are brief reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Must Love Dogs (Warner Bros.)
Amiable but uneven comedy about a recently divorced teacher (Diane Lane) whose well-meaning family runs a personal ad on her behalf that brings her into contact with a lonely boat-builder (John Cusack) in similar straits, but the possibilities of romance are complicated by the woman's attraction to the handsome father (Dermot Mulroney) of one of her preschoolers. Writer-director Gary David Goldberg's script meanders, the plot turns are sometimes implausible, but the central characters are decent and played by likeable leads, with good support by Christopher Plummer, Elizabeth Perkins and Stockard Channing. Freewheeling attitude toward premarital sex, condom use, an instance of profanity, scattered crude language, sexual banter, and a scantily clad go-go dancer. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Sky High (Disney)
Fun-filled and smartly crafted coming-of-age comedy about an adolescent superhero (Michael Angarano) attending an elite academy for the children of costumed crimefighters, who must live up to his parents' (Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston) world-saving reputation while navigating the equally trying teen trials of high school. Director Mike Mitchell strikes the perfect blend of campy humor, visual finesse and honest emotion while exploring themes of self-esteem, peer pressure and parental expectations. Comic-book violence and some mild rude language. Ratings: A-II (PG)
Stealth (Columbia)
Turbo-paced but vacuous action movie directed by Rob Cohen about a trio of elite Navy pilots (Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx) who must stop a highly advanced unmanned warplane, whose artificial intelligence has run amok, from triggering a world war. Combining elements of "Top Gun" and "2001: A Space Odyssey," the film's criticism of using technology to sanitize warfare sounds disingenuous given its video game-style violence and, despite some spectacular, if dizzying, dogfights, amounts to little more than an empty exercise in adrenaline overdrive. Action violence, a suicide, an implied sexual situation, some crude language, humor and gestures, a few instances of rough language and profanity. Ratings: A-III (PG-13) |