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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 MAR28029  With Comparative to the 1st Two Mummy Films (2008), PG-13 [Hard R-13*] (1hr 41min) 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): Universal Pictures (presents), Relativity Media (in association with), Sommers Company, The, Alphaville Films, Giant Studios, Nowita Pictures, Sean Daniel Company Distribution (US): Universal Studios Home Entertainment Director(s): Rob Cohen Producer(s): Chris Brigham, Sean Daniel, Bob Ducsay, James Jacks, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Chiu Wah Lee, Er-Dong Liu, Josette Perrotta, Marc Pitre, Stephen Sommers, Matthew Stuecken Written by: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar 1932 Screenplay: John L. Balderston 2001 Screenplay: Stephen Sommers Cinematography/Camera: Simon Duggan Music: Randy Edelman Film Editing: Kelly Matsumoto. Joel Negron Casting: Ronna Kress Production Design: Nigel Phelps Art Direction: Isabelle Guay (supervising art director) This installment in The Mummy franchise is quite a bit darker in terms of evil and unholiness than The Mummy (1999) or The Mummy Returns (2001). Long ago an evil Chinese king, Han (Jet Li), impervious to even assassins, defeated all the kings of the land and became Emperor. He had conquered all enemies under the sun ... except death. Han had heard of a witch, Zi Juan (Michelle Yeoh) who knew the secret of immortality and sent General Ming Guo, (Russell Wong) his oldest trusted ally and advisor to fetch her. When Zi Juan arrived and met Han, Han became amorous of Zi Juan and ordered that no man shall touch her; that she is his. Han found that Zi Juan did not know the secret to immortality but knew where to find it. So, Ming Guo and Zi Juan set out to fetch the secret. During their treks Ming Guo fell in love with Zi Juan and she with him. Finding the secret in the oldest library known to the culture in an oracle of bones, a long lost collection of all the mystical secrets of the ancient world written on slats of bones, the pair returned to Han. In appreciation of Zi Juan's success Han granted Zi Juan anything she wished. She wanted Ming Guo. Han granted her wish but Zi Juan knew Han would not keep his word. Because of Han's jealousy of Ming Guo and her mistrust of his word Zi Juan used the oracle of bones to cast a spell on Han and his army instead of bestowing immortality on him. Han and all his army were doomed to eternity cast in bronze. Now Han is condemned to the world of the undead. If the curse is ever lifted, Han will rise from the undead and become the ruler of all mankind. Moving up to 1945, retired Col. Richard "Rick" "Ricochet" O'Connel (Brendan Fraser) and wife, Evelyn (Maria Bello) are now lounging in their opulent estate in Oxfordshire, England. They have sworn off any more espionage and adventure. Evie's brother, Jonathan Caranhan (John Hannah) is now operating a night club in Shanghai, China. Alexander Rupert O'Connel (Luke Ford) is now in archaeology college, or is supposed to be. All are quite satiated with their new, comfortable lives ... until a government emissary comes with an offer. Alex is busy digging up the Han ruins in the Ningxia Province when the emissary tempts Rick and Evie with another mission: to courier the Eye of Shangri-La to Shanghai. The Eye of Shangri-La, smuggled out of China in 1940, is supposed to point the way to the Pool of Eternal Life and contains an elixir that will wake the undead emperor and his army. Now, in 1947 the British government would like to return the Eye of Shangri-La to the Shanghai Museum as a political move of good faith to the post-war Chinese people. Not being able to resist the challenge, Rick and Evie accept the mission. And since Jonathan and Alex are already in Shanghai they get pulled into the fray as well. From there the adventure gets underway. A couple tidbits without itemizing the plot and story. The Witch, Zi Juan is immortal and has a daughter, Lin (Isabella Leong) who is also immortal. Both are more than 2000 years old and have been guarding the Pool of Eternal Life in Shangri-La, protecting it from Han's followers placing the Eye of Shangri-La atop the crown of the pool which would wake Han and his army. As an added bonus following is a scoring data comparative of the three Mummy films: 44 out of 100 (1999); 50 (2001); 38 (2008). Each film earned R-13 status (final scores of 54 and below out of 100). Each earned an investigation area score of zero in Wanton Violence/Crime and Offense to God making the scoring earned by the findings in of those investigation areas clearly equivalent to most R-rated films (54 and below out of 100) in the comparative baseline database of films. Little more needs to be said.  Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 The violence content of this film is leaps and bounds into the envelope of violence of most R-rated films. Sword play to kill. Graphic warfare battles. Firearms/gunfire to kill. Graphic mutilation of flesh with what looks like blower-fired incineration of the flesh from the inside of the body to then solidify into what appears to be glowing bronze. Fiery coals of matter erupting though facial and other body flesh. Decapitation. A beheaded horse running with what looks to be a smelting furnace looking down its open neck. Icabod Crane was frightened when looking down the neck of the headless horse he rode. I suspect many kids will find hightmare fodder in this film. There is a l-o-t more to the violent behaviors and imagery to this film. Please look to the listing in the Findings/Scoring section for a full accounting of the content. [Prov. 16:29, 3 John 11, Prov. 3:31-32] Impudence/Hate (I) - 34 out of 100 Seventeen times the three/four letter word vocabulary was used, mainly by Jonathan. One euphemistic use of the most foul of the foul words was used. [2 Tim. 2:16-17, Eph. 5:4, Col. 3:8] But other than profanity, the only impudence/hate found was Alex's arrogance against his parents. [Exod. 20:12, 1 Peter 5:5] Sexual Immorality (S) - 74 out of 100 In terms of sexually immoral behavior and/or imagery, this film presented a man and a woman making out in bed ostensibly for intercourse, statue nudity, a couple sexual invitations and innuendo, a crotch hit and a camera angle/pose to force the viewer on private parts. However slight these matters may seem on the surface (to the adult), their reach into the moral development of the young can be deep and devastating. [Eph. 4:19, 1Cor. 6:18, Col. 3:5] Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 47 out of 100 Booze, drinking, lust for drinking and drunkenness were quite prevalent. the American College of Physicians has something to say about such content in films for the PG-13 age stratum. The American College of Physicians (ACP) has found that exposure to booze and drinking in and as entertainment emboldens the viewer, in particular the middle school age stratum, the PG and PG-13 age stratum, to challenge the law and experiment with alcohol. Though the ACP study used R-rated films since it was believed R-rated films contained the most drinking, the focus is on the influence of exposure to alcohol in and as entertainment regardless of the film rating. Besides, the ACP researchers were not aware of R-13 which defeats the assumption that R-rated films present the most drinking and drunkenness. A finding by Harvard University agreed with our R-13 finding, *four years after our finding*. As a sidebar note, consider this, too. The MPAA is apparently going to consider all films with smoking in them as R-rated, clearly announcing without trying that smoking in and as entertainment is indeed a negative influence. If so, why not make R-rated any films which present booze and/or drinking and/or drunkenness? [Eph. 5:18] We incorporated smoking into a film's scoring distribution long *before* the MPAA. Even other film rating websites have plagiarized our methodology. Might that imply others are following our lead? That we are doing something right? Within the ACP study population of 4544 middle school students (90% were under fourteen years old), the prevalence of having tried alcohol without parental knowledge was Rather revealing of the influences of the entertainment industry wouldn't you say? And emboldening children to sin with drink in and as entertainment screams of violating Luke 17:2. Offense to God (O) - Zero out of 100 Matters incorporated by this investigation area were thick and bold. Much use of unholy power. Witchcraft, especially calling the use of the witch and witchcraft "good" [Isa. 5:20], spell casting, the use of human blood to conjure evil power, unholy resurrections and much more. We are not to entertain such unholy matters at all, folks. Magic, or majik by some, is not something to play with. Jesus used "magic" to heal the sick,, raise the dead, make the lame walk and the blind see but His "magic" was from the father. Witch magic is not. It is not the magic or the user that determines its holiness or unholiness. It is the source of the "magic." If the power is not from God, it is evil. [Rev. 21:8, Acts 13:10] Murder/Suicide (M) - 70 out of 100 While many deaths were portrayed, two murders and one suicide were portrayed in this film. Murder by ripping off arms and legs and murder by witchcraft, Suicide by sword. Granted, the suicide was sacrificial but such is not something to be flippant with such as in and as entertainment. Most children of the target age group are not capable of fathoming the gravity of such a decision. Especially since Dr. Nelson, a university psychology department head, Dr. Gilliam, a practicing counselor and our own Director - Child Psychology Support, Mr. Kossor each agree with me that it would be unusual for even a 16 year old child to be able to fully separate fantasy from reality or to fully anticipate the consequences of his/her actions. [Prov. 28:17, Ex 20:13] 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) - 34 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 74 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 47 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - Zero out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 70 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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