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Entertainment Media Analysis Report
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MAR29018

(2009), PG-13 [HARD R-13*] (2hr 26min)

Final Score
Analysis Date
Date Posted
Influence Density
MinMax
July 19, 2009
July 21, 2009
30
1.55
-68

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Christian Long Distance

SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:
(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)

If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary.



(2009), PG-13 [HARD R-13*] ... about as "R-13" as a film can get.


Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database
Production (US): Summit Entertainment, Icon Productions, Infinity Features Entertainment
Distribution (US): Summit Entertainment
Director(s): Paul McGuigan
Producer(s): David Bourla, William Cheng, Bruce Davey, Gordon Freeman, Amy Gilliam, Kyle Mann, Michael Ohoven, David M. Richardson, Kerry Rock, Gretchen Somerfeld, Kevin Turen, David Valleau, Christa Vausbinder, William Vince, Glenn Williamson, Stan Wlodkowski
Written by: David Bourla
Cinematography/Camera: Peter Sova
Music: Neil Davidge
Film Editing: Nicolas Trembasiewicz
Casting: Deborah Aquila, Mary Tricia Wood
Production Design: François Séguin
Art Direction: Second Chan, Michael N. Wong
Viewed on Summit Entertainment DVD



This analysis is sponsored by the generosity of E&HP and C&EZ.

This film is about as "R-13" as a film can get. R-equivalent in Wanton Violence/Crime (W), Drugs/Alcohol (D), Offense to God (O) and Murder/Suicide (M). The only CAP investigation areas that found content to be "in line" with the PG-13 rating are Impudence/Hate (I) and Sexual Immorality (S). This is a bad film, mom/dad. Not because of bad talents or bad script but because of bad content, bad influence. This film would clearly have garnered a R rating just a few years ago. It is about as dark and foreboding as it can get without being like 8MM and other such films. Certainly this film is a fantasy but a bad influence does not have to be real to influence badly.

The story claims the Nazis in 1945 were conducting experiments in psychic warfare using people who had psychic abilities to make weapons of them. This is a fantasy continuation of those experiments by modern government organizations called Divisions ... including the United States.

How about that Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)? The rating box on the DVD tells us "Intense sequence of violence and action, brief strong language, smoking and a scene of teen drinking." Not long ago the MPAA did not put things like "smoking and a scene of teen drinking" in their ratings box. Maybe the CAP Ministry, which has been revealing such content for years, has influenced the MPAA? Probably not but it's a nice thought anyway. The last I had heard was the MPAA was going to slap an R on any film presenting smoking. Like that will ever happen. By the way "a scene of teen drinking" includes teen drunkenness and inherent exhibitionism but the MPAA left that off.

"Smoking and a scene of teen drinking?" Let me share with you some facts about such content in and as entertainment. I'm sure you've heard it by now since we have been telling you the following for years but I'll share it with you again anyway.

This film is a danger to the target audience. The drinking and drunkenness (and smoking) are of significant danger in this film suggested by the MPAA as being fit for the middle school age stratum. 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 researchers selected R-rated movies because they assumed R-rated movies typically present more drinking than movies of other classifications. This assumption is no longer true. The researchers were not aware of the matter of R-13 proven by this ministry in 2000 with which Harvard University researchers agreed four years later. The bottom line? The focus is that the influence of adolescent exposure to drinking in and as entertainment, in this case by an adolescent, is undeniable regardless of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) classification. [Eph. 5:18, 1Cor. 8:9]

The finding entitled Relation Between Parental Restrictions on Movies and Adolescent Use of Tobacco and Alcohol reports that of 4544 youths from grades Five through Eight of 15 Vermont and New Hampshire middle schools (90% of the youths were under 14 years old) only 16% were completely restricted from viewing R-rated movies. Within the ACP study population, the prevalence of having tried alcohol without parental knowledge was

  • 46% for those with no viewing restrictions
  • 16% for those with partial viewing restrictions
  • Four percent for those with complete viewing restrictions.

    Rather revealing of the influences of the entertainment industry wouldn't you say? And emboldening children to sin with drink in and as entertainment screams of violating Luke 17:2.

    Young Nick Grant (Colin Ford) is rushed by his father (Joel Gretsch) into their apartment so his father can explain to Nick as seriously as if they "were the last two people on the planet" that a girl will one day give him a flower and that Nick is to help her. Nick's father is a Mover, one with telekinetic powers that can massively move objects, including people. A group of Division soldiers, headed by Henry Carver (Djimon Hounsou) breaks in and guns down Nick's father.

    The soul purpose of Division is to capture those with psychic and other unusual powers to nurture them into super soldiers ... or kill them if they do not cooperate. There are Movers like Nick's dad; Watchers can see the future; Pushers can put their thoughts in people's heads; Sniffs smell objects and can see recent events and locations of the object's owner; Shifters can change any object into something it is not; Shadows can block psychic powers, Bleeders use yelling to cause a victim's insides to rupture; Stitches heal wounds; there and more.

    Now it is ten years later and Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning) leads us through an oratory to introduce the story and plot, that she is a Watcher and that Division took her mom from her. Cassie's mom was a Watcher, too. Just like Nick's dad was also a Mover. First generation psychics. Cassie is a second generation psychic. A Watcher. Nick is a second generation Pusher.

    Next we are taken to Division's hospital-based laboratories where they experiment with a drug that promises to boost the powers of the psychics. Kira Hudson (Camilla Belle), a Pusher, is the first one to survive the injection. Though she goes flatline on the table she survives and bolts off with a syringe of the billion-dollar drug.

    Enter a ten year older Nick Grant (Chris Evans - Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four - Rise of the Silver Surfer: Torch, the one who holds a puffy coat wrapped around the lower half of his nude body in such a way as to appear that he is holding his ... er ... himself). At least in this film he is always seen with his clothes on. But his character demonstrates his Mover skill with a set of dice. Thinking he has mastered his skill Nick joins a dice game for money ... and loses. He owed $5,000. Now he owes $6,000.

    Running from the strongman trying to beat Nick up, Nick runs into Division Agents Mack (Corey Stoll) and Holden (Scott Michael Campbell) who are Sniffs as he enters his apartment. Mack and Holden are looking for Kira and strongly suspect Nick knows her well.

    Now enters the picture Cassie Holmes (Dakota fanning) as a early teen Watcher. Fifteen year old Dakota, playing a 13 year old, shows faltering modesty wearing a very short (what appears to be) skirt. Repeatedly. Even if her outfit is one of those "skorts" or similar, Fanning's postures and poses expose the viewer to parts that ought not to be viewed. As one example, when Cassie is portrayed as being drunk while wearing the very short outfit Fanning flops, throwing both feet into the air and spread apart, onto a chair, ending up half lying down with her legs still apart, one leg raised. When the upward curvature at the frontal hip joint is exposed by such posing it is excessive. I am not going to describe the scene any further.

    Such display in and as entertainment suggests Fanning may be toying with the same direction as Lindsay Lohan. Irish/German home-schooled Fanning is a top notch child actress, as was Lohan as a child, and has been since her first appearance at five years old in a Tide(tm) commercial. The reason I bring up Fanning's immodesty in the film is because such display serves as another barometer of modern morality. One day not that long ago girls, even in film, wouldn't think of such gamming and would keep their legs down and knees together while wearing a dress or even slacks, shorts or a bathing suit. Even when an actress was required to lie down or play dead she would typically draw one knee over the other if only slightly as if to say "stay out!" or "don't look!" Not 'ny more. I call this digression of modesty a barometer of morality, one of many which are slowly but surely showing loss in pressure: loss in moral pressure to honor God-planted inhibitions against such posture which some would call "invitation" and "advertising." [Col 3:5, Rev. 2:20, Prov. 30:20] Question: What happens when the barometric pressure falls? Answer: Storms, some severe and destructive like Hurricane Katrina and the "Pedophile Protection Act" of 2009 (the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, H.R. 1913, attached to a Defense spending bill at that). Drop the pressure to be modest and all manner of immodesty will be pulled in by the partial vacuum.

    I may sound rather angered in the above two paragraphs. That is because I am. I get truly riled at filmmakers who exploit the typically inherent lowering of sexual inhibitions of young teen girls that sometimes makes them willing to show more and do more. God told us of the foolishness bound in the heart of a child in Proverbs 22:15. There is sin upon they who capitalize on inherent adolescent weaknesses. Lohan did not get where she is by herself. Nor will Fanning if she goes the same route.

    There is much more I could tell you about the somewhat complicated and intricate story and plot but I've probably said too much already. Let the individual investigation area discussions below and the detailed listing in the Findings/Scoring section tell you the "rest of the story."

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100
    Violence is rampant. Firearms for offense. Gunfire to kill. Breaking and entering to commit assault. Kidnapping. Brutal fighting. Gun battles and more. I am not going to try to do justice to the extent of violence in this film. I will rather refer you to the Findings/Scoring section for as complete accounting. God warns us in Proverbs 16:29 (and a multitude of other verses) of the dangers of the influence of violence. For just one more admonition against violence look to 1 Cor. 15:33. This is a "bad company" film. God knows what He is talking about ... whether we think He does or not. Whether we care or not. Whether we believe it or not.

    Impudence/Hate (I) - 40 out of 100 Profanity is used 12 times, three times by an
    adolescent (there's that "bad company" influence again). One of those 12 times is one use of the most foul of the foul words by Hounsou. [Col. 3:8] "Bad company" is bad company whether in real life or on screen. A bad influence does not have to be real to influence badly. [Eccl. 8:11]

    Sexual Immorality (S) - 56 out of 100
    Above I have already belabored the sexually-oriented content. Little else can be said other than the film presents a night club with women as toys and/or ornaments and one instance of inappropriate touch. [Prov. 30:20, 1Tim. 4:12, 1 Ths. 4:7, 1Tim. 2:9]

    Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 31 out of 100
    Forced injections. Drinking. Drunkenness. Smoking. It is all there. Indeed, there is also teen drinking and drunkenness by Cassie. Cassie's drunkenness, of course, is excused by her mother's drinking to sharpen her Watcher skills. Our kids watch us, mom/dad. Closely.

    Offense to God (O) - Zero out of 100
    This investigation area found enough content to lose all its 100 starting points. Levitation. Foretelling the future. Seeing the past. A plethora of unholy powers were portrayed. There are so many verses from the Bible that indicate these matters are unholy it would take pages to list and display them. I will offer just one: Eccl. 8:7.

    Murder/Suicide (M) - Zero out of 100
    There were at least 15 murders and forced suicides in the 146 minutes of film. Mostly by unholy control of the mind of the shooter and of the one being shot. Suicide was accomplished in the same way: by mind control. In the Bible God tells us we shall not kill. [Ex. 20:13] Accurately translated "kill" as used in that verse is ratsach meaning murder, slay, assassinate. Specifically, we shall not murder, slay, assassinate people. And "people" includes the self. Suicide is murder of the self.


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    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

  • Eph. 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. [Since "drunk" is methusko {meth-oos'-ko}: to intoxicate; make drunk; to get drunk; become intoxicated, "wine" can be any intoxicating substance including illegal drugs or abuse of prescription drugs. The issue is do not abuse the body by intoxicating it [1 Cor. 6:19]. Though it is not a sin to drink, it is a sin to get drunk OR to influence to get drunk OR to drink in defiance such as underage drinking.
  • 1 Cor. 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own
  • 1Cor. 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. ["Liberty" - exousia {ex-oo-see'-ah}: the power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases, in this case of the filmmakers to, for example, include teen drinking and drunkenness and loss of modesty with it as well as adult smoking. "Stumblingblock" - proskomma {pros'-kom-mah}: that over which a soul stumbles i.e. by which is caused to sin: anything that can cause another to sin such as by example, a tease or a lure to do or think/feel wrongly.]
  • Prov. 16:29 A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good. [The issue is the violence -- the 'path that is not good', no matter how "small" or "just" it might seem, and its effect on the observer. "A violent man" can be a man or woman or child, the act of demonstrating violent behavior/action whether for good or evil OR the violent behaviors/actions themselves. Such exposure can and does embolden the viewer into aggression, especially youth. It took years for professional health agencies to finally affirm, probably without knowing it, that which God told us in 1 Cor. 15:33 below. See also Joint Statement on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children: Congressional Public Health Summit for more information. Further, God speaks darkly of violence 56 times in the Old and New Testament of the KJV.]
  • Col. 3:8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander (injurious speech), and filthy language [aischrologia: foul speaking, low and obscene speech] from your lips.
  • Eccl. 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. [When men can continue to demonstrate sins ("evil work") such as violence, filthy communications and sexually immoral acts in and as entertainment, they will continue to do so with impunity and desire to do more.]
  • Prov. 30:20 This is the way of an adulteress [or adulterer]: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.' [Though this verse uses "adulteress" to make its point, the heart of the matter is the arrogance of "What's the big deal!" defense of sexual immorality (or any other wrong-doings). This verse makes an adulter(er/ess) of many filmmakers and performers, thinking they can ignore wholesome ethics and standards and impart impurity while thinking they've done no wrong.]
  • 1Tim. 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
  • 1 Ths. 4:7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
  • 1Tim. 2:9 I also want women to dress modestly, ... [Though this is Paul speaking to Timothy, Paul's words, as are all others', holy inspired.]
  • Eccl. 8:7 Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what is to come? [Since no one can see the future it stands to reason no one can see the past.]
  • Ex 20:13 Thou shalt not kill. (NIV) You shall not murder. [Suicide is murder of the self.]

    ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry***
  • Jer. 37:9 This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, 'The Babylonians [the destroyers from within] will surely leave us.' They will not!
  • Ps. 12:8 The wicked freely strut about [e.g., create progressively vile/offensive entertainment with impunity and no consequences and present it to younger and younger audiences every year] when what is vile is honored among men [when enough people continue to defend it, embrace it, enjoy it, want it, submit to it. I call attention to Ps. 12:8 to warn of the creeping desensitizing power of "entertainment."]
  • Col. 2:8 Beware lest any man [by his influence] spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
  • 1 Cor. 15:33 Be not deceived: evil [kakov: of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be] communications corrupt good manners.
  • Rom. 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
  • Jude 1:4 For there are certain men* crept in unawares [secretly slipped in among us], who were before of old ordained to this condemnation [whose condemnation was written about long ago], ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [a license for immorality], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. [*men: anthropos {anth'-ro-pos}, generic, a human being, whether male or female]
  • Matt. 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
  • Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. [Offend: skandalizo {skan-dal-id'-zo} - scandalize; to entice to sin; to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey; to cause to fall away.]
  • Ps. 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me [let no sin rule over me].
  • John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
  • 1 Thess. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. ["Evil" includes all things that are sinful.]


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    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.
  • FINDINGS / SCORING:
    (The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)


    Push (2009) CAP Thermometers

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100
  • multiple firearms for offense, repeatedly
  • child endangerment, repeatedly
  • breaking and entering to assault
  • gunfire killing (unseen but heard)
  • bodies thrown against wall
  • still pictures of gore
  • assault to face
  • firearm for defense, repeatedly
  • firearm threat to child
  • action violence
  • young teen holding adult at gunpoint
  • kidnapping, repeatedly
  • brutal fight - graphic
  • counterfeiting money
  • gunfire to kill, frequent
  • revisit to gunfire killing
  • planning to kill, multiple and throughout
  • firearm to head, repeatedly
  • gun battle, repeatedly
  • slap in girl's face
  • adolescent girl carrying two firearms
  • assault to kill
  • firearm to head of adolescent girl
  • dead body with blood
  • beating - graphic
  • order to kill
  • additional gunfire killing, repeatedly
  • graphic fight

    Impudence/Hate (I) - 57 out of 100
  • 12 uses of profanity, three of them by an adolescent, one use of the most foul of the foul words by an adult
  • crude humor
  • massive tattoos

    Sexual Immorality (S) - 68 out of 100
  • flash male nudity
  • young teen girl in a very short outfit throughout
  • night club with women as toys/ornaments
  • peeping
  • inappropriate touch
  • adolescent girl gamming in very short outfit, lying down, legs apart, one leg raised - several shots
  • same girl in same outfit with legs apart
  • posing to force attention to private parts
  • other dressing to maximize the female for and/or skin exposure

    Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 50 out of 100
  • forced injection, twice
  • smoking, repeatedly
  • drinking, repeatedly
  • booze, repeatedly
  • adolescent drinking and drunkenness
  • self injection

    Offense to God (O) - Zero out of 100
  • one use of God's name in vain with the four letter expletive and once without
  • portrayal of seeing future, frequent
  • gambling
  • graphic unholy healing
  • portrayal of mental powers to make others do bidding, repeatedly
  • portrayal of power to change objects
  • portrayal of power to see past and out-of-sight places/events, repeatedly
  • portrayal of power to deflect bullets, repeatedly
  • levitation, frequent
  • portrayal of many additional forms of unholy power, frequent

    Murder/Suicide (M) - 11 out of 100
  • gunfire murder, frequent
  • forced suicide by gunfire, twice
  • murder by unholy power
  • murder by impalement, repeatedly
  • forced murder by gunfire, repeatedly















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    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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