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A service to our youth through you,
their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word
MAR22029
All About the Benjmins (2002), R
Analysis Date: March 22, 2002
CAP Score: 17
CAP Influence Density: 9.21
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A service to our youth through you, their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word MAR22029 All About the Benjmins (2002), R Analysis Date: March 22, 2002 CAP Score: 17 CAP Influence Density: 9.21 |
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ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS (R) -- ...beats even South Park: BLU hands down. Distributed by: New Line Cinema Director(s): Kevin Bray Producer(s): Matt Alvarez, Lamont Cain, Ice Cube, Douglas Curtis, Toby Emmerich, Mike Epps, Ronald Lang, Matt Moore, Ronald G. Muhammad, Claire Rudnick Polstein Written by/Screenplay: Ronald Lang, Ice Cube Cinematography/Camera: Glen MacPherson Music: Ice Cube, DMX, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Jay-Z, R. Kelly, Method Man, John Murphy, Nelly, Redman Editing: Suzanne Hines WOW! Three hundred and forty seven uses of foul language! For this 93 minute movie, that equates to more than 223 utterances of some form of foul and/or vulgar words per hour (averaging between three and four per minute) and beats even South Park: BLU Jackson is a bounty hunter in Miami, Florida. Feeling he is worth more than he is getting, Bucem wants to start his own private investigations business. The opening of the story has Bucem tracking and trying to capture Lil' J (Anthony Michael Hall). After a gun battle with Lil' J's girlfriend and what appeared to be his mother, Bucem subdues Lil' J by zapping his private parts with a electric shock gun. Bored and sick of his job, Bucem goes after small time crook, Reggie (Mike Epps) for some minor crimes worth $35,000 reward which means $3,500 to Bucem. Note that Reggie probably has more monologue in the script than Ice Cube and is quite probably as good a performer as Cube but it is Epps which appears to be most responsible for the foul language. This leads to that and Reggie gets involved with a diamond theft ring headed up by nasty Scotsman Robert Williamson (Tommy Flanagan). Note that there are some exceptionally cold portrayals of brutality in this film. It may be such nihilism that has the most power of suggestion on the impressionable or embittered viewer. Williamson is arranging sale of $20 million worth of stolen diamonds to an oriental interest. Bucem wants to recover the stolen diamonds to make a business name for himself. After a successful sale of the diamonds, somehow Bucem's girlfriend gets kidnapped by Williamson's dogs and Bucem and Reggie become "partners though Reggie spends most of his partnership time in handcuffs. By the way, in the middle of all this, Reggie plays the lotto and holds the winning ticket for the $60 million pot. But in the middle of that in-the-middle, Reggie's gets kidnapped by the Williamson force and his billfold containing the winning lotto ticket gets lost in a van used by Williamson's entourage. Reggie is out to get it back. Now, two things are of interest to the Bucem/Reggie duo: Bucem's girlfriend and Reggie's winning lotto ticket. Sooo, Bucem steals the $20 million dollars worth of stolen diamonds from the buyer (who Bucem discovers has been murdered) and uses them to try to get his girlfriend back. In the end, Bucem, Reggie, their girlfriends ride off into the sunset in a speedboat with 100,000 Benjamins and the Florida State Lotto winnings. By the way, "Benjamins" are $100 bills. Amid a plethora of sexual matters including intercourse (nudity not seen) [Rev. 22:15] and in addition to the saturation of a potentially good movie with filthy language [Col. 3:8], there is saturation with a great many issues of brutal and cruel violence [Ps. 11:5]. Brutally brutal. Reggie gets a bullet through his hand to force compliance. A female gets a bullet in the middle of her forehead, multiple attempts to murder and six graphic murders [Rev. 22:15]. I can hear it now: "That's real life!" Maybe so, but that does not excuse it in entertainment. Besides, I wonder how many of our readers actually know anyone on a first name basis who has stolen $20 million worth of diamonds or who has shot a woman in the forehead or who has been shot in the hand to force compliance with criminal activity or has ....... Five thousand? No? Five Hundred? No? One hundred. No? One? I think the point has been made. So much for the movies being "real life." First Corinthians 15:33 is probably the best Scripture for this movie. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ]. 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. *******Food for Thought******* 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. |
 Wanton Violence/Crime (W): Impudence/Hate (I)(1): Sex/Homosexuality (S): Drugs/Alcohol (D): Offense to God (O)(2): Murder/Suicide (M)(3): |
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| NOTE: The CAP Analysis Model makes no scoring allowances for trumped-up "messages" to excuse or for manufacturing of justification for aberrant behavior or imagery, or for camouflaging such ignominy with "redeeming" programming. Disguising sinful behavior in a theme plot does not excuse the sinful behavior of either the one who is drawing pleasure or example from the sinful display or the practitioners demonstrating the sinful behavior. This is NOT a movie review service. It is a movie analysis service to parents and grandparents to tell them the truth about movies using the Truth. |
| "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 nearly seven 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. |
