Dennis Quaid steps into the shoes of Ronald Reagan in a movie about the 40th president’s resilience, vision and faith.“You Gotta Believe” is an inspiring story about a little league team, but some foul language might prevent this from being a homerun. “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” returns for its second season, full of characters and bloodshed alike.
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Reagan – In Theaters
It is a great irony of our age that despite having virtually the sum total of human history a click away on our smartphones, we so often forget what has just happened; what it took to get to where we are today.
“Reagan” reminds us. This glimpse at one flawed-but-determined man’s leadership reminds us that good and evil exist, that faithfully confronting the latter matters, and that failing to do so has dire consequences.
SEE ALSO: Dennis Quaid scoffs at censoring Reagan videos to prevent election influence
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Indeed, the idea of evil almost seems passe in our world today. It’s not something to be confronted, but a historical idea to (perhaps) be deconstructed.
Reagan, the man, wasn’t perfect. He himself admitted as much in quiet and reflective moments. But his spiritual foundations led him to confront Communism and to fight for freedom. The movie underlines what Reagan’s many admirers believe: He was fueled by optimism and, yes, hope that tomorrow could be better.
In a contemporary political landscape that — no matter where you sit on that spectrum — can easily fuel cynicism and scorn, this depiction of one man’s courage reminds us that character and courage matter, and that we must cling to those virtues.
Some minor content speed bumps, mostly in the form of language as well as some drinking, turn up occasionally. But for mature tweens on up, “Reagan” offers families a rich opportunity to talk about the intersection of character, faith and politics.
To hear more about actor Dennis Quaid’s experience portraying Reagan, be sure to check out Focus on the Family president Jim Daly’s interview with him here.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
You Gotta Believe – In Theaters
“You Gotta Believe” tells the story of the 2002 Fort Worth Westside All-Star baseball team — one that, despite the odds, found unexpected success in the Little League World Series.
In reality, however, that’s only half the story. The other half centers around Coach Bobby Ratliff, to whom the team dedicated their games. As Ratliff persevered as long as he could in spite of his skin cancer, the boys persevered through their baseball games, motivated by Ratliff’s iconic advice: “You gotta believe.” That advice had a deep impact on Ratliff’s children, who would start You Gotta Believe Camps in his honor — camps which continue to this day.
The PG film will resonate with audiences due to its impactful retelling of a true story — made even more heartfelt with the real Robert Ratliff’s appearance at the end of the film. You might have to blame the tears in your eyes on the dust from the baseball field.
But speaking of dust, there are some issues that prevent “You Gotta Believe” from being a clean watch. Language, though mostly mild, gets a little rough with a use of the s-word and multiple misuses of God’s name. And a couple sexual innuendos likewise fly out of fair territory.
Because of those issues, “You Gotta Believe” won’t necessarily be a home-run watch. But for families that can negotiate its issues, it might rack up some runs all the same.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Streaming on Prime Video
Galadriel was right to worry. Sauron is back, and, as the second season of “Rings of Power” opens, he is growing in power. Unfortunately, she had no idea that she was helping him grasp it.
Galadriel didn’t expect Sauron to come in the humble form of Halbrand, a shipwrecked man she’d met while crossing the Great Sea. Nor did she expect that his helpful words were fork-tongued half-truths meant to set his own rise to power. Indeed, it was only after he had helped her and Celebrimbor craft the three elven rings of power (at the end of Season One) that Galadriel recognized his deceit.
But as Galadriel warns King Gil-galad in the High Elvish capital, Lindon, of Sauron’s threat, she can’t deny that the rings he helped craft do contain magical power — power that could maintain the ever-fading magic and extend the dying Age of the Elves. And as the elves decide to use the rings to do just that as Season Two begins, Elrond wonders if he’s the only one left who fears how they all may be playing straight into Sauron’s hand.
Meanwhile, Sauron reveals yet another form to Celebrimbor – that of a fair elf named Annatar, “Lord of Gifts.” Though at first wary, “Annatar” deceives Celebrimbor into believing he is an Istar, an angelic “wizard” sent by the god-like Valar themselves. And in order to combat the rising darkness of their age, he and Celebrimbor need to create more powerful rings as gifts for the men and dwarves to use …
Time would fail to tell of the many other events happening in and around Middle-Earth: the political turmoil assailing the island kingdom of Númenor; the ruminations of deep-rooted threats against the dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm; another, familiar, tall wizard traveling far east into the hostile land of Rhûn with a couple of Hobbit predecessors.
They’re all delicate situations, full of tension and ready to topple into chaos at any given moment.
And Sauron is nearly ready to provide that final push.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
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 Adam R. Holz and Kennedy Unthank.
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