USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - Watch Out for the New Mod Squad

Watch Out for the New Mod Squad

WASHINGTON (March 26, 1999) -- The 1-800-311-4CCC movie line reviews The Mod Squad for the week of March 26-April 1. Also included on the toll-free line is a review of The Adventures of Pinocchio, this week's suggested home video for family viewing.

The 800 movie review line is a project of the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC).

The March 26-April 1 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.

The Mod Squad -- Because of hokey violence, sexual situations, recurring 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. The Mod Squad is an inept movie based on a 30-year-old TV series about three young criminals given a second chance to work undercover for the police. Here, the trio is more punk than mod as they battle corrupt cops and drug traffickers in a disjointed story that lacks any sense of credibility.
The King and I -- The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. The King and I is a tuneful animated version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in which the stubborn king of 19th-century Siam hires a prim English schoolmarm to teach his many children Western ways but discovers he has much to learn himself. Contrived adventures enliven the pretty animation, but it's the splendid music and well-known lyrics that are more likely to entertain viewers young and old.
True Crime -- Because of its sympathetic treatment of adultery, brief violence, much rough language and recurring profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. In True Crime Clint Eastwood's disgraced and womanizing reporter races against time to prevent the execution at midnight of a black family man (played by Isaiah Washington) whom he believes is innocent of homicide. The character studies of the two contrasting men prove absorbing, however the climax is flawed by trite plot contrivances.
Forces of Nature -- Because of fleeting violence, sexual situations and references, occasional profanity and an instance of rough language, 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. Forces of Nature is a romantic comedy in which wedding-bound bridgroom Ben Affleck finds himself reluctantly attracted to free-spirited travelling companion Sandra Bullock after they survive a plane crash and continue together by train, bus and car. An appealing cast gives the loopy proceedings some bounce but it fails to achieve its intended screwball-comedy status.
Doug's First Movie -- The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. Doug's First Movie is an uninspired feature-length cartoon based on a children's TV series in which a two 12-year-old boys hide an E.T.-like creature that emerged from a polluted lake until it can be safely relocated to a new home. Flat, nearly static animation makes the skimpy tale seem to drag on long beyond its few charms have faded.
EDtv -- Because of implied affairs, fleeting nudity, numerous sexual references and intermittent 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. In EDtv a video store clerk (played by Matthew McConaughey) is paid to have his daily life televised but sudden fame leads to embarrassing family revelations and spooks his girlfriend. The predictable comedy goes for cheap laughs of the dumb-and-dumber variety while poking fun at the cult of celebrity.

The family video of the week is The Adventures of Pinocchio -- The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. The Adventures of Pinocchio is a charming tale about a kindly puppet carver (played by Martin Landau) whose enchanted wooden puppet (voice of Jonathan Taylor Thomas) yearns to become a real boy, but who must first learn not to lie and pass through several dangers before he can make his wish come true. Although there are a few scary moments for preschoolers, the live cast blends in nicely with the lifelike-looking animatronic puppet for a luminous storybook look.

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 movie 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/index.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."