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Reel World Reality 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 MAR2012.047  (2012), PG-13 [Hard R-13*] (90.9min) 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 1300 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.)
 Production (US): 20th Century Fox, Overbrook Entertainment/Robert Simons Company Distribution (US): Fox Home Entertainment Director(s): McG Producer(s): Robert Simonds, James Lassiter, Will Smith, Simon Kinberg, Michael Green, Jeffrey Evan Kwatinetz, Brent O'Conner, Lisa Stewart Screenplay by: Timothy Dowling, Simon Kinberg Story by: Timothy Dowling, Marcus Gautesen Cinematography/Camera: Russell Carpenter Music: Christophe Beck Film Editing: Nicolas de Toth Casting: Kim Wagner, Justine Baddeley Production Design: Martin Laing Art Direction: Kendelle Elliot, Eric Fraser Viewed on Fox Home Entertainment DVD With a final score of 13 out of 100 This Means War is one hardest R-13 films we have revealed so far. Of the 751 PG-13 films we have analyzed so far in the sixteen years we have been doing this, 471 earned R-equivalent final scores (earned R-13 scores). Only four of the 471 R-equivalent PG-13s earned lower final scores than This Means War. There is nothing sacred about sex in this film. It is a casual tool. For example, Reese Witherspoon, who played Lauren Scott decided to use sex as a tiebreaker to determine which of two guys would earn the coveted title of "boyfriend." And any time Lauren's close friend, Trish (Chelsea Handler) appeared every conversation was sexual, even vulgar with explicit talk about sex and male anatomy. Boxer Conlon (Tom Hardy) of Warrior and Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) of Star Trek: The Future Begins play Tuck and Franklin "FDR" Foster, both CIA Agents. At a very expensive party during an introduction to two single women, FDR introduces Tuck as a The film opens with a sequence of a flurry of gunfire and fighting action as Tuck and FDR operate to apprehend Karl Heinrich and to secure the device he is peddling. In the process, Karl's bother, Jonas (Clint Carleton) is killed and Karl swears vengeance. The operation was supposed to be covert but ended up as front-page news. Field Office Director Collins (Angela Bassett) grounds them both ... until Heinrich shows up to collect on his vengeance. While all this is happening, as a "favor" of Trish, Lauren becomes a subject in online dating and ends up connecting with Tuck. Being the BFF of Tuck, FDR launches a protection operation as Tuck socializes with Lauren. In the process, both Tuck and FDR become romantic hopefuls for Lauren. Thus is a tease of the two subplots behind all the action. I will stop here in case you, for some reason, find the content of this film acceptable. Next is the content. Content which earned a content investigation area score of zero out of 100 in four of the six CAP content investigation areas, earning 16 and 63 in the other two investigation areas. Please inspect closely the listings in the Findings/Scoring section and the individual investigation area discussions below. If you do watch it I hope you like credits music of extreme amplitude distortion. Following are brief discussions of the content per individual content investigation area. As always the Findings section of this report, the heart of the CAP Analysis Model, is the best source for discovering the full accounting of the content of this film. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 There are many portrayals of gunfire killing, many portrayals of gunfire to kill and gun battles in this film. There are far too many line items of findings to permit brief discussion them in the space provided here. Please inspect closely the listing in the Wanton Violence/Crime listing in the Findings/Scoring section for a full accounting of the violence/crime content. This film is so riddled with violence it would be wise to remind our readers of what God has to say about violence. God speaks darkly of violence many times from the Old Testament though the New Testament but Proverb 16:29 puts a succinct point on the issue. In Proverb 16:29 God warns that violence is "catching": that violence can lead the viewer into a path that is not good. Indeed, after God "published His findings", four professional public health agencies published their findings about viewing violence in and as entertainment: that it can, among other things, influence the viewer, especially the young, to real life violence and can lead the viewer to believe that violence is an effective means of settling conflict. Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 The level of profanity in this film is seemingly light in comparison to many other PG-13 films since there are only 17 uses of profanity in the entire 90.9 minutes of the show. But such "lightness" does not excuse even the first time profanity is spoken. [Col. 3:8, Eph: 4:29] In addition to the repeated profanity, lying is rather thick. God is quite stern with they who lie. [Rev. 21:8] Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100 As much as the film is riddled with violence it is riddled with sexually immoral content. For the same reason I asked you to inspect closely the violence listing in the Findings/Scoring section, I ask that you inspect the Sexual Immorality listing to discover the extent of the sexually immoral content. God is quite clear about how we are to sexually control ourselves and keep ourselves pure in His Sight. [1 Thess. 4:1 - 5] The bottom line is that all God's admonitions against sexual immorality can be summed up as any sexual contact (including sight and sound), conduct or activity outside of a monogamous heterosexual marriage is sinful. [Gal. 5:19] Filmmakers (and other publishers) who lay such influence before our teens are akin to the adulteress of Prov. 30:20 who eats, wipes her mouth and says she's done nothing wrong. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - Zero out of 100 While no consumption of or possession of illegal drugs or tobacco and no portrayals of abuse of prescription drugs were found, alcoholic beverages and drinking of them are rather frequent. And for the PG-13 age stratum, that is a real danger to them. A 2002 study by the American College of Physicians (ACP) revealed that adolescent exposure to drinking in and as entertainment undeniably leads to abuse of alcohol among underage viewers. The report entitled Relation Between Parental Restrictions on Movies and Adolescent Use of Tobacco and Alcohol reports that of 4544 youths from grades 5 through 8 of fifteen Vermont and New Hampshire middle schools (90% of the youths were under fourteen years old) only 16% were completely restricted in their entertainment diets. Within the ACP study population, the prevalence of having tried alcohol without parental knowledge was There is nothing to say that viewing smoking in and as entertainment does not carry the same danger of influence as viewing drinking. Actually, the same matter of behavior implantation applies to any behavior demonstrated in and as entertainment, including good behavior. While no consumption of or possession of illegal drugs or tobacco were found, Trish offered the use of illegal drugs to Lauren to ease her worries. In addition, a forced injection of FDR by Tuck using a "tranq dart" is seen and "Save me a drink" is heard. Offense to God (O) - 16 out of 100 The only matters found that apply to this content investigation area were the 22 abuses of God's name. It seems Hollywood's favorite phrase that abuses God's name is the three-syllable sentence with His name trailing it. Though no uses of His name with the four letter expletive were noted, speaking His name in vain with or without the four letter expletive is sinful. [Deut 5:11] Murder/Suicide (M) - 63 out of 100 There are many killings portrayed in this film but only those which are murder or suicide are incorporated in this investigation area. Deaths by police action, war, defensive killing and attempted murder and/or suicide are incorporated into the Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area. However, this film does portray five murders. 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 --> Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts. Children exposed to violence are more likely to assume the acts of violence are acceptable behavior. --> Viewing violence can lead to emotional desensitization towards violence in real life. It can decease the likelihood that one will take action on behalf of a victim when violence occurs. --> Entertainment violence feeds a perception that the world is a violent and mean place. Viewing violence increases fear of becoming a victim of violence, with a resultant increase in self-protective behavior and a mistrust of others. --> Viewing violence may lead to real life violence. Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a higher tendency for violent and aggressive behavior later in life than children who are not so exposed. Further, God speaks darkly of violence 56 times in the Old and New Testament of the KJV.] 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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(The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)   Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - Zero out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 16 out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 63 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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| For G rated Films with G equivalence: G PG equivalence: PG-G PG-13 equivalence: 13-G R equivalence: R-G< | For PG rated Films with G equivalence: G-PG PG equivalence: PG PG-13 equivalence: 13-PG R equivalence: R-PG | For PG-13 rated Films with G equivalence: G-13 PG equivalence: PG(13) PG-13 equivalence: PG-13 R equivalence: R-13 | For R rated Films with G equivalence: G-R PG equivalence: PG-R PG-13 equivalence: 13-R R equivalence: R | For NR rated Films with G equivalence: G-NR PG equivalence: PG-NR PG-13 equivalence: 13-NR R equivalence: R-NR |
