Becky and I went to see “The Family Stone” on Friday night. The Fandango website at Family Stone describes the movie as follows:

“In this romantic comedy, a man brings his icy girlfriend home for Christmas to meet his family. Overwhelmed by their hostile reception, she calls in her sister for emotional support, which only triggers further chaos.”

The Review
The preview will have you believing that this is a romantic comedy about an ordinary family and their crazy Christmas. The reality is that it’s about a dysfunctional family going through a mid-life crisis. The mother is the head of the household and the father is a marshmallow, each of the children has an identity crisis, with a quarter of the movie dedicated to a deaf and homosexual sibling, along with his gay husband, and their wanting to a adopt a child.

A friend of ours who saw this film said, “It’s like a bunch of friends sat around and got drunk to write this script and threw everything they could into it.”

So far this Christmas, Hollywood has released RENT about the lesbian lovers, Brokeback Mountain about the gay cowboys and now The Family Stone with the homosexual deaf son. With all the scripts that are sent to Hollywood today, it would appear that if you include something to do with gays or lesbians, you will have a far better chance of getting a movie made.

The whole movie wasn’t about the gay son, but the story is lame on so many levels it wasn’t worth the trip. Mom is sick, the one son wants to travel to see the Buddha and is marrying the wrong girl who will fall for his brother and he will fall for his fiance’s sister. There is another sister who was in the Sex in the City series with Sarah Jessica Parker who must have been given a role because she was friends with Sarah Jessica because she has no real part in the film. It’s a goofy flick all the way around, but I know that some people really liked it. We obviously didn’t.

Our recommendation is Don’t Bother unless you are interested in watching a poorly done film with a Hollywood agenda that is the complete opposite of a Norman Rockwell painting.

John – * Don’t Bother
Becky – * Don’t Bother
_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with Centennial Leasing & Sales in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide!
Call or write John about your next vehicle!
jboyd@coolcarguy.com
Phone: 720-771-6269m

Becky and I went to see “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” with our kids on Friday. Our church actually rented out the movie theater and we went with other church members and their familes. The Fandango website at Chronicles of Narnia describes the movie as follows:

“Four London children discover a wardrobe that transports them to the land of Narnia. Narnia is ruled by a cruel witch, who keeps the land in a perpetual state of winter and turns all who cross her into stone. The children join forces with the lion Aslan. Together, they use their strengths to battle the witch, sparking a great battle between good and evil.”

The Review
The classic book by Christian author C.S. Lewis that sold over 100 million copies has finally come to life on the big screen. With the release of this film there has been a great deal of discussion about whether or not this is just a fantasy world created by C.S. Lewis or if he buried the Gospel message of redemption into the popular children’s book.

I saw his stepson claim on Nightline that “Jack” (C.S. Lewis name among friends) didn’t have the intention of using the book to tell the Gospel story. My comment would be that even if that was not Lewis’s intention when he wrote it, the fact that he had God’s Holy Spirit living within him being a gifted minister of the Gospel (even if he claimed to be a layman), that’s what happened. Anyone who has read Screwtape Letters or Mere Christianity knows that C.S. Lewis had an intimate relationship with Christ.

Let me illustrate a couple of examples and you will see what I mean.

The Wardrobe: The world of Narnia is an unseen realm that can only be entered into through a large unique wardrobe. A child cannot just imagine themselves into Narnia, they must enter into it for real by the act of going physically through the door and past the coats. In the same way, a person cannot intellectually understand the Bible with their mind. They must enter the spirit world of Almighty by the conscious act of being born again through faith in Christ. Only then does the spiritual realm and the word of God become a reality. Narnia exists, the spirit world exists, but only those who enter the wardrobe may partake in the adventure and engage with the inhabitants.

The Witch: Once inside Narnia the children discover a witch who is descended from Lilith and the giants. She isn’t human, but claims to be the rightful Queen of Narnia. This is significant because Lilith, in Jewish mythology, was Adam’s first wife. She left him as a rebellion and the legend says that she was created from dust just as Adam was, and she argued why she should be treated as his equal. After she abandoned Adam, God created Eve from Adam’s own rib, so that Eve would be inherently subservient to Adam.

This doesn’t come out in the movie, which I felt was too bad because it shows what Lewis was thinking in bringing the world of Narnia and Earth together. It better explains why the prophecy and the importance of destroying the son’s of Adam and daughter’s of Eve are significant. I’m sure that since Lilith is a myth in Judaism and not considered a Biblical fact it was elected to be left out, so as not to confuse the audience, which was too bad.

In the book of Genesis we find that the serpent (Satan) decieved Eve is given a prophecy by God that her and Adam’s decendent will destroy his authority over the world bringing about his destruction. This same type of prophecy has been given to the witch about the decendants of Adam and Eve. When you see the movie, watch for these similarities.

The Lion: In scripture the Messiah is referred to as “The Lion of the tribe of Judah”. We know from history that Jesus was also called the “Lamb of God” who would take away the sins of the world through his own sacrificial gift. He was that son of Adam (Son of Man) who fulfilled the prophecies given by God to destroy Satan’s authority. We are also informed that had Satan known that by killing the Son of God he would have brought about his own destruction, he would have never allowed the atonement to take place. In the movie we see something similar transpire with Aslan the King making a choice that only he could make.

We also see that Aslan the King lion has supreme authority that the witch cannot undermine. We discover in the story that the witch doesn’t know what the king knows nor can she use her powers against him like the other creatures of Narnia. In fact, she comes before him and meets with him knowing that he will not harm her. She demands blood for the sins of the son of Adam. This is extremely significant to anyone who studies the Bible since we know from the book of Job that Satan appears before God to bring accusation against mankind. We also know that Satan continually attempted to use God’s word against him and demanded payment for the sins of men. In addition, we know that without the shedding of blood there can be no remission for sins, which again is shown in the world of Narnia as well.

The Animals: Christians believe that there will come a day when Christ returns that Satan will be locked up and that the lion will lie down with the lamb and eat grass as the ox. At that time, a child will be able to pick up a poisonous snake without fear of being killed by it. What a great picture of a world that has been redeemed from the consequence of sin and an illustration of true peace on earth. It’s pretty cool that in Narnia when Aslan returns and the witch is destroyed that Winter will end and there will be peace among all the creatures.

It’s also interesting that the animals can talk since we find in the Bible that there is a prophet called Balaam who was rebuked by his donkey for disobeying God. The donkey actually speaks to him as a man when he smacks his donkey for saving his life. Everyone also knows the story of Adam and Eve and that there was a time when animals could talk before the Earth became cursed, since the serpent spoke to Eve to decieve her. I have to believe that C.S. Lewis knew this and brought the concept of animals having the ability to speak into the world of Narnia from his knowledge of the Bible.

in conclusion, this is a great movie because it’s a fantastic story of redemption and salvation. Whether or not you are a Christian, you and your family should really enjoy this story and be greatly entertained. It’s a classic story of good verses evil and makind’s reluctance to think outside the box.

We all loved it and recommend that you don’t miss it. Especially, if you’re a fan of the mythological creatures of Middle Earth found in The Lord of the Rings.

John – **** Don’t Miss It
Becky – **** Don’t Miss it

The Kids Review
Conroy – **** Don’t Miss It
Corban – **** Don’t Miss It
Bianca – *** Don’t Miss It
_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with Centennial Leasing & Sales in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide!
Call or write John about your next vehicle!
jboyd@coolcarguy.com
Phone: 720-771-6269m

Becky and I went to see “AEON Flux” on Friday night. The Fandango website at AEON Flux describes the movie as follows:

“It is the 25th century. A virus has decimated mankind. The few remaining survivors are gathered in one last city. Political conflicts, though, have taken their toll. Into this setting, acrobatic assassin Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) makes a dangerous trek to take out the government’s top leader.”

The Review
Becky thought that AEON Flux could be renamed to AEON Sucks. This was a really cheesy Sci-Fi movie that was about as good as a bad episode of Star Trek. Becky liked it so much that about a third of the way into the movie she said, “See ya.” and she left to watch “Walk The Line” again. I stayed for the ending and discovered the fiendish plot that was taking place on the futuristic fantasy island. They could have added a midget, who said “the plane boss”, and it would have been more entertaining.

Oh, that’s right, it wasn’t an island, it was the last city on earth complete with beautiful killer clones (Charlize Theron) out for revenge on the evil clone empire. At one point, I was thinking that I could have stayed home and watched Tomb Raider again, with Angelina Jolie, and wasted about as much time watching a beautiful woman bounce around in strange clothes. I was also thinking that I should have been getting paid to see this movie.

AEON Flux is a boring movie that will require about the same amount of brain power as watching Blade 3. I won’t give it a don’t bother since some people like Sci-Fi flicks, no matter how bad they are, and will probably enjoy this film as a dollar Rental. I didn’t think it was worth a trip to the box office and Becky doesn’t think you should ever bother seeing it.

John – ** Rental
Becky – * Don’t Bother
_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with Centennial Leasing & Sales in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide!
Call or write John about your next vehicle!
jboyd@coolcarguy.com
Phone: 720-771-6269m

Becky and I went to see “Pride and Prejudice” on Friday night. The Fandango website at Pride and Prejudice describes the movie as follows:

“The classic tale of love and misunderstanding unfolds in class-conscious England near the close of the 18th century. The five Bennet sisters – Elizabeth, or Lizzie (Keira Knightley), Jane (Rosamund Pike), Lydia (Jena Malone), Mary (Talulah Riley), and Kitty (Carey Mulligan) – have been raised well aware of their mother’s (two-time Academy Award nominee Brenda Blethyn) fixation on finding them husbands and securing set futures. The spirited and intelligent Elizabeth, however, strives to live her life with a broader perspective, as encouraged by her doting father (two-time Golden Globe Award winner Donald Sutherland).”

The Review
Pride and Prejudice is a great chick flick that will appeal to a very wide audience. The theater we went to was packed with a variety of people wanting to see a great romantic drama that is sure to become a classic.

The story takes place in England when women of low degree were to be seen and not heard. Keira Knightley plays a modern woman who is less concerned about securing a husband for financial gain and more interested in expressing herself as a person.

It’s a very good film that kept our interest from start to finish. Becky is not a big fan of historical or period films and she enjoyed it, so that says a great deal. Pride and Prejudice was a refreshing film where the characters had depth and you could get emotionally involved in the story. The choreography of the film, including the ballroom dances, along with the building architecture and landscape were beautiful.

If you are looking for a good movie to see this holiday season be sure and go see Pride and Prejudice.

John – *** Worth The Trip
Becky – *** Worth The Trip
_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with Centennial Leasing & Sales in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide!
Call or write John about your next vehicle!
jboyd@coolcarguy.com
Phone: 720-771-6269m

Becky and I went to see “Yours, Mine and Ours” with our kids today. The Fandango website at Yours, Mine and Ours describes the movie as follows:

“Two single parents, one with ten children and one with eight, attempt a romance despite their children’s saboteur ways.”

The Review
This was a good clean family film about two completely different families that came together, much like the Brady Bunch. It was pretty far fetched, but the kids enjoyed it. Our son Corban laughed so hard at a few scenes that his elder brother Conroy, who was sitting next to him, had to tell him to be quiet.

It wasn’t a great movie, but it was fun and the kids really liked it. We both enjoyed it too and Rene Russo and Dennis Quaid were good together. I would like to see them together in another film in the future. There was enough drama and comedy with this script that we wouldn’t be surprised if there is a sequel.

John – *** Worth The Trip
Becky – *** Worth The Trip

The Kids Review
Conroy – **** Don’t Miss It
Corban – **** Don’t Miss It
Bianca – *** Worth The Trip
_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with Centennial Leasing & Sales in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide!
Call or write John about your next vehicle!
jboyd@coolcarguy.com
Phone: 720-771-6269m

Becky and I went to see “Just Friends” on Wednesday night. The Fandango website at Just Friends describes the movie as follows:

“A man has his heart broken by a woman who tells him that she just wants to be friends. He moves across the country and refashions himself into a calculated womanizer. When the girl he really loved reappears in his life, he reconsiders his past persona.”

The Review
There are a few good laughs in this movie and some really stupid situations that are pretty funny. If you know that you’re going into a goofball romantic comedy and your expectations are low to begin with, you should like this film.

Ryan Reynolds is great as a former high school dork turned L.A. music promoter and womanizer. Amy Smart plays the high-school hottie – “girl of his dreams”. Anna Faris is hilarious as the hot blonde, bubble gum singing, bimbo. Ryan’s younger brother in the film has a massive crush on her with posters of her all over his bedroom. It’s pretty funny. They cast Chris Klein as a jerk in the film and the complete opposite character of his role in American Pie.

Don’t expect much and you should like this movie, but it will be better as a rental. Especially, given the high price of admission to get into movie theaters these days.

John – ** Rental
Becky – ** Rental
_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with Centennial Leasing & Sales in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide!
Call or write John about your next vehicle!
jboyd@coolcarguy.com
Phone: 720-771-6269m

I took Conroy, Corban and their friend Willy Hotzfield to see the new Harry Potter movie the other night. The Fandango website at Harry Potter Goblet of Fire describes the movie as follows:

“Harry Potter is chosen along with three other wizards by the Goblet of Fire to compete in the dangerous Tri-Wizard tournament. Harry’s schoolmates are suspicious of the Goblet’s choice, however, as the tournament usually involves seventh-year students, and Harry is only in his fourth. With his best friends not on speaking terms, the possible return of Voldemort, and a crush on lovely Cho Chang, Harry has enough trouble navigating the murkey waters of adolescence much less competing in the tournament.”

The Review
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the latest film in the J.K. Rowling book series. Obviously there is a huge market for this movie since it grossed over $100 million in ticket sales opening weekend. The young characters have aged now from 11 to 14 and the stories and issues that they deal with have naturally become more complex.

The film is scarier than previous versions, which has earned it a PG-13 rating with one of the characters dying in a challenge. Like the last movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, this film has much to offer in the way of excitement and thrills. It’s amazing that they were able to condense a 700 plus page book into a two and a half hour movie and there is plenty going on to keep you entertained.

There are plenty of great special effects and actions, including battles with dragons and strange underwater creatures. Harry’s arch enemy is back and there are a few twists that will keep you guessing what will happen next. All of us enjoyed this latest Harry Potter movie and are looking forward to the next one.

John – *** Worth The Trip

The Kids Review
Conroy – **** Don’t Miss It
Corban – **** Don’t Miss It
Willy – **** Don’t Miss It
_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with Centennial Leasing & Sales in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide!
Call or write John about your next vehicle!
jboyd@coolcarguy.com
Phone: 720-771-6269m

Becky and I went to see “Walk The Line” last night. The Fandango website at Walk The Line describes the movie as follows:

“Joaquin Phoenix stars as the legendary Johnny Cash in this biopic about the musician’s early days. Reese Witherspoon co-stars as the love of his life, June Carter. From picking cotton, selling door to door, serving in the Air Force, and becoming the original rebel rocker, it’s a colorful portrait of a man who impacted rock and roll forever.”

The Review
“Hello, I’m Johnny Cash” was the trademark of this legend of country music. Even if you’re not a fan of country music you can’t help but love the story telling songs of Johnny Cash.

Reese Witherspoon was fantastic as June Carter. I don’t want to give away the movie, but it was a great film about the struggles that Johnny Cash went through as a home grown, unique and famous musician. I didn’t realize that he toured around with Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis and that he was the one who coined the phrase, “Thank you very much”. The film also let you in on his personal music interests that he was one of the first Bob Dylan fans. His family life was a total mess and his relationship with his father was a disaster, but there is a redeeming aspect to the film and his life.

The part of the film about his pill popping drug addiction was a bit too long for us, but it was obviously much longer for him. Joaquin Pheonix did a great job making you believe that he was the real Johnny Cash. It’s a very well done movie that I would watch a second time. We didn’t realize that June Carter was the one who wrote the famous “Ring of Fire” song out of her love for Johnny and there are other things that you will learn about this man that you didn’t know. It’s a pretty cool movie for guys and gals alike.

The bottom line is that this is a great flick that you don’t want to miss. Thank you very much.

John – **** Don’t Miss It
Becky – *** Worth The Trip
_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with Centennial Leasing & Sales in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide!
Call or write John about your next vehicle!
jboyd@coolcarguy.com
Phone: 720-771-6269m

Becky and I went to see “Derailed” tonight at a new movie theater in Castle Rock. The Fandango website at Derailed describes the movie as follows:

“Ad executive Charles and business woman Lucinda meet on a commuter train in Chicago. Despite both being happily married, their flirtation escalates into something more. Unfortunately for the new couple, a ruthless criminal is aware of their relationship, and he threatens to expose the pair if he is not paid. With their families at risk, Charles and Lucinda must try and find a way to turn the tables on their blackmailer.”

The Review
Derailed is an arousing thriller that has several unexpected plot twists. It will keep you guessing how the lead character, Clive Owen, is going to get out of the mess he got himself into with his wandering lustful eyes.

A few parts of the film are a bit goofy, like his family life being such a mess when he has so much invested with a sick child and the fact that he would pay so much money without protecting himself. It is a very violent film, a few loose ends that were never fully tied up, but the story kept our interest. Becky thought it was too violent and I was looking more at the story than the violence. Jennifer Aniston was believable in her role as a victim trying to keep a secret and there are some wild situations we didn’t expect.

We both liked it and thought it was Worth The Trip.

John – *** Worth The Trip
Becky – ** Rental

_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with Centennial Leasing & Sales in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide!
Call or write John about your next vehicle!
jboyd@coolcarguy.com
Phone: 720-771-6269

Becky and I went to see “Chicken Little” tonight with the kids. The Fandango website at Fandango Chicken Little describes the movie as follows:

“This time the sky really is falling in Walt Disney Pictures’ new computer animated film Chicken Little. This epic tale presents a new twist to the classic fable of a young chicken who causes widespread panic when he mistakes a falling acorn for a piece of the sky. In this hilarious adventure, Chicken Little is determined to restore his reputation. But just as things are starting to go his way, a real piece of the sky lands on his head! Suspense, chaos, and plenty of laughs ensue as Chicken Little and his band of misfit friends, Abby Mallard (aka Ugly Duckling), Runt of the Litter and Fish Out of Water, attempt to save the world without sending the town into a whole new panic. This time, when it comes to saving the world, it helps to be a little chicken.”

The Review
The kids really enjoyed this movie and so did we. What’s not to like about a good animated cartoon with lots of laughs. Chicken Little has a great deal of adult humor and the message is directed more toward the Dad’s in the film than the kids. It has an exciting story with enough content and characters to keep the kiddo’s entertained. The animation was well done too. It’s quite different than we expected and probably because it’s post Pixar for Disney. The “Fish out of Water” characer is a hoot. We’re saying that this one is Worth The Trip.

By the way, if you haven’t seen Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of The Were-Rabbit yet, be sure and catch that one before it leaves the theaters.

John – *** Worth The Trip
Becky – *** Worth The Trip

The Kids Review
Corban – **** Don’t Miss It
Bianca – **** Don’t Miss It
Conroy – **** Don’t Miss It

_________________________________________________________________________
Auto Broker – John Boyd “The Cool Car Guy”
John is an automotive consultant with Centennial Leasing & Sales in Denver, Colorado. He can help you save time and money on any make or model, new or used, lease or purchase – nationwide!
Call or write John about your next vehicle!
jboyd@coolcarguy.com
Phone: 720-771-6269