“Twisters” rock the theater with incredible tornadic visuals and sounds. But that could leave some family members running for cover. “Sing Sing” isn’t religious. And yet, we hear the rhythm of redemption here. We see humanity in this inhuman environment. As a standalone film, “The Rise of Red” is one of the weaker — and more problematic — stories in the larger “Descendants” franchise.
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Twisters – In Theaters
“Twisters” demands to be seen in a big theater with the best Dolby Digital sound system possible. Its CGI visuals are spectacular; the story is brisk, if predictable; and the action/romance leads (Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell) are both as appealing as a slice of pie on a lovely summer’s day.
This pic doesn’t get too deep or too silly. Nor does it take itself too seriously or thump its chest over any current meteorological hot topics. In fact, director Lee Isaac Chung made it clear that he purposely decided not to address climate change in the story because he didn’t want audiences to feel preached at. He just wanted a film focused on pure entertainment.
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And that’s exactly what “Twisters” is.
That said, family moviegoers should be aware that this is not necessarily a laid-back, relaxing kind of film. (Which, of course, is also true of its predecessor from nearly three decades ago, 1996’s “Twister.”) Raging vortices of tornadic rage crumple, crush, and destroy nearly everything in this pic. Buildings are obliterated, vehicles are tossed, people are sucked, screaming, up into the air, and survivors are left scraped and bloodied. (In fact, about the only things that survive these stormy onslaughts are a few well-equipped Ram trucks.)
That violence and a smattering of foul language are the biggest detractors for younger viewers.
But beyond all that, this movie is still as swooping and fun as a theme park ride. (Not to mention a massive advertisement for driving a Ram truck when the going gets rough.)
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Sing Sing – In Theaters
During one of the RTA’s first rehearsals for “Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code,” someone crosses the stage behind Eye — sending the acting newbie into a rage. In prison, that simple act could presage a choke hold or a shiv in the back or worse.
“Don’t walk behind me!” he shouts, about ready to kill his fellow actor.
But another guy, not on stage, tries to calm him down: People walk behind people all the time on stage. It’s normal — just like it’s normal on the outside.
“Brother, we here to become human again!”
And that, in a sentence, sums up the soaring message of “Sing Sing.”
Sing Sing (a prison just north of New York City), is a hard, violent, unforgiving place filled with hard, violent, unforgiving people. That hardness might’ve landed them there. And if they weren’t so before, they sure are now. The shells inmates build around themselves can be as thick as prison walls.
During tryouts, one inmate — his face covered in tattoos — is asked if he’s ever acted before. “I’ve been playing a role my whole life, bro,” he says.
But ironically, acting becomes a pathway to authenticity. Role-playing becomes a door to the real. In the process of bringing a crazy comedy to life in the walls of Sing Sing, Eye, G and the rest of the cast confront deep, uncomfortable truths … and cultivate a deeper sense of hope.
“Sing Sing” isn’t religious. And yet, we hear the rhythm of salvation and redemption here. We see humanity in this inhuman environment. And as we spend time with these secular sinners, perhaps we’re reminded that we’re not so different. We too can be imprisoned by our own angers and desires. We too can become cold and hard to the world around us.
We here to become human again.
Most of the cast we meet in “Sing Sing” are actual veterans of the prison’s RTA program, including Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin himself. The film features only a small handful of professional actors — including Oscar nominee Colman Domingo in a role that forced him to be (according to an interview with “The Playlist”) “more raw than I think I’ve ever been.” And the movie itself was filmed in a real prison.
All that authenticity cuts both ways, of course, and it slices ragged, like a shiv. This world isn’t a pretty one, and the language can be downright ugly. With more than 60 f-words fired off during the film, walking through “Sing Sing’s” cinematic gate shouldn’t be done lightly.
But it’s not a light movie. It feels raw and real and — language or no — redemptive. And “Sing Sing,” in its own ragged way, does indeed sing.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Descendents: The Rise of Red – Streaming Disney+
“Descendants: The Rise of Red” is certainly trying to send the message that we should all choose to be good, not evil. Unfortunately, the film struggles to communicate this intention clearly.
We’re told that good and evil aren’t necessarily black and white. And as it applies to heroes and villains, that idea makes sense. Uliana is a bully, true, but that’s largely due to her trying to live up to her family’s reputation and expectations. The Queen of Hearts, similarly, is compared to a rose — growing thorns to protect herself from those who would do her harm. Although neither is given a redemption arc in this film, you can at least understand why they act that way.
But then the film also tries to say that if you have to do some bad things for the greater good, so be it.
Red, the child of a villain raised to be evil, is given a second chance. And she proves that she can, in fact, be good. But in that pursuit, she does some pretty bad things, justifying those choices the whole way through.
Worse still, she basically brings Chloe down with her. Granted, Chloe needed a reality check. Contrary to what she believes, just because you are a good person does not guarantee that good things will happen to you. But there are so many times when the girls could have just been honest — could have done the right thing — instead of trying to fix things on their own.
And to wrap things up, there are the magical elements of this story. It’s all typical Disney fare, but song lyrics say that Uliana takes souls. Characters also travel back in time, changing the past (and the future). And although we’re warned that changing “the fabric of time” could have unpredictable results, everyone seems to get exactly what they want by the movie’s end.
Granted, the film ends on the note that this is not, in fact, the end of the story. So we may see the consequences of bad actions and those time-travel events in future films. We may also see Uliana and the Queen of Hearts redeem themselves. But as a standalone film, “The Rise of Red” is certainly one of the weaker — and more problematic — stories in the larger “Descendants” franchise.
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, Bob Hoose, and Emily Tsaio.
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