OPINION:
Whether you go to the theater or stay home and stream, here are four movie reviews so you can be prepared before watching ‘Wish,’ ‘Napoleon,’ ‘Leo’ and ‘Dashing Through the Snow.’ The reviews, brought to you by Higher Ground partner Plugged In, help families navigate content issues.
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Wish – In Theaters
Disney is in the middle of its “Disney100 Celebration” in 2023. And perhaps a celebration is well-deserved. Over the last 100 years, the Mouse House has been home to some breathtaking artistic and commercial successes—some of which I, and many of you, still love.
But for all those years upon years of lucrative achievement and, yes, storytelling magic, “Wish” feels like the work of a surprisingly insecure company.
This film can feel as though it was written by algorithm. A “princess”? Check. Magic? Yes. Talking animals? You bet. Songs? Sure. Everything that has worked for Disney is regurgitated here and fed to its audiences—all while giving short shrift to what Walt Disney built the company on: great storytelling.
In place of a story that feels in need of telling, we’re given baskets upon baskets of Disney Easter eggs. The company would rather I didn’t spoil those little surprises (which can, in truth, be pretty fun), but trust me: It’d be easier to name the animated movies that aren’t referenced here than those that are. At times, it feels like Wish was made for those Easter eggs, not as a storytelling vehicle—which is a bit like serving up a bunch of frosting, sans cake, to a bunch of 7-year-olds. The first bite or two is tasty, but ultimately the thing is unsatisfying.
Some have called Wish a very traditional, even conservative movie—meaning it doesn’t take a lot of unnecessary chances. And that feels true, at least on some level. But even then, the movie hedges its bets, offering an ambiguous wink to its LGBT fans.
Religion always has the power to polarize people, so perhaps it shouldn’t surprise us that Wish—desiring so much to be as inoffensive as possible—pushed so hard to divorce itself, and its magic, from any sort of transcendent power. It is as secular as any story featuring magic wands and spellbooks, wish-granting stars and talking animals, could be. Ironically, of course, that decision might still alienate many.
OK, so we’ve got some stardust in us or whatever. That’s certainly not why I turn to the sky to wonder, or to pray. I just don’t think it’s possible to be inspired by the fact that we’re made of the same raw material as everything else in the cosmos, and the storytellers at Disney should be savvy enough to know that. We are inspired by mystery, transfigured by awe, brought to tears by our glorious creation and—most especially, the Creator behind it. Disney, essentially, asks us to be awestruck by a beautiful cathedral because of the constitution of its bricks.
If you can push aside this movie’s naturalistic musings, atheistic leanings and LGBT posturings, Wish is otherwise rather innocuous. But it’s not inspirational. It does not come close to the artistic standards set by Walt Disney so many decades ago. It falls short of its 1990s renaissance films and even pales against its more recent triumphs (such as “Encanto”).
I didn’t hate “Wish.” But as I left the theater, I had one big wish: I wish the movie could’ve been better.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Napoleon – In Theaters
Though unconfirmed, many claim that Napoleon Bonaparte’s last words were as follows:
“France … Army … Josephine.”
And director Ridley Scott’s historical epic does indeed center upon these three themes.
Half of his film devotes its time to Napoleon’s rise to power and a few of the battles into which Napoleon guided his men. To that end, we see battlefields stained red and the streets of Paris smeared the same color.
The other half of the film shows another kind of battlefield, the one found in the marriage of Napoleon and Josephine. Through countless letters, the two profess love for each other. But it’s painfully apparent that those statements are in stark contrast with the broken relationship they truly have.
And though actors Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby put on powerful performances in this compelling portrait of French history, both of the story’s primary battlefields have their own content issues. “Napoleon’s” skirmishes are rife with gory deaths. And back home, viewers will be in the bedroom for intimate moments between Napoleon and Josephine (as well as Josephine and another man). There’s a bit of language to contend with, too.
In terms of viscerally violent imagery, “Napoleon” joins the ranks of “Saving Private Ryan” and “Hacksaw Ridge” in severity. And while all three of these wartime movies tell compelling stories that will certainly attract viewers, Napoleon, especially, deserves to be approached with a great deal of careful consideration.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
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Leo – Streaming on Netflix
“Don’t ever grow up.”
You hear people say that sometimes. It’s meant to encourage people to embrace youthful vitality or optimism or joy.
I think Adam Sandler heard someone tell him “Never grow up” somewhere along the line. He took it to heart and assumed that it mainly applied to his love of bathroom humor.
Don’t get me wrong: Sandler can be funny. His movies can be heartfelt. But for those who tire of pee and poop jokes, and don’t necessarily want their kids to be subjected to an endless spray of them, Sandler’s movies can be uncomfortable, if not downright unwatchable.
Netflix’s “Leo” is a strong example of good and bad Sandler.
Leo delivers some very nice messages. You get the sense that the 56-year-old Sandler, who voices Leo, is trying to pass on what he’s learned over the years to the youngsters in the audience, sounding more like an older brother or cool uncle than a father figure.
In the guise of Leo, he gently tells a fifth-grade diva that she’s not as great as she thinks she is, which lifts a weight of social responsibility off her shoulders. He encourages someone else to not fret about the hair growing on his back; people will like him for how he acts, not how he looks. Be yourself, Leo seems to say. Unless you’re a jerk. In which case, a little self-improvement might be called for.
But Sandler seems to assume that good messages are best delivered with a good dose of scatological jokes, sexual asides and winks at profanity. In speaking to his target preteen audience, the comedian wants to be the most juvenile of them all.
In many ways, Leo’s desire to escape his glass aquarium for one last gasp at freedom feels a little like Sandler’s desire to escape from his own movie’s PG confines. He wants to bolt from the box (taking his young viewers with him), scamper through more mature content (without going wildly afield) and return to the PG cage before the censors are any the wiser.
You could say, I guess, that “Leo” is a decent movie. And when I say “decent,” I mean “decent in an Adam Sandler sort of way.”
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Dashing Through the Snow – Streaming on Disney+
“Dashing Through the Snow” is likely not destined to become a Christmas classic. No, I don’t think Eddie Garrick will be joining the likes of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grinch as reformed Christmas curmudgeons. And certainly, the lack of any real reference to Christ here will make many a parent feel a little Scroogish themselves.
But do we really expect any Christmas movie to teach our kids the meaning of Christmas? In a lot of ways, that’s our job as parents—and it should be.
This throwaway holiday story might not point to a manger in Bethlehem. But it offers some nice thoughts on family, some feel-good moments and even a few laughs here and there. And, while the movie might hit a small content bump or two, this sled mostly glides over issues like a sleigh with well-oiled blades.
“Dashing Through the Snow” is far from a Christmas miracle. But a nice little present under the entertainment tree? That it is.Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
Reviews written by Paul Asay and Kennedy Unthank.
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