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Entertainment Media Analysis Report
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MAR2011.043

(2010), PG [Lite 13-PG*] (-hr 49.5min)

Final Score
Analysis Date
Date Posted
Influence Density
MinMax
April 12, 2011
April 12, 2011
62
0.87
-91

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Christian Long Distance

SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:
(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)

If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary.



(2010), PG [Lite 13-PG*] ... females strip Sam of his clothing, of which the "PG" label says nothing


Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database
Production (US): Disney
Distribution (US): Buena Vista
Director(s): Joseph Kosinski
Producer(s): Donald Kushner, Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Steven Lisberger, Justin Springer, Steve Gaub
Screenplay: Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz
Story: Edward Kitsis, Adam Horowitz, Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal
Cinematography/Camera: Claudio Miranda
Music: Daft Punk
Film Editing: James Haygood
Casting: Sarah Halley Finn
Production Design: Darren Gilford
Viewed on Disney Home Entertainment DVD



This film provides an excellent example of how the CAP analysis model reveals any concentration of assaults on morality and decency. A perfect example. Tron: Legacy earned a G-equivalent score in the Offense to God (O) investigation area, PG-equivalent scores in the Impudence/Hate (I) and Drugs/Alcohol (D) investigation areas and PG-13-equivalent scores in Sexual Immorality (S) and in Murder/Suicide (M). But not so for the Wanton Violence/crime content. With an area score of zero out of 100 the violence/crime content found by this investigation area is clearly equivalent to the violence/crime content in most R-rated films. It is the relatively high scoring of the content found by the other investigation areas that kept the final score of this film out of the "R realm." The final score of 62 earns the content of this film a place in the high half of the range of scores earned by PG-13 films (55 to 67 out of 100) in the comparative baseline database.

I've seen the first Tron and I think we own a VHS of it but it has been a long time, so long ago I do not remember much of anything about it. I don't know if there is any need to have knowledge of the first show to understand the second show, but I didn't really understand the second show enough to give you any meaningful synopsis of it. But one of the really great features of the CAP Analysis Model is that the investigator does not need to have any knowledge of a prequel nor does s/he need to understand anything about the plot or story of the subject film to give you an objective report on its morality content. Besides, the plot or story does not excuse any assault on morality and decency. To understand more about what I just said, visit the link at BEFORE You Read On... link atop this Summary/Commentary section. Basically it says:

… the actual CAP Analysis Model (the Findings/Scoring section) makes no scoring allowances for trumped-up "messages" to excuse, to manufacture justification for, or to camouflage assaults on morality and decency, aberrant behavior or imagery with "redeeming" programming. A noble destination does not excuse an ignoble path. Disguising sinful behavior in a theme/plot does not excuse the sinful behavior of either the one who is drawing pleasure or example of behavior or thought from the sinful display or of the actors/actresses demonstrating the sinful behavior or the writers of it. We make no attempt to quantify the "artistic" or "entertainment" value of a movie. Whether a movie has any positive value or "entertainment" value (which many do) is up to mom/dad.

All I can say about the film story and plot is that Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), an expert game developer, is trapped in a cyber world into which he discovered a portal. Twenty years later, Kevin's 27 year old son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund) is provided a pager activation sent from the cyber world to his father's professional partner and confidante Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) which leads Sam into his father's secret office from where Sam is likewise transported into the cyber world from which Sam tries to rescue his father. Aiding Sam through it all is isomorph Quorra (Olivia Wilde) who makes Sam's trek a little easier. The quintessential bad guy in the film is one of Kevin's creations, Clu (also Jeff Bridges), a program out to take over the human world with the perfect system.

Wanton Vilence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100
For a PG film, which is easily accessible by any child of any age and is implied by the "PG" label to be more or less fit for any child of any age, this film is quite violent. Just read the itemized listing in the Findings/coring section (the heart of the CAP Analysis Model) and you will understand how I can make such a claim. But that I say it is violent does not make it so. That it is does.

Reckless driving; abductions; facial decimation; at least 24 defensive and game killings of characters played by living, breathing, thinking human beings; character amputation; more.

Because of the cruel joke played on us by the MPAA by labeling this film, let me remind us all of God's Word about violence: that is it "catching." [Pro. 16:29] And to lead our youth into the desensitization and proselytizing properties of violence, even onscreen, Luke 17:2 is invoked. That the characters killed are supposed to be thought of as "game characters" does not evaporate the bald fact that it is live humans portraying the "game characters" nor does it evaporate the influence of it.

About God's Word warning us that violence is "catching", man has finally come around to agreeing with God. Four professional public health agencies have jointly agreed that exposure to violence in and as entertainment "may lead to real life violence." So, God said so. Now man says so. But do we listen?

Impudence/Hate (I) - 70 out of 100
Five times in this PG someone utters profanity. Once upon a time one or two such words would garner a PG on a film. Then three. Now five? What about next year. And the next? Especially since even once is a sin. [Col. 3:8] Whether I say it is or not. I didn't write the Rules. If you have a problem with that Rule, talk to the One who wrote it. Since He spent three days in Hell so you and I would not have to spend one moment there, I suspect His reasoning will trump ours. Whether we believe it or not. Whether we like it or not. Whether we care or not.

And that "we hear such language every day at school" does not excuse perpetuating and emboldening the use of profanity in and as entertainment. The sin of others does not excuse our own. Nor does the second time of a sin excuse the first. Nor does the third time excuse the second. Nor does the thousandth …

Sexual Immorality (S) - 66 out of 100
While there is only brief male nudity in this film (as females strip Sam of his clothing, of which the "PG" label says nothing), there might as well be a lot more since there is almost nothing left to the imagination by the outfits most the females wear. Through the Apostle Paul, Jesus told us He wants women to dress modestly. [1Tim. 2:] Dressing to maximize the female form is certainly not dressing modestly. Nor does God sanction the nudity of Hedlund. God speaks darkly of nakedness (display of nudity) 47 times from Genesis to Revelation. [**]

Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 79 out of 100
Sam fetches beer out of his refrigerator and imbibes of it three times. That is all. But "that is all" may be too much. The American College of Physicians argues that any exposure to alcohol (or tobacco) in and as entertainment might led the youthful viewer to experiment.

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 finding 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

  • 46% for those with no viewing restrictions
  • 16% for those with partial viewing restrictions
  • four percent for those with complete viewing restrictions. [Eph. 5:18]

    Offense to God (O) - 91 out of 100
    Kevin Flynn is, many times, referred to as the "Creator" (with "C" capitalized), as a deity with overtones of being God, as "the one who made us."

    Murder/Suicide (M) - 66 out of 100
    While there are many killings in this film, four times a character is killed by murder and two times by suicide.


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    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

  • Prov. 16:29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. [The issue is the violence, the 'way that is not good' no matter how "small" or "justified" the violence might seem, and its "leading" effect on the observer. "A violent man" ["man" here is enowsh {en-oshe"}: man (collective), mortal, person, mankind; contracted for iysh {eesh}: whosoever, each] can be any character of any age, any gender, human or not since the cinematic display is at the hands men and women, in the act of committing (demonstrating in the case of entertainment) violent behavior/action whether for good or evil or the violent behaviors/actions themselves. Such exposure can and does embolden the viewer into aggression, especially youth. It took years for American professional health community to finally affirm, probably without knowing it, that which God told us in 1 Cor. 15:33 below. See also Joint Statement on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children: Congressional Public Health Summit for more information. Further, God speaks darkly of violence 56 times in the Old and New Testament of the KJV.]
  • Col. 3:8 But now ye also put off [apotithemi: rid yourself of, cast off, put away] all these; anger, wrath, malice [kakia: ill-will, desire to injure, wickedness, depravity, evil, trouble, not ashamed to break laws, etc.], blasphemy [blasphemia: impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty], filthy communication [aischrologia:foul speaking, low and obscene speech] out of your mouth.
  • 1Tim. 2:9 I also want women to dress modestly, ... ** "Nakedness" (display of nudity) is spoken of as dark, restricted, undesirable, shameful, etc. 47 times in the KJV from Genesis to Revelation. For example, Ezek. 16:36 "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers,..." thus associating display of nakedness with ill repute. Also, what makes display of nudity okay in entertainment/art if it is not okay in flesh? God even advised the priests not to climb the steps to the altar lest the wind expose their nudity to the people below in Exodus 20:26 "Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon." The display of nakedness, even accidental or the tease of it are not good in God's eyes. That a statue and chapel in Italy display nudity and that some bibles display nudity in them does not make it okay to do so. God did not put the nudity on the statue, in the chapel or in those bibles, men did. o Eph. 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. [Since "drunk" is methusko {meth-oos'-ko}: to intoxicate; make drunk; to get drunk; become intoxicated, "wine" can be any intoxicating substance including illegal drugs or abuse of prescription drugs. The issue is do not abuse the body by intoxicating it [1 Cor. 6:19]. Though it is not a sin to drink, it is a sin to get drunk OR to influence to get drunk OR to drink in defiance such as underage drinking.]

    ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry***
  • Jer. 37:9 This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, 'The Babylonians [the destroyers from within] will surely leave us.' They will not!
  • Ps. 12:8 The wicked freely strut about [e.g., create progressively vile/offensive entertainment with impunity and no consequences and present it to younger and younger audiences every year] when what is vile is honored among men [when enough people continue to defend it, embrace it, enjoy it, want it, submit to it. I call attention to Ps. 12:8 to warn of the creeping desensitizing power of "entertainment."]
  • Col. 2:8 Beware lest any man [by his influence] spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
  • 1 Cor. 15:33 Be not deceived: evil [kakov: of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be] communications corrupt good manners.
  • Rom. 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
  • Jude 1:4 For there are certain men* crept in unawares [secretly slipped in among us], who were before of old ordained to this condemnation [whose condemnation was written about long ago], ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [a license for immorality], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. [*men: anthropos {anth'-ro-pos}, generic, a human being, whether male or female]
  • Matt. 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
  • Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. [Offend: skandalizo {skan-dal-id'-zo} - scandalize; to entice to sin; to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey; to cause to fall away.]
  • Ps. 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me [let no sin rule over me].
  • John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
  • 1 Thess. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. ["Evil" includes all things that are sinful.]


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    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.
  • FINDINGS / SCORING:
    (The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)


    TRON: Legacy (2010) CAP Thermometers

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100
  • reckless driving, repeatedly
  • flight to avoid lawful arrest, repeatedly
  • breaking and entering, repeatedly
  • corporate theft and espionage
  • self endangerment
  • abduction, repeatedly
  • facial decimation, twice
  • physical assault, repeatedly
  • killing of character, repeatedly
  • reference to character genocide
  • character amputation
  • brutality

    Impudence/Hate (I) - 70 out of 100
  • five uses of profanity
  • child violence against caregiver
  • gloating over successful escape from police
  • son's disrespect of father
  • defiance of father's wisdom carrying great risk

    Sexual Immorality (S) - 66 out of 100
  • brief nudity
  • dressing to maximize the female form, frequent
  • camera angle/pose to force viewer on private parts, repeatedly
  • women cutting away a man's clothing to the skin

    Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 79 out of 100
  • booze
  • drinking, repeatedly

    Offense to God (O) - 91 out of 100
  • treating character as God with multiple references to :deity" and "Creator"

    Murder/Suicide (M) - 66 out of 100
  • character suicide, twice
  • character murder















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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 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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