Moe: Hey, Joe, I’ve been out of circulation all summer and I’m ready to see something on the big screen. You always see a lot of movies. What can you steer me to?
Joe: Well, I’ve seen a whole lot of flicks this summer. What do you feel like? Something serious? Something lighthearted?
Moe: Just something that holds my interest and has good values. What about the new Harry Potter movie? I’ve heard it’s really good. Have you seen that?
Joe: You mean Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban? Yes, I saw it. I liked the first two Harry Potter movies, but I thought this one left a lot to be desired.
Moe: How so?
Joe: It keeps the action coming, but that’s all there is, really—no real character development and not much tension. Great actresses like Maggie Smith and Emma Thompson are wasted. And, say what you will about the harmlessness of “benign witchcraft,” I’m still bothered by statements like Hermione being called “the best witch of her time,” as if that were something young girls should aspire to.
Moe: OK. What else have you seen?
Joe: Well, believe it or not, Spiderman II is one of the best.
Moe: Seriously? Isn’t it pretty juvenile?
Joe: There’s a certain comic book quality to it, sure. But Spiderman is an admirable character. The movie is about his moral struggles and his desire to do the right thing. The subplot involving the evil scientist goes a little over the top, but it’s a good picture overall.
Moe: All right. Now what about The Manchurian Candidate? Have you seen that?
Joe: Yep, sure have. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it’s really exciting and keeps your attention the whole time. On the other, it doesn’t hold a candle to the original.
Moe: I never saw the original. You say it was better?
Joe: It sure was. You know there’s a local reviewer who said there are a lot of good things about the remake but it just wasn’t necessary. I agree with her. Why remake a movie that was a classic to begin with? In the first version, which came out in 1962, the threat of evil communism was the issue. In the remake, it’s the threat of evil corporations. Denzel Washington does a good job as the main character, and Meryl Streep is good as a senator, but she can’t approach Angela Lansbury’s performance in the original. Go and see it if you want, but keep in mind that it’s rated R. You should get the video of the 1962 movie and compare the two. And be warned that in the remake there’s a lot of swearing and taking the Lord’s name in vain.
Moe: Anything else you can recommend?
Joe: Yes. The Village. When I first saw it I wasn’t sure how well I liked it, but the more I think about it the better it seems. It was directed by the same fellow who made The Sixth Sense.
Moe: Hmm. What’s it about?
Joe: Well, I have to be careful here because if I say too much about the plot, I’ll give away the surprise—and that’s what makes the movie really enjoyable. I guess I can say it’s about some people who live in an isolated village they can’t leave. There’s something terrifying in the forest surrounding their village.
Moe: Sounds like a monster movie. What’s so good about it?
Joe: It deals with being in the world versus of the world, and, indirectly, original sin. There’s absolutely no offensive language, sexual innuendo, or anything of the kind. There is some implied violence. The acting is terrific.
Moe: OK. That’s food for thought. Now, if you had to rate these movies, what would you give them?
Joe: Let me think … OK, Harry Potter, 2 stars. Spiderman II, 3 stars. The Manchurian Candidate, 3 stars. The Village, 3 stars.
Moe: I’m going to see them just to find out if I agree with you or not.
Film Ratings:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: PG
Spiderman II:PG-13
The Manchurian Candidate: R
The Village: PG-13
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