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WASHINGTON (February 6, 1998) -- The 1-800-311-4CCC movie line reviews Blues Brothers 2000 for the week of February 6-12. Also included on the toll-free line is a review of Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, this week's suggested home video for family viewing.
The 800 movie review line is a project of the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC).
The February 6-12 list includes the following theater releases and their classifications according to moral suitability. Movies are evaluated according to artistic merit and moral suitability by the U.S. Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting.
- Blues Brothers 2000 -- Because of suggestive dancing with brief partial nudity, some comic violence, occasional crude expressions and an instance of profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Blues Brothers 2000 is a feel-good musical sequel in which Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd re-unites his band after 18 years, then is pursued by cops who think he kidnapped an orphan. Despite a weak storyline, the colorful production numbers by top musicians coupled with Aykroyd and John Goodman's humorous on-stage moves stage should please baby boomers.
- Stephen King's The Night Flier -- Because of excessive violence, menacing situations, occasional profanity and rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O -- morally offensive. Stephen King's The Night Flier is the tedious horror story of a cynical reporter on the trail of a vampire pilot who lands his plane on lonely, backcountry airstrips, then drains the blood from his victims. The concept of a supernatural fiend flying the unfriendly skies of America grows ridiculous long before ending in a repulsive blood bath.
- Great Expectations -- Because of some stylized violence, sexual situations, brief nudity, rough language and occasional profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Great Expectations presents a reworked and updated version of the Charles Dickens classic with Ethan Hawke as a poor Florida youth given the chance to make good in the New York art world, thanks to anonymous patron Robert De Niro. Adapting the Victorian story to a contemporary American setting results in an uneven, largely uncompelling coming-of-age tale.
- Deep Rising -- Because of gory fantasy violence, some rough language and a few instances of profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Deep Rising is a scary monster movie in which the passengers aboard a luxury cruise ship are being drained of their blood by monstrous sea serpents, while the survivors try to evade the relentless creatures. The movie doesn't bother with character development, relying instead on fearsome special effects as the horrific monsters chase their prey.
- Desperate Measures -- Because of much hard-edged violence, life-threatening situations, rough language and profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Desperate Measures is a violent thriller about homicidal convict Michael Keaton breaking loose in a hospital where he is to provide bone marrow for the dying son of policeman Andy Garcia. The wild chase through the hospital as the cop tries to keep the escaped killer alive or else lose his boy is too improbable to be satisfying and answers none of the moral questions raised about the cop's conflicting obligations to his son and the public.
- The Replacement Killers -- Because of excessive violence, some rough language and a few instances of profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. The Replacement Killers is a bullet-riddled action movie about a hitman targeted for death after refusing an assignment, who then gets help from a shady lady in his desperate attempts to escape. The mindless story shuffles unsympathetic characters from one bloody shootout to the next with boring predictability.
The family video of the week is Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland -- The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland is a beautifully animated tale based on Winsor McCay's turn-of-the-century comic strip about the strange but wonderful world a boy encounters in his dreams. The 1992 production makes good use of the original's delicate backdrops in fashioning a visually appealing work, but its busy storyline and abundance of characters may tax the attention of small children.
The classifications are A-I - general patronage; A-II - adults and adolescents; A-III - adults; A-IV - adults, with reservations (an A-IV classification designates problematic films that, while not morally offensive in themselves, require caution and some analysis and explanation as a safeguard against wrong interpretations and false conclusions); O - morally offensive.
The movie reviews are produced by the U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC) Office for Film and Broadcasting, which each week provides full length movies reviews, brief capsules and film classifications of new theater releases.
Reviewers include Henry Herx, Director, and Gerri Pare, Associate Director, of the Film and Broadcasting Office, which is funded by the CCC.
The capsule reviews are available on the World Wide Web. They can be found on two sites: http://www.nccbuscc.org and http://www.CatholicDigest.org/stops/movies/movies1.html.
Full-length reviews of the above and other movies are available through America Online at the Catholic News Service site on AOL, and can be accessed by AOL members using the keyword, "CNS."