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Reel World Reality A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR2011.152  (2011), PG-13 [R-13*] (113.75min) The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. Over 1300 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Production (US): DreamWorks SKG, Imagine Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Reliance Entertainment, Relativity Media. K/O Paper Products, Fairview Entertainment, Platinum Studios Distribution (US): Universal Home Entertainment Director(s): Jon Favreau Producer(s): Steve Spielberg, Jon Favreau, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Alex Kurtzamn, Robert Orci, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Chris Wade, Dan Forcey, Karen Gilchrist, Denis L. Stewart, Bobby Cohen, Randy Greensburg, Ryan Kavanaugh Based on Platinum Studios' Cowboys and Aliens by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg Screen Story by: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Steve Oedekerk Screenplay by: Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby Cinematography/Camera: Matthew Libatique Music: Harry Gregson-Williams Film Editing: Dan Lebental, Jim May Casting: Sarah Halley Finn Production Design: Scott Chambliss Viewed on Universal Home Entertainment DVD  The MPAA's moral "radar", if they have any, is defective. It is sometimes bewildering how much the MPAA will let slip by under the PG-13 radar. Each of the six CAP content investigation areas found content in Cowboys & Aliens to be equivalent to most R-rated films. This film is about as "R" as PG-13 can get. The plot and story are simple: aliens come to to Arizona to take over the Earth for its gold. But they come in the 19th century, in 1873. Wanted man Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the wilderness in an unarmed amnesic daze with a wound in his right side. Though he remembers nothing, not even his name, the caliber of his experience is revealed as three heavily armed scalp-carrying thugs try to haul him in for a possible bounty -- the thugs thought the "iron" on his left wrist was a remnant of shackles. In seconds all three thugs are dead and Jake rides off with whatever he needed from the thugs. Arriving in a played-out gold mining town, Jake invades a preacher's house to freshen up. At gunpoint, the preacher, Meacham (Clancy Brown) is the one who discovers Jake can't remember anything ... except English. After dressing and stitching Jake's wound, gunfire starts peppering the town. The shooter is Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), the spoiled, rich-kid son of war hero Col. Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), the man who owns the town. In Percy's drunken frenzy while shooting up the town he wounds a deputy so the Sheriff, John Taggart (Keith Carradine) has to arrest him and hold him for the US Marshal. Outside of town three of Dolarhyde's men, Ed (Gavin Grazer), Mickey (Wyatt Russell) and Murphy (Toby Huss) tending to some cattle have the first encounter with the invading aliens. In a drunken stupor as Murphy tries to relieve himself in the river, explosions blast him into the water. Once the explosions are over Murphy finds his two fellow cowhands gone and the cattle blown up. Murphy has just had a close encounter of the second kind. From there the story and plot build. But since this DVD was just released I will not spoil any more of the story. Besides, I am not a movie critic and most of our readers visit our pages to learn about the content of films. Let me get into that now. Following are brief discussions of the content per individual content investigation area. As always the Findings section of this report, the heart of the CAP Analysis Model, is the best source for discovering the full accounting of the content of this film. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Violence in this film is brutal at times and consists mainly of action violence, many of them with killings by the aliens ... graphically. But there are many other forms of violence portrayed in this film, far too many to even try to summarize here. Please look to the listing in the Findings section for a complete accounting of the violence content of this film. So many forms of violence begs of God's soldiers being reminded of His Word about violence. In Proverb 16:29 God warns us that violence is "catching": that violence can lead one "into the way that is not good." Since God "published His findings" man has plagiarized His Word by four professional public health agencies publishing that viewing violence in and as entertainment can, among other things, lead to real life violence and can lead the observer to believe violence is an acceptable way to settle conflict, both especially by the young. Impudence/Hate (I) - 3 out of 100 Twenty-seven times someone utters some form of profanity [Col. 3:8, Eph. 5:4] Additional matters of impudence are portrayed such as home invasion as a convenience, extortion by firearm, adolescent defiance of adult wisdom, and portrayal of the American Indian as whooping, blood-thirsty savages [Gal. 3:28]. Sexual Immorality (S) - 47 out of 100 Sexually immoral behavior and display in this film includes multiple crotch kicks, dropping pants to defecate with flash nudity, suggestion of intercourse, innuendo about masturbation and oral sex, peeping, brief female rear nudity and a couple additional items noted in the Findings section. All of these items are in defiance of God's will that we remain chaste until marriage and free of crudity. God's verses specifying sexual immorality can be summed up as any sexual contact (including sight and sound), conduct or activity outside of a monogamous heterosexual marriage is immoral. [Col. 3:5] Mortify those desires to have or do or think what is shameful even to mention [Eph. 5:12, Eph. 5:4]. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 21 out of 100 This film presents that which the American College of Physicians (ACP) warns against: drinking and drunkenness. A 2002 study by the American College of Physicians (ACP) revealed that adolescent exposure to drinking in and as entertainment undeniably leads to abuse of alcohol among underage viewers. The finding entitled Relation Between Parental Restrictions on Movies and Adolescent Use of Tobacco and Alcohol reports that of 4544 youths from grades 5 through 8 of fifteen Vermont and New Hampshire middle schools (90% of the youths were under fourteen years old) only 16% were completely restricted in their entertainment diets. Within the ACP study population, the prevalence of having tried alcohol without parental knowledge was The study also warns against viewing smoking in and as entertainment for the same reason - emboldenment. This film presents some of that, too. Offense to God (O) - 47 out of 100 Four times someone abuses God's name with the four letter expletive and four times without it. I can find nothing in the Scriptures that makes using God's name in vain without the four letter expletive man has attached to it any less a violation that with it. Each time, with or without the expletive is a sin, even the teen-popular three syllable sentence with His name trailing it. [Deut. 5:11] Also of great concern is a false statement made by the preacher. He said "Whether you end up in Heaven or Hell, it's not God's plan, it's your own." It appears to be a carefully engineered comment but it confuses what is hopefully the intent of the comment. While it is indeed up to each of us whether we chose to believe that Jesus is Lord and the resurrected Savior (end up in Heaven), it is not God's plan for anyone to perish (be eternally condemned to Hell). [2 Pet. 3:9] "Perish", as used in 2 Pet 3:9, is apollumi and means to lose, to be lost which means eternally separated ... eternally lost, separated, from the Father which means condemned to Hell. So, to say "Whether you end up in Heaven or Hell, it's not God's plan, it's your own" is dangerously misleading. While it is certainly up to you to make the Decision to accept Jesus as Lord and resurrected Savior, it is God's plan that you be saved, not lost. Murder/Suicide (M) - 50 out of 100 There are many killings by aliens that some might consider murder but in the CAP Analysis Model, deaths by acts of self-defense, war or police action are not considered murder. Though the aliens were on our turf, they acted in a way any race would when someone is trying to kill them. Note however, that while many of the killings by the aliens were not considered murder, they were incorporated into the Wanton Violence/Crime content investigation area. Portrayals of killing of defenseless humans by the aliens were considered murder. There were at least six murders by the aliens. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. CHAPTER/VERSE --> Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts. Children exposed to violence are more likely to assume the acts of violence are acceptable behavior. --> Viewing violence can lead to emotional desensitization towards violence in real life. It can decease the likelihood that one will take action on behalf of a victim when violence occurs. --> Entertainment violence feeds a perception that the world is a violent and mean place. Viewing violence increases fear of becoming a victim of violence, with a resultant increase in self-protective behavior and a mistrust of others. --> Viewing violence may lead to real life violence. Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a higher tendency for violent and aggressive behavior later in life than children who are not so exposed. Further, God speaks darkly of violence 56 times in the Old and New Testament of the KJV.] As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
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(The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)  Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 3 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 47 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 21 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 47 out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 50 out of 100 |
| There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
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| For G rated Films with G equivalence: G PG equivalence: PG-G PG-13 equivalence: 13-G R equivalence: R-G< | For PG rated Films with G equivalence: G-PG PG equivalence: PG PG-13 equivalence: 13-PG R equivalence: R-PG | For PG-13 rated Films with G equivalence: G-13 PG equivalence: PG(13) PG-13 equivalence: PG-13 R equivalence: R-13 | For R rated Films with G equivalence: G-R PG equivalence: PG-R PG-13 equivalence: 13-R R equivalence: R | For NR rated Films with G equivalence: G-NR PG equivalence: PG-NR PG-13 equivalence: 13-NR R equivalence: R-NR |
