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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 MAR27010 NORBIT with Hannibal Rising vs Norbit comparative. (2007), PG-13 [HARDCORE R-13*] (1hr 36min) 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 1100 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): Davis Entertainment, Tollin/Robbins Productions Distribution (US): DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Pictures Director(s): Brian Robbins Producer(s): John Davis, Eddie Murphy, Michael Tollin Screenplay by: Jay Scherick, David Ronn Story: Eddie Murphy, Charles Q. Murphy Cinematography/Camera: J. Clark Mathis Music: David Newman Film Editing: Ned Bastille Casting: Juel Bestrop, Seth Yanklewitz Production Design: Clay A. Griffith Viewed At: Driftwood Theater 6 NOTE: From here to UPDATE after the next blue divider bar below is for the original partial viewing of 23 minutes. It is no longer applicable but is left here for archive and convenience purposes. I am not going to dignify this piece of cinematic cyanide with a Summary/Commentary about it other than Eddie Murphy stars as three of the main characters; Norbit, Rasputia and Mr. Wong. While the skills and talents of Murphy and the costume people are outstanding, let the Findings/Scoring section speak for the content. Just envision 34 uses of profanity and 37 examples of sexually immoral behavior/imagery in 23 minutes and you'll get the ... er ... picture. This is an analysis of a partial viewing. (SEE UPDATE BELOW) The scoring indicated is for the first 23 minutes of the show. The first 23 minutes are most certainly R-equivalent. The portion viewed ended with the puppet show spewing profanity at a stage audience of children. And I will not argue the merits of the CAP analysis model for analysis of partial viewings. It is as accurate and complete for the portion viewed as it would be for the full length of the show. I may at a later date/time return to complete the viewing since Norbit is a leading demon for stealing childhood from children. If you don't believe that, consider this: about 80% of the audience on opening night didn't even come up to my shoulders. UPDATE: Above I said I might go back and set through a complete viewing of Norbit. It is done. (Plese be sure to note the SIDEBAR NOTE at the end of this Summary/Commentary.) Some have griped about the few partial viewing analyses we have prepared, claiming that unless a film is watched in its entirety a "review" of it is not possible. Maybe this report will help them understand that 1) CAP analyses are not "reviews" and 2) the CAP analysis model is as functional and accurate for a portion viewed as it is for an entire film. To demonstrate this, the analysis of Norbit, a particularly nasty moral rape of our children, is fractionated into four separate segments, each segment representing a specific fraction of the film. As shown in the following comparative data display, the segment in the upper left corner of the display is the data from the analysis of the partial viewing of only 23 minutes posted here originally. The second segment in the upper right corner of the display is the data from the analysis of the next 26 minutes (24 to 49 minutes inclusive). The third segment in the lower left corner is for the next 25 minutes (50 to 74 minutes). The last segment in the lower right corner is for the final 22 minutes (75 to 96 minutes). Fractionation into precisely equal parts was not possible while still being able to pay attention to annotating the findings at the incredible rate this film required.  R-rated movies in the comparative baseline database earned final scores of 54 or below out of 100. Each segment score for the PG-13 Norbit is less than 54. Much less than 54. It should now be obvious that Norbit is R-13 through and through. "R-13" means programming rated PG-13 by the MPAA which earns a CAP score that falls in the range of scores earned by R-rated programing. See our R-13 finding for more information about "R-13." Even if each of the second, third and fourth film segments were equivalent to G-rated programming the film should be considered R-equivalent because the first 23-minute segment is equivalent to R-rated programming. Note that both the Impudence/Hate and Sexual Immorality investigation areas in each of the four segments found content earning a score of zero out of 100. The zero scores in Impudence/Hate are due almost entirely to 120 uses of profanity: 34 in the first 23 minutes, 34 in the next 26 minutes, 33 in the next 25 minutes and 19 in the last 22 minutes. As a side note, even the nearly uniform distribution of profanity throughout the 96-minute film suggests saturation. Also suggesting saturation are the zero scores in Sexual Immorality due to finding 70 instances of some form of sexually immoral behavior or imagery spread also rather evenly over the course of the 96-minute film. Likewise the film content found by the Offense to God investigation area earned a score of zero in each of the four segments. Wanton Violence/Crime doesn't have a much better tale to tell but at least earned above-zero scores in two of the four analysis segments. The six investigation areas found ignominy throughout the film at the rate of 167 examples per hour. That is 2.8 per minute. The only morally positive thing to say about Norbit is that there were no murders or suicides found at all. For the statisticians, mathematicians and other technically minded folks: The reason the average of the four segment scores does not equal the final score for the full viewing is that the score in an investigation area shown as zero may actually be much less than zero. We use display limiters to display as zero all less-than-zero scores since less-than-zero scores are meaningless to the user. This is the case, for example, with the Wanton Violence/Crime segment scores, two of which are greater than zero. The actual Wanton Violence/Crime score for the first segment is -117 and for the fourth segment is -152, thus mathematically annihilating the 62 in the second segment and the 47 in the third resulting in an average of -40 which, as designed, is displayed as zero. Imagine a set of six vertical uniformly graduated scales each from 100 at the top representing solid wholesome morality and -500 at the bottom representing unprecedented vile and putrescent morality the likes of which has never been seen. The CAP analysis model may be thought of as a window with visibility only at the top sixth of the scales (100 to zero). Though we will not do so we could lower our investigation standards and enlarge that visibility window downward a piece and, e.g., make -100 the zero reference or even -200. That is, in essence, what society has been doing ... lowering our threshold of acceptability by enlarging the "window of acceptability" to include much more debase and vulgar behaviors. A more revealing perspective is that society has maybe not enlarged the window of acceptability to include more immorality but instead has moved the fixed-sized visibility window from the top of the morality scales downward to capture more immorality as acceptable and in doing so has slid the previously wholesome morality out of sight into obscurity. This downward movement of morality leading to a state of obscurity of some of the wholesome standards and behaviors (moral relativity and convenience absolution of guilt) is what moved me to write "Progressively we have become so drugged by the narcotics of extremes of immorality in and as entertainment that what once was morally acceptable has become morally invisible." And if we as a society keep going as we have been, that window of acceptability may move even lower to make -300 or -400 the zero reference. Minus 500? The likes of which has never been seen? This description also shows how the CAP analysis model reveals the relative position and movement of morality in media (e.g., our R-13 finding). At the rate of decay of wholesome moral standards in and as entertainment/communications since about 1955, it won't be long until that -500 becomes the popular zero reference. Rest assured, -500 will never become the zero reference for the CAP analysis model. The CAP analysis model is built on God's Word and, like His Word, never changes. The 100 and zero will stay where they are for as long as His Word remains the same.
This project was equivalent to five individual analyses. I hope it proves the merits of the CAP analysis model to the skeptic who says that analysis of anything less than the entire film is useless. Note that this effort was far too expensive to ever be repeated without financial support. 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 The list of verses applicable to the behaviors in this partial viewing would extent beyond the bottom of your screen. Let the Selected Scriptures below suffice, especially Psalm 12:8. ***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) Impudence/Hate (I) Sexual Immorality (S) Drugs/Alcohol (D): Offense to God (O) Murder/Suicide (M) |
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| 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 more than eight 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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