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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 MAR28005  (2007), PG-13 [Hard PG*] (1hr 32min) 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 1200 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.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution (US): Warner Bros. Pictures Director(s): Francis Lawrence Producer(s): Akiva Goldsman, David Heyman, James Lassiter, Neal H. Moritz, Erwin Stoff, Michael Tadross, Tracy Tormé, Jeffrey Wetzel Novel: John William Corrington Screenplay: Mark Protosevich, Akiva Goldsman. Richard Matheson. 1971: Joyce Hooper Corrington Cinematography/Camera: Andrew Lesnie Music: James Newton Howard Film Editing: Wayne Wahrman Casting: Kathleen Chopin Production Design: Naomi Shohan Art Direction: Howard Cummings, William Ladd Skinner, Patricia Woodbridge Viewed on Warner Bros. Entertainment DVD Films rated R in the comparative baseline database earned scores of 54 and below out of 100. The content of this third movie adaptation of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend earned a score of zero out of 100 in the Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area due to intense violence and sci-fi mutant gore. The Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area score of zero for I Am Legend reveals the magnitude of violence, gore, etc. in it is equivalent to that of most R-rated films in the comparative baseline database. However, the movie's final score (the average of all six investigation area scores) of 69 out of 100 revealed the overall magnitude of the film is equivalent to a hard PG film in the comparative baseline database of films. The final score of 69 is only two points above the scoring range earned by PG-13 films in the baseline database (55 to 67 out of 100), but it is still in the PG scoring range (68 to 86 out of 100) nonetheless. Here is one of the great features of the CAP analysis model. The model revealed a very strong negative spike in this hard PG-equivalent film not otherwise visible by trailers, previews, advertisements, word-of-mouth, etc. Strong pluses in I Am Legend mathematically counter the zero score in Wanton violence/crime. The strong pluses include the score of 100 out of 100 for the Sexual Immorality content (none noted at all) and the score of 93 out of 100 in the Drugs/Alcohol content (an attempted suicide by abuse of prescription drugs). Though six uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary are six uses too many (none of the most foul of the foul words were noted), in comparison to most PG-13 films I Am Legend is "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" or "Flicka" in terms of "aischrologia" (foul language) [Col. 3:8]. This film further blasts the observer with four uses of God's name in vain (each without the four letter expletive) and two uses of "There is no God" while later oozing into the character maybe accepting that God is real after all. While this is indeed noble, a noble destination does not excuse an ignoble path. Above provides testimony to one of the finest features of the CAP analysis model -- to reveal for you that while this film is intense in violence, is abusive of God's name and faith in Him, presents relatively light foul language and contains no murders but one suicide, this film is free of sexually immoral behavior and imagery. The unchanging CAP analysis model, independent of the tides of modern morality, gives you comparative content-reflecting scoring over six investigation areas plus a compact at-a-glance display of the scoring (the CAP thermometers) PLUS a detailed and itemized listing of assaults on morality and ethics in each investigation area. Each feature is uniquely useful to help you make informed moral decisions whether the content is fit. But not obvious to the casual visitor is that our scoring methodology is perfect for making comparisons between a film (click on the CAP thermometers for this film for more information). No other film analysis service does for you what the CAP analysis model does. None. Lt. Colonel Doctor Robert Neville (Will Smith) has become the lone soldier to combat the globally devastating Krippin Virus (KV), created originally by Dr. Alice Krippin (Emma Thompson) to be a cure for cancer. She created what she felt was a helpful virus out of a harmful one but it mutated. Dr. Neville is one of the 1% of the worldwide population who are immune to both contact (ingested) and inhaled infection with the Krippin Virus. The other 99% of the world's population still alive have become demonized humans, like zombies bent on killing others not like them -- and eating them. Starting out in New York City in 2009, the virus began to spread. The military even destroyed bridges to the New York island - "ground zero" - to prevent infected people from leaving. It didn't work. The KV spread worldwide in three years. The virus killed nearly everyone on the planet in 1001 days. But on September 9, 2012 at 8:49 PM Dr. Neville found a cure for the Krippin Virus. During evacuation of the New York island, 52 year old Dr. Neville's family, wife Zoe (Salli Richardson) and daughter Marley (Willow Smith), are separated from him and we are not told what happens to them. But what does it matter? The psychological torment of three years of solitude can drain the resolve of anyone. The consuming loneliness erodes Neville's sanity to the point where he sets up store mannequins and talks to them as if they were alive and human. His dog Samantha, too. He even uses rental DVDs of newscasts and other broadcasts to give his hermitic life the "feeling" of day-to-day hustle and bustle to combat the loneliness. Neville even sends out a commercial radio broadcast everyday at noon to tell anyone who hears it that he will meet them. Little does Neville know that one day Anna (Alice Braga) and young Ethan (Charlie Tahan) hear the broadcast. While Neville experiments on rats and captured zombies to find a cure for Krippin virus, he hunts by day and hides in his fortress apartment by night. The zombies cannot tolerate sunlight. Such is a device in many cinematic endeavors to create entertainment for us, but I wonder whether the writers are aware that they fulfill Scripture with their evil photophobic fiends who seek the darkness and scatter in the light? [John 1:5] In the final battle with the zombies, Neville kills himself albeit in an heroic effort to kill as many of the zombies as possible to enable his new found associates, Anna and Ethan, members of the 1% who are immune to KV, to escape and take with them Neville's GA Series, Serum 391, Compound 6, the cure for the "cure for cancer" -- the Krippin Virus. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) Some intense action violence sequences involving sci-fi creatures freckled the movie. Animal attacks added to the intensity. But the graphic multiple defensive killings and the attacks by the "zombies", repeatedly, form the basis for the zero score in Wanton Violence/Crime. [Prov. 16:29] Impudence/Hate (I) The only cinematic demonstrations of sin found by this investigation area were the six uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary. Note that "acting" does not excuse sin. On a positive note, there was not one instance of the use of the most foul of the foul words which PG-13 filmmakers lately seem to work so hard to get in at least once. [Col. 3:8] Sexual Immorality (S) There were no instances of sexually immoral behavior or imagery noted in the cut of I Am Legend I saw. Not one. This is definitely atypical of most PG-13 films which today might be better described as teen sex/cuss flicks, most of which earn a final score in the range of scores earned by R-rated films (54 and below out of 100) in the comparative baseline database (see R-13). Drugs/Alcohol (D) In the entire 91 minutes of this film, there was only one instance of behavior involving drug abuse. It was of Neville trying to commit suicide by prescription drugs. Attempted suicide by prescription drug abuse is not a good signal to send to the intended audience. Not good at all. [1 Cor. 15:33] Offense to God (O) Unfortunately, the writers were not slack on including abuse of God's name. [Deut. 5:11] His name is spoken in vain four times, though each time was without the four letter expletive. Further, a sign in the background was a mockery of faith in God. Finally, Neville speaks "There is no God" twice. [2Cor. 6:15] Murder/Suicide (M) In addition to the attempted suicide by prescription drug abuse above, Neville commits a sacrificial suicide to enable Anna and Ethan to escape with his cure of the Krippin Virus. While this certainly is a noble act on Neville's part, it is not a toy for entertainment. [Ex 20:13] Too many viewers are impressionable and such feelings that surround a sacrificial suicide might be too attractive to they who do not have the experiential maturity to realize what it is. Doctors Karen Nelson, university psychology department head and Gilliam, a practicing counselor both agree with me that it would be unusual for even a 16 year old to be able to fully separate fantasy from reality or to be able to fully anticipate the consequences of his/her actions. [Hebr. 5:13 - 14] Yet we feed youth with such dissonance as this to the PG-13 age stratum. All in the protected name of entertainment. Note that the attempted suicide by prescription drug abuse is incorporated into the Drugs/Alcohol investigation area. While it may seem that attempted suicide by prescription drug abuse should be incorporated by each of the Drugs/Alcohol and Murder/Suicide investigation areas, the CAP analysis model permits incorporation of any single instance of ignominy into only one investigation area. Further, only portrayals of completed murder and successful suicide are incorporated into the Murder/Suicide investigation area. Acts of war and police action resulting in death are incorporated into the Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area. No duplication is assured. 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 ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry*** 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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 Wanton Violence/Crime (W) Impudence/Hate (I) Sexual Immorality (S) Drugs/Alcohol (D) Offense to God (O) Murder/Suicide (M) |
| 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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