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A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR2010.011  (2009), PG-13 [R-13*] (2hr 28min) The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. Over 1200 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Columbia Pictures, Centropolis Entertainment, Bridge Studios, The, Farewell Productions, Mark Gordon Company, The • Distribution (US): Sony Pictures Home Entertainment • Director(s): Roland Emmerich • Producer(s): Aaron Boyd, Roland Emmerich, Ute Emmerich, Volker Engel, Larry J. Franco, Mark Gordon, Harald Kloser, Marc Weigert, Michael Wimer, Kirstin Winkler • Written by: Roland Emmerich, Harald Kloser • Cinematography/Camera: Dean Semler • Music: Harald Kloser, Thomas Wanker • Film Editing: David Brenner, Peter S. Elliot • Casting: Susan Taylor Brouse, Scott David, Judy Lee, April Webster • Production Design: Barry Chusid • Art Direction: Ross Dempster, Kendelle Elliott, Dan Hermansen, Don Macaulay • Viewed on Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVD  In keeping with their family-friendly posture, the DVD for this analysis was provided by the courtesy of Blockbuster. E&HP provided the much needed funding. Global warming with an attitude! 2012 is about global warming with a twist. This time not from Al Gore and not from a supposedly man-caused depletion of the ozone layer. Rather the global warming in the year 2012 is from the center of the Earth! Alignment of planets of our solar system, which is supposed to happen every 640,000 years, has caused gravitational shifts on the sun which in turn caused intense solar flare activity, the most intense solar flare activity in human history. The unprecedented solar fare activity in turn caused the highest subatomic neutrino count every recorded. This would not typically be a problem since neutrinos rarely interact with matter but the neutrinos from the unprecedented solar flare activity have developed an attitude and are acting like"microwaves" heating up the earth's core at a phenomenal rate. The added core heat is melting the Earth's subterranean crust and causing the plate tectonics to float on liquid rock all over the world. Neutrinos are odd and elusive little subatomic critters. It is thought that it would take a sheet of lead four light-years thick to stop one out of two neutrinos. They are simply of too little mass equivalence to interact with matter (1013 neutrinos produce 103 interactions). And they are tiny (about 10-38 cm2). But in 2012 the "mutated" neutrinos with an attitude from the recent solar activity are different enough to interact with the Earth's core and add a lot of energy to it. From 2009 scientists knew what was going to happen. At the 6000 foot deep Naga Deng Copper Mine of India, Dr. Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) met with Dr. Satnam Tsurutani (Jimi Mistry) who revealed evidence that the mutated neutrinos are heating up the Earth's core. After Dr. Helmsley informs Mr. Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) of the White House of the pending doom, Anheuser escorts Helmsley to Thomas Wilson (Danny Glover), the US President who in turn informs the Heads of State who have entered into an organization to save mankind that the time to implement evacuation has come. People are solicited for fare on the arks. Treasures are moved to what is thought will be safe-keeping through the oncoming global disaster. In 2010 Heads of State united to build seven arks in China to house thousands of people during the cataclysmic disasters about to devastate the Earth. Under the "command" of Carl Anheuser the international organization to save mankind secretly built the arks that will hold only those who could pay 1,000,000,000 Euros (€) for passage. €1,000,000,000 is $1,352,599,764. Each. And Noah was there. On an ark. More to follow. Now it is 2012 and knowing of their soon to come doom, among other tragedies involving entire populations the population of the Maya (not "Mayan") city of Tikal have committed mass suicide since their calendar, the Maya calendar, predicted the end of the world on December 21 - winter solstice. The immaculate accuracy of the Maya calendar proven over the years (apparently for real) ends on December 21, 2012. Or is the prediction of the Maya Calendar just something the doom-n-gloom sayers among us have latched onto? In His own words Jesus told us that no one but the Father knows the time or day of the Rapture. No one. Not even the Son Himself. [Matt. 24:36, 42] The story moves to Manhattan Beach, CA where a minor tremor wakes Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), a writer who has separated from his wife, Kate (Amanda Peet) and their two children, Noah (Liam James) and Lilly (Morgan Lily). John is late to pick up his kids to take them camping at Yellowstone National Park. As John picks up his kids we are introduced also to Gordon Silberman (Thomas McCarthy), Kate's live in boyfriend whom the kids adore. Silberman is a liposuction doctor who later tells Kate while pawing her in the grocery store "Let's make babies." He later tells Kate that he gets thousands of dollars from women to handle their breasts but Kate gets it from him for free. Such content from the cohabitation to the breast handling is completely unnecessary to the story and plot. Absolutely unnecessary. It adds absolutely nothing to the story, the plot nor the power of the film. The Silberman character could have been introduced in any number of more than a thousand ways other than sexual. There seems to be no avoiding sexually immoral content in films any more. Filmmakers used to be very good at making fine entertainment without sex. I guess it's a lost talent. At Yellowstone Curtis and kids meet Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson), a radio announcer shouting doom and gloom about the future of the world. How he knows about the pending disaster no one knows but somehow Charlie convinces a small part of Curtis. Among the high-wattage performers in the cast it may very well have been Harrelson who played his part the best. From there the disaster slowly begins. The quality and cinematic wattage of disaster films gets better and better with each new installment. This one is no exception. It presents some of the most dynamic computer-aided imagery detail I have ever seen. Emmerick and Kloser have amassed one of the finest cinematic disaster experiences ever. The disaster artistry of Emmerick and Kloser and Company is trend-setting. Too bad they had to throw in some profanity and sexually immoral content. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 2012 is replete with disaster violence. What would one expect of a disaster film? It also reveals a dark side of man: a cowardice at the expense of the lives of others [Rev. 21:8]. Though the darkness of greed concerning one's own life is given much screen time, for a sort while there is some presentation of enough love of others to risk one's own life. Jesus had something to say about that in John 15:13. Curtis indeed laid down his life for his friends. Fortunately he did not lose his life. The filmmakers had it right about the effect of disaster violence on the young. They had Lilly crying her eyes out at the sight of so many people dying in indescribable events of geological upheaval as people fell in cars off collapsing elevated highways, from crumbling buildings and from streets into bottomless crevasses and abysses that swallowed up everything. Even your kids will know that, though the film is indeed fantasy, many people die in such events. But though the film is fantasy, a bad influence does not have to be real to influence badly. Even the American Medical Association and three other professional health agencies have finally jointly agreed that to think that young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy is simply wrong. Drs. Karen Nelson, the head of the psychology department of a major university and Larry Gilliam, a practicing counselor agree with me that it would be unusual for even a 16 year old to be able to fully separate fantasy from reality or be able to fully anticipate the consequences of his/her actions: that such abilities typically do not plateau until the early 20s. [1 Cor. 13:11] Impudence/Hate (I) - 5 out of 100 Someone, typically Cusack, mutters some form of profanity 24 times in the 148 minutes of film time. [Col. 3:8] He further uses God's name in vain with the four letter expletive a number of times but that matter is incorporated into the Offense to God (O) investigation area. In addition, Cusack is responsible for most of the demonstrations of lies [Prov. 19:5, also Rev. 21:8 (and many others)]. He also teaches his children to have contempt for signs and locked fences meant to keep people out. Liam James is "state of the art" at showing disrespect for his father [Exod. 20:12, Prov. 6:20]. Such thespianism by youth makes me wonder what Hollywood thinks of preteens and early teens nowadays (maybe what Hollywood evidently thinks of them or how Hollywood seems to always portray youth is part of why so many are like that -- attitude is "catching", there is no denying it). But topping the list of performers guilty of demonstrating impudence and/or hate is Platt in his demonstration of contempt for, disregard for the lives of others and deception costing countless lives. Sexual Immorality (S) - 86 out of 100 As far as sexually immoral behaviors go in 2012, no one gets in bed with anyone and no nudity is seen at all, which are atypical of most PG-13s nowadays. But things like dressing to maximize the human form and/or skin exposure by what is typically described as a "bimbo", pants falling below the posterior fissure, cohabitation and a man pawing a woman appear apparently just to get "sex" in the movie. All be them socially "lite" sexual behaviors, it is our charge to be noble and sexually pure by God's Word. [1 Ths. 4:1-7, 1 John 2:26] It is such exposure in and as entertainment that leads us to lower our innate sexual humility. The Apostle Paul related this in 2 Cor. 11:3. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100 There were no observances of any form of smoking or drinking alcoholic beverages throughout the 148 of actual movie time (which does not include trailers, previews, rolling credits. intro credits, etc. unless they bear story content). Offense to God (O) - Zero out of 100 Someone uttered God's name in vain 31 times through the course of the movie. Twenty-four times without the four letter expletive and seven times with it and always by Cusack and sometimes before children. With or without the four letter expletive, to use God''s name in other than thoughtful discussion, reverence or prayer is in vain. God is adamant, about abuse of His name and will not hold they who speak it in vain guiltless. And that includes the painfully popular three-syllable sentence with His name trailing it. [Deut. 5:11] Murder/Suicide (M) - 93 out of 100 Only one murder was noted. The murder of a government official by vehicle explosion who threatened to reveal the plans of the international organization. [Is. 59:7] SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. CHAPTER/VERSE ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry*** As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
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 Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 5 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 86 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - Zero out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 93 out of 100 |
| There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
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