'The Lorax' (Dr. Seuss) (2012)

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Dr. Seuss' famed tale of a 12-year-old boy searching for anything that might win the affection of the girl of his dreams explores the world of young love.  In order to gain her affection, Ted must learn and understand the story of the Lorax, a grumpy yet charming creature who is fighting to protect his world.

Our review:  Universal Studios and Illumination Entertainment, the creators of 'Despicable Me' pull out all the stops to bring this famed children's tale to life on-screen.  There isn't much to love about the walled city of Thneed-Ville, except Audrey.  Ted's voyage to seek out the Once-ler (a ruined old businessman in the wastelands) teaches a good lesson about being grateful for what you have.  Some have called 'The Lorax' a tale that only environmentalists would love, but we found that the story, like the book by Dr. Seuss, has much more to offer.  Geared towards children, this movie really does entertain adults nearly as much.  The lessons learned are ones that speak volumes about the first love of our lives, what we hold personally dear to us and that what we take for granted may be the very thing we need in our lives.

(Our rating)

Genre:  Family, Animation, Comedy

Rated PG for brief mild language

Starring the voices of:  Zac Efron, Taylor Swift and Danny DeVito

Family Guide:  There is some mystery to this movie and action that may startle younger children, but true violence is not a part of this film.  Most of the actions that could be construed as "violent" are playful actions or ones taken by the "villain(s)" in the film but do not actually depict more that fantasy and can be explained easily to children.  One use of the word 'damn' is in the film, but otherwise the only questionable language refers to childish name-calling and teasing.  Some children are frightened by the actions of the Once-ler who is the big villain in the film.

Directed by:  Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda

Writing credits:  Dr. Seuss (book); Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul (screenplay)

Official Movie Trailer:

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'The Secret World of Arrietty' (2012)

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From Walt Disney Studios and Studio Ghibli of Ponyo (and Academy Award-winning Spirited Away) comes the world of legendary creators Keiko Niwa and Hayao Miyazaki.  Based upon the book The Borrowers by Mary Norton, the tale is about little people called the 'Borrowers' who live peacefully behind the walls and floors in a world humans cannot dream to understand. Living off of the scraps that are left behind, these nearly invisible small people imagine their secret is safe until a tenacious 14-year-old Arrietty is spotted by 12-year-old boy Shawn who lives in his Aunt's home.  Arrietty makes Shawn promise not to reveal the secret world to protect her own family. 

Our review: The English language version of 7-time Academy Award-winning director Gary Rydstrom and Hiromasa Yonebayashi (his directorial debut) is an entertaining film about risk, friendship and the courage to face an uncertain future.  Arrietty (voiced by Bridgit Mendler) is fun to watch and the animation is fantastic!  A beautiful song, "Arriety's Song" is catchy and cute.  We identified with the characters, big and small, and found this to be a touching family movie we'd highly recommend.

(Our rating)

Genre:  Fantasy, Animation, Family, Adventure

Rated G

Starring: (voice talents, English) Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett and more...

Directed by:  Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Gary Rydstrom

Writing credits:  Mary Norton (novel), Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa (screenplay)

Official movie trailer:

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'Courageous' (2011)

From the creators of 'Fireproof' comes another DVD filled with modern-day troubles, a religious theme and inspirational scenes.  'Courageous' features four men who are Sherrif's Deputies in a crime-riddled world.  As law enforcement officers, they are expected to protect and serve their community.  Adam Mitchell (Alex Kendrick), Nathan Hayes (Ken Bevel), David Thomson (Ben Davies) and Shane Fuller (Kevin Downes) are truly commited to their roles on the force, yet they face other challenges none of them are quite prepared to encounter.

In believable situations, these four men find that not only are their roles as peace officers difficult, but their life experiences are arduous as well; they all seem to want more from their relationships as fathers.  One officer is off-duty when someone carjacks their vehicle while their infant is inside, forcing him to take extreme measures to retrieve his child.  Another is very involved with his work, but struggles to give the equal amount of time he would like to give to his wife, daughter and son.  The partner of one officer is struggling to have a relationship with a son he rarely sees due to divorce and another is dealing with a secret he's kept hidden; that he fathered a child he abandoned.

Their friendship is one where it isn't unusual for them to get together socially, and in a type of side-story, the viewers are introducted to Javier Martinez (Robert Amaya), a struggling family man who, in a case of mistaken identity, becomes a part of their group in a humorous and emotional way.  After tragedy strikes, the reality of the things they are missing as fathers hits home.  Each man is quickly faced with decisions about their dreams and their faith while wrestling with fears and insecurities.  They are everyday heroes who want to make a positive impact on their children.

'Courageous' is the fourth film from Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.  In the tradition of their faith-based movies, this film expresses how spiritual men deal with sometimes unimaginable tragedy and the blessings of hope.  The commitments they make outside of their jobs are only part of what makes them courageous.

Our review:  This movie is a great family film.  While it addresses crime, gangs, violence and some drug content in the context of the roles of police officers, the lack of curse words is almost refreshing.  While some watchers may not find the religious aspects mesh well with the premise of a movie about police officers, others will find that faith-based movies are a nice change of pace from the typical 'cop' movies where violence and disturbing scenes are mainly the focus of the film.

(Our rating)

Genre: Drama, Family
Rated PG 13

Starring:  Alex Kendrick, Ken Bevel, Ben Davies, Kevin Downes

Released by: 

• Provident Films, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment; Tri-Star and Sherwood Pictures.

Co-Written and Directed by: Alex Kendrick
Co-Written and Produced by: Stephen Kendrick
Executive Producers: Michael Catt and Jim McBride