OPINION:
‘Madame Web’ leaves sticky trap for families as they navigate brutal violence and themes of self-sacrifice. And ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ might not leave Christian families feeling alright with an emphasis on Rastafarianism.
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Read on to get Plugged In on what’s beyond the movie titles and trailers for faith-filled and family-first reviews from Focus on the Family’s Plugged In.
Madame Web – In Theaters
“Madame Web” is one of those Sony-produced and MCU-adjacent movie titles. That means that it shares the same tangled web with other Spider-Verse characters, such as Venom and Morbius, without actually (up to this point) introducing Peter Parker/Spider-Man into any of the web-slinging action.
In fact, this latest pic in that Sony collection leans into a much broader Spider-Man mythos, suggesting there’s far more than just one radioactive spider destined to bite one teen guy (in the many multiverses, of course). Accordingly, this pic lets us in on a wide set of special spider possibilities in the world.
But hey, that’s what comic books do, right? They dream up new, possibilities for new story ideas. And “Madame Web” is definitely a comic book movie of that stripe. It’s fast-paced, explosive, and it contains very, very little logical sense.
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Unlike a “Venom” movie, however, when someone is killed here, time might be rewound, and that deadly stab to a teen’s chest or a young girl’s broken neck would never happen. Sorta.
That, however, is what parents will have to navigate. There’s self-sacrifice and heroic action aplenty, along with nods toward friends supporting each other in times of need. But no matter how you spin it, it’s the brutal violence against of teen girls that makes this movie … sticky.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Bob Marley: One Love – In Theaters
What do most people know about Bob Marley?
I’d wager that most people know that he’s one of — if not the — most popular reggae artist of all time. Others might know of the assassination attempt on his life.
Well, reggae and political violence are both relevant elements of “Bob Marley: One Love” — as they should be to properly depict Marley’s life. But the film also depicts another prominent part of Marley’s life: his religious beliefs.
Rastafarianism plays a large part in Bob’s life and motivations, from “spreading the message” through his music to his desire to play concerts in Africa. And it’s evident both in the movie and through Marley’s lyrics that the man genuinely believed in the divinity of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. And elements near the end of the film depict Marley’s beliefs as true — as the singer rides into eternity with a depiction of Selassie at the end of his life.
Were it not for those spiritual issues, “Bob Marley: One Love” would be quite reserved in its content issues. Apart from an intense attempted assassination scene, some marijuana use and a couple crude words, there’s not much else to worry about.
But for Christians, the movie’s emphasis on Rastafarianism likely won’t let them get together and feel alright.
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 Bob Hoose and Kennedy Unthank.
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