Anchored by two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank, “Ordinary Angels” gives us an extraordinary, well-crafted story. “Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children” is really a movie just for the fans and without a bit of backstory you’ll likely step out amazed at how incomprehensible it all is.
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Ordinary Angels – In Theaters
“I’m broken, Ed,” Sharon confesses. “I always have been.”
All of us, perhaps, could say that.
Sharon — this firecracker, Tasmanian Devil of a hairdresser — is in some ways a microcosm of who we are, and who we should be. She’s broken, and deeply so. We see evidence of her brokenness throughout the movie. But as she says herself, she’s “meant” to help. She’s meant to be better.
And even in our own brokenness, we can all be better, too. We can care more. Help more. Give more. Sometimes, we can push past our broken natures. We can find ourselves a little closer to being the people that God always designed us to be.
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“Ordinary Angels,” directed by Jon Gunn (whom we had a chance to interview on our podcast), is based on a real story — one that indeed featured ordinary angels all around. Anchored by two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank and featuring a powerful performance by Alan Ritchson (best known as the mountain-like “Reacher “on Amazon Prime) While rooted in a sense of faith and meaning — holding hope in the midst of unanswerable questions and unimaginable difficulty — the story’s not preachy. The faith we see here feels utterly organic, utterly true.
“Ordinary Angels” comes with a few rougher edges than you might find in some Christian films. Sharon’s alcoholism isn’t glossed over. Michelle’s failing liver comes with sometimes frightening symptoms, and the fact that such a little girl can be so sick might scare children and grieve adults.
But that’s life too, right? Kids get scared, no matter how we try to protect them. Bad things happen. And even if we keep them off our screens, they can force their way into our lives. “Ordinary Angels” reminds us, though, that when disaster strikes, we can find hope in the brokenness.
As Ed Schmitt’s pastor would say, we have God. And we have each other.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children – In Theaters
“Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children” is one of those anime actioners that ought to be labeled with the disclaimer, “For Fans Only.” Because without a bit of backstory understanding (such as having played the 1997 role-playing video game “Final Fantasy VII”, or 2020’s “Final Fantasy VII: Remake”) you’ll likely step out of this pic, well, amazed at how incomprehensible it all is. The plotline and character introductions are a thin as tissue paper. So, Who are these people? and What did I just watch? will likely be at the top of your list of questions.
Let me answer that latter one.
This bombastic, crashing, bashing and slashing feature first came out in 2005 as a slick, direct-to-video CGI movie aimed at the franchise’s hardcore devotees. And the current “director’s cut” version is being played in theaters for two days as an advertisement, of sorts, for the new “Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth” game that’s releasing on Feb. 29.
If you’re a fan, you know all this.
If you’re not a fan and decide to head on in anyway, you’ll see a fast-paced animated film cram-packed with whirling, good-guy-versus-bad-guy battle scenes. Those motorcycle-speeding and skyscraper-leaping skirmishes aren’t gory. But they do feature sword slashes and gun blasts, gnashing magical monsters, a super-villain’s “ghost,” and a lot of hard-driving music in the soundtrack. You’ll also be wading into a world of corrupted spirituality that’s peppered with more foul language than you might expect from a game movie.
No matter what you decide to do, however, one thing is for certain: In light of all the many games, movies and TV shows already dedicated to this classic franchise, this won’t be the final Final Fantasy.
Editor’s Note: Fathom Events will be screening an English-dubbed version of this rereleased 2004 film in theaters on Feb. 21, while the Japanese with English subtitles version screens on Feb. 22.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
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