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Animated, Movie Reviews

The Way Things Work

Animated / TV series / Family 2001 / 300+ minutes (26 episodes) RATING: 8/10 This educational series takes place on a small island in which every...
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Family, Movie Reviews

The Newtons' Workshop

Children's TV series 1997 / 226 minutes Rating: 7/10 The stars of this children's "edutainment" show are most certainly Grandma and Grandpa Newto...
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Adult non-fiction, Book Reviews, Economics

Economics in One Lesson

by Henry Hazlitt 1946 / 193 pages Universal basic income, a four-day work week, and government-funded daycare are just a few big-ticket proposals ...
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Internet

Google or God? Who are we turning to for guidance?
The Rest See More
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Adult non-fiction, Book Reviews

The Political Consequences of Unbelief: a review of Groen van Prinsterer's "Unbelief and Revolution"

Unbelief and Revolution by Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer  translated by Harry Van Dyke 1847/2018 / 280 pages As explained in the Encyclopedia Britannica, “Revolution, in social and political science, a major, sudden, and hence typically violent alteration in government and in related associations and structures.” We use the term “revolution” for various political and social changes in history, the most recent being the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s. In Canada, and the West more generally, we’ve seen evidence of a social and cultural revolution as our society increasingly rejects the Christian values and principles on which our nation is founded. To respond appropriately to modern revolutions, we need to understand what forces are behind them. Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer addresses the idea of revolution in his book Unbelief and Revolution, which explains the thinking behind the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century. The French Revolution was a violent political and social revolution which resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. The events of the French Revolution may seem in the distant past, a one-time event, never to be repeated. Instead, “the central message of the book is that the French Revolution is not actually over but lives on in its ideas, and these ideas are dangerous for society.” These ideas were dangerous to van Prinsterer’s society in 19th century Netherlands and remain dangerous to 21st century Canadians. While certain components of Unbelief and Revolution are understandably contextual to van Prinsterer’s time, many of the ideas live on and provide a way for contemporary Christians to think about faith, freedom, and revolution. Three Problems  Unbelief The main idea of Unbelief and Revolution is that “the cause of the Revolution lies in unbelief.” This unbelief was evident theologically, as it sought to remove God’s Word as an authority and replace it with human reason. But it was also seen politically, as the French Revolution replaced the sovereignty of God with the sovereignty of man. The Revolution was an anti-Christian revolution; Instead of looking to the Bible for truth, men trusted in their own reason. With the removal of God came the removal of a foundation for morality. Lest we think this was just a one-time event, van Prinsterer seeks to demonstrate how these ideas became increasingly accepted throughout the course of the 18th century, culminating in the events of the French Revolution. The revolutionary ideas also lived on after the French Revolution. Decades after the French Revolution, he wrote, “For all its excellences, modern society, having fallen into bondage to the theory of unbelief, is increasingly being seduced into a systematic repudiation of the living God.” To van Prinsterer, it’s not just about the French Revolution. Rather, unbelief led to the French Revolution, and continued unbelief would lead to further atrocities as men continued to replace God with themselves. Liberty One of the main ideas behind this systematic unbelief was a false theory of liberty. It was believed that liberty could be achieved by giving power to citizens, who would then grant authority to whomever they chose. Instead of viewing the state as receiving its authority from a sovereign God, the state was viewed as a delegation which was given authority by the majority of citizens. Those who received authority from the people then had the power to protect and rescue the people from their political and social problems. However, when political authority is not viewed as coming from a sovereign God, it instead leads to tyranny. A government that sees its power as given by the people could result in one of two things: anarchy or tyranny. Either the rights of the citizens would be destroyed through tyranny, or the rights of the state would be destroyed through anarchy. The State In the French Revolution, the state indeed became absolute. Take for example the Reign of Terror in 1793 and 1794. The focus became the: “unconditional promotion of the common good or public safety … public safety – a fatal expression, which implies sacrificing morality to what they are agreed to call the interest of the state, that is to say, sacrificing morality to the passions of those who govern.” Everything became about the well-being of the state, and since the people had given authority to the state, everyone was expected to submit to the accepted majority opinion. And what was the majority opinion? Essentially, it was whatever the state determined it to be. That also meant exterminating any opposition and justifying anything that pursued the goal of the common good. In reaction to the Reign of Terror, people wanted an orderly society, so they simply gave up their liberty to maintain order. In one phase of the French Revolution, the people sought liberty without order, and in the next, they sought order without liberty. Although one of the principles of the Revolution was liberty, the result was the destruction of liberty. In the end, the French Revolution is but one example of what can happen when society rejects the authority of God and His Word. Contemporary Similarities Secularism But this isn’t simply a book about various interesting facts surrounding the French Revolution. Although it was written nearly 200 years ago, we can see the dangers of unbelief today as well. Modern-day Canada is a post-Christian and increasingly secular society. We too have largely removed God and His Word as a basis for morality and truth and have raised man to the place of God. Our laws are increasingly disconnected from objective truth and a moral foundation. We “want to retain the conclusions while abandoning the premises.” We want the good that our Christian foundation has given to society, while discarding the Christian foundation itself. This discarding of the Christian foundation might start in a way that seems harmless to much of society. It starts as an effort to be "neutral," to not enforce a particular morality or religion.  First, God is removed from lawmaking and governance. Next, any objective standard for the structure of the world and of government is discarded. At the same time, objective truth and ethical standards cease to apply. The result is that those in power can essentially choose what is right and wrong and apply it as they see fit. When we abandon the premises, the conclusions also fade away. Right and wrong become arbitrary. Liberty and Equality As in the time of the French Revolution, our society has a false idea of liberty and equality. While Christians might understand that the government receives its authority from God (Romans 13), we often talk in a way that indicates a belief that state authority comes from the people, through our democratic processes. We see a heightened emphasis on liberty, particularly sexual liberty to do as one pleases, as well as increased attention to social inequalities. And, in so many ways, our society relies on the government to protect that liberty and equality. Advocates of sexual liberty want the government to endorse their choices, and this is happening because we have removed any foundation for morality. In terms of equality, the government is seen as the saviour from racial or sexual discrimination, whether through laws or through the courts and human rights tribunals. As people suffer the consequences of their unbelief and their immoral actions, they call on the state to save them from their problems. The State and Neutrality When so many focus on the government as the source of their liberty, by permission of the people, the government also chooses what is acceptable and what is not. One area where we can see this clearly is in conversations about hate speech legislation. Ultimately, it will be the government deciding what is, and what is not, hate speech. Van Prinsterer writes about various freedoms that were developed in the century leading up to the Revolution. These included freedoms such as equality, liberty, property, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. But each of these were also subject to limits. “That the rights are restricted does not offend me; this is inherent in every right,” writes van Prinsterer. “The cause of my complaint is that whereas rights used to be circumscribed and confirmed by the unchangeable laws and ordinances of God, they are now made to depend on the good pleasure of the State.” Our modern Canadian society emphasizes neutrality. The idea is that you cannot let your religion influence the law, because that would not maintain neutrality. Yet we cannot escape the fact that everyone is shaped by their beliefs, no matter what those may be. Unbelief in itself is a particular perspective of the world which shapes how people act. The idea of tolerance of differing ideas, or “just getting along” is challenged by the direct opposition of belief and unbelief. In our current context, revolutionary ideas of liberty and equality are increasingly common, and the majority has supposedly given the government power to determine what those look like regarding sexuality, speech, and human life and dignity. Three Key Takeaways The only solution is belief The problems of the French Revolution, and of the revolutionary ideas in general, happened because of unbelief. The solution to these problems, then, is belief; returning to the truth of God’s Word and His sovereignty. In contrast to the ideas of liberty in the Revolution, the Protestant Reformation properly understood liberty; “a liberty that is grounded in submission. Liberty is the consequence, the principle is submission.” We are able to submit to the truth of God’s Word and to legitimate authority, as well as maintain the freedom to fulfill our duties. Our liberties are based in God’s Word and His sovereignty. Additionally, since He has given authority to our government, that authority is limited by what He commands. As van Prinsterer writes: “then we see that apostasy from him who has said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life,’ was the cause of the whole Revolution. Then we see that the active confession of the only Saviour is the means of restoration and salvation.” Likewise, the solution to secularism today lies in a recognition of God’s sovereignty and in the infallibility of His Word. Ideas have consequences It is also important to remember that ideas have consequences. The people behind the events of the French Revolution, such as Robespierre during the Reign of Terror, truly believed in the ideas they were fighting for. They were convinced by ideas and philosophers that had come before them and carried out those ideas in practice. “Let us henceforward be mindful of the connection between thought and deed, and never again forget that theory leads to practice.” The same is true of believers who put their trust in Christ and rely on God’s Word as truth. When we understand the biblical perspective, this shows itself in how we act. We can take action As much as I find the French Revolution fascinating, it is discouraging to see the evil perpetrated, particularly along with van Prinsterer’s argument that this is a natural consequence of unbelief that lives on today. Van Prinsterer was concerned about the ideas of the Revolution, and that also led to a period of political action and political change. As he writes, “Even in unfavorable circumstances, however, one can witness to the truth; and this continuous witness itself is already a real application and a powerful practice.”We too can be anti-revolutionaries, in the sense that we oppose unbelief and proclaim the truth of God’s Word. “Let us be faithful, each in his station” (p. 246), and let us pray for revival in Canada so that faith will prevail over unbelief. “Let us always remember that the cry, ‘Help thou mine unbelief!’ is preceded by the shout of joy, ‘Lord, I believe!’.” And as we do so, let’s also remember the words of Christ telling us to “be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b). Daniel Zekveld is a policy analyst with ARPA Canada....

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Drama, Movie Reviews, Watch for free

A Vow to Cherish

Drama / Christian 1999 / 84 minutes RATING: 8/10 John and Ellen Brighton are a 50-something couple living a blessed life. They have two children, one grown-up son, just heading to college, and a daughter finishing off high school. John runs a successful business, and Ellen is a much-loved elementary teacher. The only turmoil in their life comes from John's brother and business partner Phil, who has never settled down, and seemingly has a new live-in girlfriend every month. But then Ellen faints, and the diagnosis is Alzheimer’s, and their trouble-free life is falling apart. This is an explicitly Christian film, and a cut above most such movies. It was produced by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and they did it right, with talented actors, and solid cinematography. And the script here is realistic enough that I thought it might be a true story. Ellen has to struggle with confusion, and the anticipation of all she'll lose, but as dementia takes over, John faces a very different battle: the burden of so many responsibilities, increased in now caring for his wife, and doubled in that he no longer has her to help him with his family responsibilities. His business starts to suffer, and John needs someone he can talk to. He finds that in a woman he meets while he's out jogging, who is a willing ear... but not a great idea for a confidante for a married man. Cautions This interaction with another woman doesn't go far, but it does go on for a while. That, and the emotional ups and downs make this one too much for younger audiences. Because this was produced by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, there are a few whispers of Arminianism, but it's nothing substantial. Conclusion The film begins with a scene years earlier, when John and Ellen's grown son was just a boy, and his appendix had burst. John prays and believes his prayer is answered when the child recovers. But when his young wife is swiftly struck with Alzheimer’s and soon cannot even recognize him, does it mean that God is no longer listening to John’s prayers? And what exactly does it mean to vow to be with someone “until death do you part” in health, and in sickness? Those are questions to bring to God even now, in the good times. That's what makes this a film that every couple should watch together. You can watch it for free online, but you'll have to follow this link to see it on YouTube. I've included the trailer below, but at 3 minutes long, it really hits a lot of the key plot points, so you may not want to watch it. And for a wonderful true story about a husband and wife struggling with Alzheimer’s, you'll want to check out Robertson McQuilkin's biography: A Promise Kept: the Story of an Unforgettable Love. ...

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Book Reviews, Children’s picture books

Don’t let the Pigeon drive the bus!

by Mo Willems 2003 / 40 pages Pigeon desperately wants to drive the bus. But the bus driver, who has to leave for a little while, tells readers before he goes, “Remember, don’t let the pigeon drive the bus!” Pigeon isn’t going to make it that easy though – for the rest of the book he asks, begs, pleads, whines, and sulks about wanting to drive the bus. The drawings are pretty simple cartoons, but the artist lets us see all Pigeon’s emotions in his body language. Pigeon uses every excuse you’ve ever heard a child use: “I never get to do anything!” “What’s the big deal?” “I’ll be your best friend!” “No fair!” “I bet your mom would let me.” That, of course, is the point of the book, that no matter how inventive a child’s questioning – his whining – might become, no is still going to be no. That’s an important lesson for any child to learn, and this is a fun way for them to learn it. Parents will enjoy reading the book out loud, mimicking Pigeon’s angst and frustration, and kids will enjoy just how silly Pigeon acts. And it will only take a little prodding from mom or dad to have junior realize that sometimes he acts silly too, just like Pigeon. I’d recommend getting the hardcover version of this book because I think your children will ask you to read it again and again. And that’s not too bad, because it is a fast read – there are only about 175 words in the whole story, which means this review is actually a bit longer than the book! There are also 10 sequels, and with that abundance comes a warning. While Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie series can be enjoyed with or without mom and dad's involvement, there is a real sense in which these Pigeon books should be rated PG for Parental Guidance. A somewhat bratty bird in a very limited dose is one thing, but with repeated readings, and with 8 books in total, parents will need to make sure their kids understand we are actually laughing at Pigeon’s ridiculous behavior, and shouldn't be looking to copy it. Don't let the Pigeon drive the bus (20003) – The Caldecott winner that started it all! The Pigeon finds a hot dog! (2004) – The Pigeon finds a hot dog but also meets a Duckling who has never had a hot dog. What's a self-absorbed, but not utterly selfish Pigeon to do? Don’t let the Pigeon stay up late! (2006) – Parents will love this for how it gives them a term for their kids' can't-we-stay-up-5-more-minutes? pleas. “That’s enough guys,” I’ll tell them, “You’re being pigeons and it is time to stop.” The Pigeon wants a puppy! (2008) – This could be inspiration for parents who wonder if their kids really want a pet and the responsibility that comes with it. Pigeon gets a brief test drive with a puppy and changes his mind (now he wants a walrus). The Duckling gets a cookie!? (2012) – The Duckling reappears, this time to ask us, the readers, to give him a cookie. Pigeon wonders why Duckling gets one, and he doesn't. The main message kids will get is that Pigeon has never asked... at least, not politely. The Pigeon needs a bath! (2014) – Pigeon hates baths but once he runs out of excuses he gets to have some wonderful wet fun. The Pigeon has to go to school! (2019) – Pigeon shares his worries – in his usual bombastic way – about going to school for the first time. Reading this with a child who has their own concerns could be a great conversation starter. The Pigeon will ride the roller coaster! (2022) – Pigeon imagines the roller coaster will be exciting... but it only sort of is. This one struck me as only okay, and I'd rank it 8th out of 8. There's also a book of Pigeon quotes that adults fans may enjoy. I'd borrow Be the Bus (2023) from a library rather than buy it, but there are a few laughs, like "You only get one chance to make a twenty-third impression." Take it or leave it Willems also has a couple of "smidgen of Pigeon" board books, but I don't really get the target audience. You'd already have to be familiar with Pigeon to appreciate these, but if a kid is old enough to appreciate the picture books above, are they really going to want to read a board book? The Pigeon loves things that go! (2005) – Pigeon sees a bus and a train that go. Up next is a hot dog. Do hot dogs go? Yes, says Duckling, they go right into his tummy! The Pigeon has feelings too (2005) – Pigeon doesn't want to smile. Getting asked to makes him angry and sad, because everyone tells him what to do. But when the Bus Driver says it's okay not to smile, that makes Pigeon happy, happy, happy. Don't bother While there's lots to love with this series, parents can give a miss to the 2023 Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh, which pretends that Christmas is all about Santa and, just to make it even easier to bypass, that Easter is about eggs and bunnies....

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Drama, Movie Reviews

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Drama / Mystery 1939 / 79 minutes RATING: 8/10 If there is any one film that deserves the primary credit as the inspiration for the many cinematic Holmesian interpretations that followed, this would be it. It seems like everybody who has played the principal part since is building on Basil Rathbone's performance here. In the opening scene we see Holmes's arch-nemesis, the brilliant, villainous Professor Moriarty, quite literally getting away with murder. He is in court, standing trial, and the jury has returned to declare they find him "not guilty,"not because they think him at all innocent, but only because they don't have the evidence they need. So what is Moriarty going to do now that he has been set free again? He pledges to Holmes that "I am going to break you Holmes. I am going to bring out, right under your nose, the most incredible crime of the century and you will never suspect until it is too late. And that will be the end of you Mr. Sherlock Holmes." And with that, the game is afoot! Cautions While two people are murdered, it happens off screen. The scariest part is probably the mood music. The only other concern is the question of whether Sherlock Holmes needed to bring this to the resolution he did. I don't want to give spoilers, so I'll just say, a discussion might be had about about what happens at precisely the 77 minute mark. Conclusion Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was the second, and probably the best, in a series of 14 Sherlock Holmes movies made between 1939 and 1946, all starring Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. John Watson. The plot wasn't based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story collection of the same name, but it does a great job of living up to its spirit. If you like the books, you should give this one a try. I couldn't find a proper movie trailer, but here's a clip of the opening scene that'll give you a good taste of what is to come. ...

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Animated, Movie Reviews

A Show About Anthem Lights

TV series / Comedy / Animated 2022- / 12 min x 20 episodes RATING: 7/10 Anthem Lights is a real-life Christian pop group – vocal quartet that's probably better known for their pop cover remixes than for their original material, their YouTube channel garnering over 500 million views to date. The original four members all attended Liberty University, and started performing together in 2007. Their most famous alumni is Alan Powell, who went on to star in one of the best Christian films of all time, The Song, and then produced a really good Christian version of High School Musical called A Week Away. A Show About Anthem Lights is an animated Duck Dynasty-esque TV show, with the four band members playing caricatures of themselves. Lots of singing of course, and in this version of their lives, they have an arch nemesis, the rival Handsome Knights band who are desperate to steal their fans. Cautions There is a potty humor joke or two in the episodes I've watched. The bandmates are maybe a little self-important too, but overall this is a bunch of goofy friends helping each other out. Language concerns would be a few instances of "oh my gosh." Conclusion Our family really enjoyed the first few episodes we watched together – at just 12 minutes an episode it could be served up as a nice quick treat after dinner. But as the series continued our enthusiasm waned, and I think we stopped about ten episodes in. Fun in limited doses, it got formulaic as it went on. Overall I'd recommend this as family viewing for under 12. You can find this on the Christian streaming site Pureflix.com, and if you're considering signing up for a month, check out our other Pureflix.com recommendations here. In the meantime, you can check out a free episode of A Show About Anthem Lights below. ...

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Family, Movie Reviews

The Jensen Project

Family 95 minutes / 2010 Rating: 8/10 Claire and Matt Thomspon seem like a couple of average parents, who, along with their 15-year-old son are enjoying a not-so-unusual family life. But 16 years ago the couple had been a part of a community of super geniuses, The Jensen Project, only to leave under a cloud when Claire's last project epically failed. Now this "Project" wants them back. Claire's old mentor, Edwin, has taken a mad scientist turn and his plans for world domination include nanobots. Only the Thompsons might have the know-how to stop his nefarious scheme. Their son, Brody – a techy sort, gifted with his parents' smarts – is coming too. But this secret scientist side of his parents is all new to him, and he's got quite the adjustments to make. Fortunately, soon after his arrival at the Project, he hits it off with Samantha, another brainiac, though a younger, prettier sort. When the two of them hear what the evil Edwin is up to, they join forces to become both a help and a headache for Brady's parents, stealing a hovercraft/plane to go take on Edwin themselves. Cautions There's really nothing to be concerned with, other than a little teenage rebellion (that includes them stealing the hover plane), and some bloodless fisticuff-type violence. There's a minor romance angle between the two teen leads, but they don't even kiss. And, of course, an evil scientist trying to take over the world does bring with it a certain level of tension that the very youngest might have some troubles with. Maybe the more significant warning is only that in the real world there is an actual "Jensen Project" which aims to end sexual violence. So you might not want to have your kids search for where to stream it, or buy it on DVD. Conclusion A dozen years back Walmart got into the family movie business, producing 5 or 6 films. The Jensen Project is one of the best, with some decent special effects, and lots of familiar faces including Levar Burton (Geordi on Star Trek the Next Generation) and Patricia Richardson (Tim the Tool Man's wife on Home Improvement). This is only the quality-level of a TV movie, but like one of the better old-school Disney TV movies, this action/sci-fi adventure is something the whole family can enjoy together. Check out the trailer below. ...

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Music

Some thoughts on Christian music in worship

So there is some great music out there, and as Reformed Christians, we can rejoice in that fact. But if the issue of music in general can be a contentious one, the issue of the music we use in our worship services can be a cause for even more controversy. If we can acknowledge that there is Christian music from outside of our own tradition that brings glory to God, does this mean that we can or should use this music in our worship services? I’m a missionary in the Canadian Reformed Churches. In Prince George, B.C., where I am working to spread the gospel and plant a church, we meet every Sunday morning for worship. And our worship service is pretty much the same as the worship service you would experience in every other Canadian Reformed Church. We sing from our denomination's Book of Praise, and the songs we sing are primarily the Psalms. We’ve chosen to do this very deliberately, not because it is simply something that’s required of us. And we’ve made this decision for several reasons. Why Psalms? First of all, our focus on Psalm-singing is in line with the principles of the Protestant Reformation. During the time of the Reformation, the Reformers placed a heavy emphasis on the participation of the congregation in the worship service. No longer was participation to be limited to the priest, who alone could drink the wine of communion, and to the choir, which sang while the congregation listened. Now the entire congregation was invited to participate, both in the Lord’s Supper, and in the singing. It was a revolutionary step – no longer was the congregation an audience, or a group of spectators. Now they were integral to the worship service itself, and that participation was not only beneficial for the worshippers, it also glorified the God who was being worshipped. Participants no spectators So that’s the first important principle; the congregation should be more than mere spectators – they should be active participants. That means that “worship teams,” or “praise bands” do not have a place in our worship services. There are times and places for musical performances, for audiences to sit back and enjoy music performed by skilled artists. But our gathering for corporate worship is neither the appropriate time or place for such a performance. Our worship is corporate– we worship as a body, and we should all participate, not simply observe. Because of this principle, the Reformers developed songbooks to be used in worship. John Calvin promoted the development of a Psalter to be used in worship, and he encouraged skilled men to write music and set the words of the Psalms to that music, for congregational singing. That music had to be singable – it had to be suitable for singing in unison, and it couldn’t be so complex that it would take a trained choir to sing it. And so, what we now have as the Genevan Psalter was developed. This was truly a “people’s Psalter.” No longer was music reserved for the professionals; now musically unschooled laymen could sing together, and the Reformed Christians did just that, in the worship services, at home, and in public gatherings. A rooted tradition So our use of the Genevan melodies is not something that we do merely out of custom; there are some very important principles at play here. Our use of the Genevan melodies is a part of our tradition, but that tradition is not meaningless. We sing these melodies in unity with the catholic (universal) church – the church of all times, as well as of all places. By maintaining this tradition, we are expressing in our practice the reality that true catholicity isn’t just geographical, but that it’s also historical. And we avoid what some have called “the tyranny of the present.” By upholding what has become an ancient tradition, we avoid the pitfalls that can afflict the Church when she attempts to be culturally relevant (and all to often fails). We maintain that tradition in the face of changing tastes and trends; instead of being shaped by the trends of the world, we need to continue to work to shape those trends ourselves. Instead of giving in to the pressures of our culture, including the pressures that influence our understanding and enjoyment of music, we should continue to train ourselves, to develop excellence in the musical tradition that the Reformed church has been blessed with for centuries. We may find some of the tunes hard to sing, but this is most often because of their unfamiliarity, not because of any difficulty inherent to the tunes (which were accessible centuries ago to people who were all but illiterate). If we find the tunes challenging, we should practice them. We should train our ear to understand them, and in doing so, we will find that we grow to love them! This is true with all music that lies outside of the realm of “popular music” – in order to grow to love classical music, or great jazz, your taste has to develop, and mature. That takes time, patience, and learning. But the rewards are great; in refusing to limit ourselves to the simplistic world of pop music (which does have its place), we allow ourselves to grow. Maturity is what Christians seek – a life of growth and development. This should be as true for our musical tastes as it is in every other area of life. After all, as a boy I may have loved to read the Hardy Boys; but when I grew in understanding, I left them behind, and moved on to better things. The process of development in reading and comprehension is challenging, but it’s necessary. The same holds true for music. What about the words? So that’s the musical aspect of the songs we sing on Sundays. But what about the lyrics? This is where our Psalm-singing becomes so very important, especially when we compare the lyrics of the Psalms to those of popular Christian music. The words of the Psalms are deep; they’re profound; they’re God-centred; they express every aspect of the Christian life and experience. They aren’t just meant to make us feel good – they’re meant to challenge us, to encourage us, to admonish us. They express joy, happiness, confession of sins, expressions of anguish, and even despair. The lyrics of the Psalms are words that are sung in unity with believers everywhere, in unity with God’s people throughout history, and in unity with our Lord Jesus Christ. They relate to us in our own experiences, but they do much more; they keep us actively aware of our unity with the universal Church, our unity with our spiritual ancestors. We sing about the Exodus, about the crossing of the Red Sea, about the wandering in the wilderness, about the rebellion of the Israelites, about God’s forgiveness of that rebellion. We sing about God’s amazing work in creation, but also about His amazing work of redemption and salvation. And when we sing the Psalms, we sing the very words that our Lord Himself had on His lips during His life on earth – think of Psalm 22, for example. They may not have catchy choruses. It may take work to memorize them. They may force us to sing about places like Teman and Mt. Paran, and the Baca Valley, places that are very distant from us, historically and geographically. But they force us to realize that our generation is not the only generation that ever existed. They encourage us to see our true place, in the covenant community, as yet another generation that God has guided in the true faith. Once again, a true appreciation of the message of the Psalms takes training and education; but anything worth doing is going to take effort. And that effort will pay off in the end; singing the Psalms will lead us to develop an increased appreciation for our God, for His Word and works, for His justice and righteousness, for His wrath and anger against sin, as well as for His mercy and grace, which He has poured out upon His people. A lifetime's worth of praise Music is important, and our God, in His love for us, has given us music as a great blessing. The songs we sing, and the way that we sing them, and the songs that we listen to, shape our understanding of our God and our relationship with Him. If we insist on remaining like children in our appreciation and understanding of the music we use, we are deliberately limiting ourselves, and cutting ourselves off from a wonderful opportunity. God Himself has given us an opportunity to grow, to be enriched, to thrive as His people, by giving us the beauty and majesty of music. And in giving us, in His Spirit-inspired Word, 150 perfect songs, He has provided us with more than enough content for a lifetime’s worth of praise. An old saying tells us, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” We become so familiar with something that we no longer appreciate the beauty and importance of the thing that we’ve been given. I think that when it comes to the music we use in our corporate worship, this phrase is often very applicable. In each generation, we need to come to an appreciation of the precious heritage that we’ve been entrusted with – the heritage of a musical form and content that is rich, beautiful, upbuilding, and lasting. It may take work to develop a deep, lasting appreciation for that music; but in the end, every bit of that work will be worth it. So let’s not be afraid to put in the effort. And having done that, we can know that God will give us, as He has already given us, a rich reward. This was first published to the Reformed Outfitters (RO) website in 2012 and reposted here when RO became a part of RP in 2022....

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Adult biographies, Book Reviews

My Father’s Journey

by Harry Kleyn 2022, 411 pages A few years ago I was asked to teach a North American church history course at Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers College. As part of that, I spent some time teaching about the history of Dutch immigration to Canada. That’s always interested me, especially because of the stories I’d hear from my Opa Bredenhof. While I don’t think he ever regarded Australia as an option, many others did.  I’ve often wondered: what if…? That’s part of what made Harry Kleyn’s My Father’s Journey such a fascinating read for me. Being familiar with stories of post-war immigration from the Netherlands to Canada, I was really interested to hear what it was like to migrate to Australia. Working with interviews, diaries, and other sources, Kleyn pens a compelling story of the challenges before, during, and after immigration. Lived through two world wars, a Great Depression, and a Liberation We hear the story of his father’s life and family background in the Netherlands. I don’t want to spoil the story for you, but it’s surprisingly intense. Having been born in 1913, Cornelis Kleijn also lived through the First World War, the Great Depression, and the Second World War. All of those world events figure into the story, but especially the last one. Being of working age, and having served in the Dutch army before the invasion in 1940, Cornelis Kleijn was exactly the kind of man the Nazis wanted to send to Germany as slave labour. How did he escape? Read the book to find out. These were also eventful years in church history. In the middle of the Second World War, a doctrinal and church political dispute was playing out in the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands. Calls to set the dispute aside until the end of the war were ignored by those in power. This led to the Liberation (Vrijmaking) of 1944. We read of how Cornelis Kleijn and his wife Willempje found themselves with that Liberation. After the Second World War, the Netherlands was a disaster zone. The economy was in shambles. The Dutch government urged citizens to migrate overseas to reduce the pressure. Countries like Canada and Australia were eager to receive Dutch immigrants.  Canada was out of the question for Cornelis and Willempje Kleijn – too cold!  South Africa was considered, but Australia was for them the best option. Our author relates the story of packing up, saying good-bye, and enduring the long sea voyage to Fremantle, Western Australia. New country, climate, and language, same faithful God Having arrived in Australia, there were new challenges to overcome. There was a new culture, a new language, a new work environment, and a new climate. Many families, including the Kleijns, experienced setbacks. There were various difficulties in church life and Harry Kleyn is forthright about them, but in a respectful manner. In later life, the elderly Cornelis and Willempje Kleijn continued to experience various adversities in their family. The whole story is one of trying times. I remember visiting with an elderly parishioner once who told me he was so thankful because there’d never been any deaths in their family and never any serious illnesses or problems. Everything had gone smoothly in life.  That’s not the Kleijn family as described in this book. This is a family who experienced real hardships. But more than that, what stands out in the story is how God carried them through. With his Holy Spirit, he sustained their trust in him. This is a story of how God lifts up his people in their faith and brings them through the fires. One final thing I appreciated about My Father’s Journey: even though the focus is on Cornelis Kleijn, his wife Willempje isn’t just in the background. Her diary entries and letters are often quoted (in translation). We hear of her frustrations at trying to master English, something she was never able to do. We hear of how hard it was to give birth in a hospital in a foreign land. We hear of the difficulties in keeping a house and raising children when your husband is gone most of the day trying to earn a living. It’s good to hear more about the experience of women in post-war Dutch immigration, especially via first-hand accounts. This is a well-written and well-researched family biography. I highly recommend it, not only for those with an interest in the history of Dutch migration, but also for anyone who just wants to read an encouraging story about how God upholds his people through the toughest times. Even though it’s not a short book, I read it in just a couple of days and I’m sure you’ll find it to be just as captivating as I did. My Father’s Journey is available through most major online retailers....

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Drama, Movie Reviews

The Hobbit: the film trilogy

AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY 2012 / 169 min (also a 182-min version) Rating: 8/10 THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG 2013 / 161 min (also a 186-min version) Rating: 8/10 THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES 2014 / 144 min (also a 164-min version) Rating: 7/10 Bilbo Baggins was quite content puttering around his garden, sitting in his armchair, and reading his books – he wasn’t looking for adventure. But then a tall wizard and a dozen dwarves asked this small hobbit to come help them battle a huge dragon. It was the sort of offer any respectable hobbit would refuse...and Bilbo did. “An adventure?.... Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner….We do not want any adventures here, thank you!” But something was stirring inside this quiet soul. Might he be an adventurous sort after all? The next day Bilbo surprises even himself by taking the dwarves up on their offer. Off he goes, on a long journey to the Lonely Mountain where the fearsome dragon Smaug guards his stolen hoard of treasure. On the way the company meets trolls, giants, horse-sized spiders, orcs – lots and lots of orcs! – and a kingdom’s worth of elves. But why did they want this little hobbit to come with? The dwarves don’t know; they agreed because the wizard, Gandalf, insisted. And Gandalf isn’t entirely sure himself. The is the best explanation he can offer: “I don't know. Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I've found it is the small things; everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay... simple acts of kindness, and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid... and he gives me courage.” Book to film This is the second time that director Peter Jackson has adapted a J.R.R. Tolkien story to film. The first, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, was one of the few movie adaptions to live up to its source material: three exceptional books became three of the best movies ever made, even as they remained quite loyal to the original story. This time around a great book has been transformed into three films, and while the films are quite good, they hardly resemble the book. Oh yes, all the major plot elements are still there, but because Peter Jackson had to stretch the book into three films he added lots of extra bits. A few of those bits are sweet like a love story between elf and dwarf, but most are violent: two enormous battles have been added and numerous skirmishes. The Hobbit was a children’s tale, a sort of kinder, gentler version of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings adventure. But there is nothing kinder or gentler about this film version – children shouldn't see it. So anyone loyal to the book will have good reason not to like the films. But if we forget the book they came from, and think of these films simply as adventure movies, then they are rollicking tales! Cautions The biggest caution concerns the violence because there's lots of it. It is mostly of a bloodless sort, which is why, despite the films’ enormous death toll, they still managed a PG-13 rating. But there is just so much of it! Fearsome villains are one reason this is not a film for children! Very little of it is realistic – it struck me as being video game-ish – but the most disturbing aspect is when it is played out for comic effect. When this band of brothers fights because it must, that is brave and heroic, and we can cheer them on. But what are we to think when Gandalf slices through an orc’s neck so cleanly his head remains in place? We get a quick look at the orc’s confused, distressed facial expression before Gandalf gives his head a tap to send it rolling off. This is meant to get a laugh, but it just gave me the creebles. Death as comedy? I should also note that while I haven’t watched the extended versions, I have heard that the violence in the extended version of the last film, The Battle of the Five Armies, would be enough to get it an R-rating. I could add some cautions about the occasional bit of juvenile humor (there are a couple of snot jokes, etc.) but since no child should be watching this anyway, and teens and adults aren’t going to be impacted, that will suffice. The only other caution concerns the magic that pops up throughout the film. Some of it is of the dark sort. The villain behind the scenes, causing many of the company’s problems, is the Necromancer, who had nine undead soldiers doing his bidding. He is demonic-looking. Now God condemns witchcraft (Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Leviticus 19:26, 20:6) and the casting of spells, so it’s not a big deal to show a villain making use of magic – they are supposed to be bad! More problematic is when the heroes do it too, and a lot of them do, with Bilbo Baggins even dabbling in what seems to be the dark arts after he finds a magic ring that turns him invisible but which also whispers wickedly – once the ring even tries to convince Bilbo to murder someone! So what should we think of heroes who use magic? That would be a discussion worth having with your kids. Bilbo's use of the ring highlights the dangers of dark magic - in The Hobbit we get only a glimpse of the sort of temptation this ring will pose in the later Lord of the Rings trilogy, but it's enough to know this ring is not some cute play toy but rather an ever-present and enticing lure. Conclusion There is also a lot to love here: the company is courageous, and Bilbo Baggins grows in bravery through the film. Our heroes are quite heroic! Many of the themes are admirable, and even biblical, like: money can corrupt a man has no greater love than that he is willing to lay down his life for another loyalty doesn’t mean blindly following love can require us to confront a friend vengeance can blind us bravery doesn’t mean not being afraid a small weak fellow putting bigger stronger sorts to shame (1 Cor. 1:26-29) It wouldn’t be hard to find many others. So overall I’d rate this as an above-average action-adventure that isn’t suitable for children, but might be enjoyed and discussed with older teens. For a film version of The Hobbit that you can share with children, consider the animated one which I review here. ...

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Documentary, Movie Reviews, Watch for free

The Privileged Planet

Documentary 60 minutes, 2005 Rating: 8/10 This hour-long documentary makes a compelling case that we live on a "privileged planet." If the Earth was a different size, or in a different location, or if the moon’s orbit was to shift ever so slightly, then many of the most important scientific discoveries we’ve made about space could never have happened. For example, it is because our moon is 400 times closer to us than the Sun, but also 400 times smaller than the Sun, that we are able to study the outer corona of Sol during solar eclipses. And did you know that our large moon - one quarter the size of the Earth – helps stabilize the tilt of our orbit, giving us our seasons? We are the right distance from the right kind of Sun, with just the right type of internal liquid iron core to generate a magnetic field to protect us from the Sun's most harmful rays. All this is just the way it needs to be! Want to learn more? Well, you'll have to watch the video. But the point is that the Earth has been clearly designed for life, and it has also been equipped for that life to discover what's going on in the Solar System around us. Now, like many an “Intelligent Designer” presentation, this doesn't specifically credit our Triune God, and that's a shame. But Christian viewers will know Who to praise for the astonishing engineering evidenced not only on our planet, but in our placement in the Universe. Stunning graphics accompany a strong argument, and it sure doesn't hurt that John Rhys-Davies (Gimli, in Lord of the Rings) narrates. This is a superior documentary that will appeal to anyone interested in the way God has designed the solar system, the Milky Way, and our planet Earth. It's available on DVD, some streaming platforms, or you can watch it for free (in 12 parts) below. ...

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Book lists, Book Reviews, Children’s picture books

7 (or is it 8?) great board books!

If you want to foster a love for reading in your children, it's never too early to start reading to them. Even newborns will tune in when a parent cracks open a book – a baby doesn't need to understand the story to appreciate mom or dad's calming voice. And if they get to hold the book in their chubby little hands, all the better! The ingredients for a good board book are pretty simple. The most important is probably that it have no sharp corners and be printed with lead-free paper because this is going to be as much a food item as anything else. Eat books, we are told, and babies do! Next, it should be a book parents won't mind paging through again and again. It's on this point that repetitious "classics" like Goodnight Moon and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom have been disqualified. Loved by children though they may be, I know I'm not the only dad to begrudge even one more reading (strangely, I've yet to meet a mom who has the same strong feelings). On a more serious note, board books have become the latest front for our cultural war, with Anti-Racist Baby, Woke Baby, A is for Activist and Feminist Baby in the mix on your local bookstore's board book section. On the other side of the political spectrum, conservative commentator Matt Walsh decided that he'd also entered the board book marketplace. His Johnny is a Walrus is about: a kid who "identifies" as a walrus, the mother who takes him way too seriously, and the doctor who suggests a surgery that turns "feet into fins." Walrus is a satiric take on transgender nonsense, and, in what might be a demonstration of our Sovereign God's sense of humor, it actually ended up on the top of Amazon.com's LGBTQ bestseller list. Really! But whether it be left or rightwing, the point is, politics have invaded even the board book section, so be sure to read before you buy. And, fortunately, with board books that'll only take you a minute. Now let's return to children's fare. The 7 suggestions below are arranged by age, with the first ones best for the very young, and the later ones with material that older sorts can enjoy. Peak-a-boo! by Janet and Allan Ahlberg 1997 / 32 pages The setting is England, and it appears to be right around World War II (judging from the daddy's uniform). The "plot" is very simple – the story starts with a baby in his crib, waking up in the morning and looking around to see what he can see. We follow him through the day, always seeing through his eyes, until his day ends and he heads to bed. It's the book's construction that fascinated my daughter. On the first two-page spread the baby is in her crib on the left-hand side, and the right page is all white, but with a large round hole cut through it so that we (and the baby) can "peek" to see what is on the next page. Once we are done peeking, we can turn the page, and look at a full page of activity – illustrator Janet Ahlberg fills her pictures with layers of detail. There is so much to see Daddy doesn't even mind paging through it again and again and again! Readers get to play peek-a-boo five times, peering through each hole to see what comes next. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle 1969 / 22 pages It's over 50 years old and as popular as ever. The plot is summed up by the book's title: it is about a very hungry caterpillar who eats and eats and eats for a week, and then builds a cocoon and turns into a beautiful butterfly. There are two different aspects of this book that made it one of my daughter's favorites: First, the inside pages are very easy for little hands to turn because they vary in width. On Monday the caterpillar eats through one apple, and the page with the apple is only a fifth as wide as the rest of the book; on Tuesday he eats through two pears, and that page is two fifths as wide, and so it continues with three plums (three fifths as wide), four strawberries, and finally five oranges. Second, the page covering what the caterpillar eats on Saturday is a two-page spread of colorful cake, ice cream, cheese, sausage pie, watermelon, and more, and it looks good enough to eat. Our little ones liked to turn to this page first, and flipped back to it again and again and again. But Not The Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton 1984 / 14 pages Hippo doesn’t seem to be included in much of what her friends are up to. For example, we learn on the very first page of this board book, that “A hog and a frog cavort in the bog… but not the Hippopotamus.” On the next page, it's more of the same: “A cat and two rats are trying on hats… but not the Hippopotamus.” Poor Hippo! She is always being left out. After a few more pages of forlorn Hippo looking wistfully at what others are up to, (and the repeating refrain, “…but not the Hippopotamus”) the rest notice how neglectful they’ve been, and invite Hippo to “come join the lot of us!” Now as we all know invitations are nice, but sometimes people turn them down, even when they really want to go. So we are in suspense as shy Hippo ponders what to do: “She just doesn’t know – Should she stay? Should she go?” So it is with joy that we turn the page to see her exclaim: “BUT YES THE HIPPOPOTAMUS!” That is not, however, the end of the book. One line follows: “…but not the armadillo.” This small creature is staring sadly after Hippo as she joins the group. It is a great end to a remarkable little book. Yes, it is full of fun rhymes, a great rhythm, and has friendly engaging pictures too, but it is this final line that really sets it apart. Here we see that not only should we include others in our groups, but even when we do step outside ourselves, and make that invitation, doing it once, to one person is only a start. There are still others who are being forgotten and could use a friend. And if your son or daughter is in Hippo's position, a different sort of lesson can be taught, to show them that they have to seize opportunities when they come. Poor Hippo would still have been lonely if she had said no. Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann 1994 / 36 pages When a zookeeper does one last walk-thru before heading for bed himself, he says "good night" to each animal, starting with the gorilla. But as he visits each animal in turn, there is a little gorilla and his mouse friend, trailing behind, and unlocking all the cages. Eventually, a whole train of critters follows the keeper to his house and right into his bedroom. It's only when his wife says "good night " to him in the dark, and gets a chorus of "good night"s from all around the room, that the gorilla's entourage is discovered. But it seems the weary zookeeper has dropped right off to sleep, so it's up to his wife to lead all the animals back to the zoo. Well, not all the animals. As she makes her way back home we see that she has some quiet company – the gorilla, and his little mouse friend, won't be left behind! You Are Special by Max Lucado 2000 / 28 pages Punchinello is a wooden "Wemmick" living in a town of other wooden people. These Wemmicks have made a habit of placing stickers on one another, gold stars for good, gray dots for bad. The pretty ones and talented ones always got stars..." but not poor Punchinello. When he tries to jump or run like the others, he trips. And then the others give him dots. "Then when he would try to explain why he fell, he would say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots." It gets so bad that he doesn't feel like going outside, and he starts to believe what the other Wemmicks are saying about him, that he deserves these gray dots. Things turn around when Punchinello meets a Wemmick, Lucia, who doesn't have any stars or dots. They just don't stick to her. Punchinello wants to know how he can be like that. Lucia tells him to go visit Eli the woodcarver who tells Punchinello that he matters because Eli, his maker, thinks he matters. And the dots and stars won't stick if Punchinello remembers that. Parents will understand that Eli is to Punchinello as God is to us, but some children may need some help understanding this metaphor. This is a great book that older kids can benefit from, perhaps while reading it to their younger siblings. School can be such a battleground, even at a Christian school, with so many children trying to get ahead by putting others down. Parents will appreciate the impact this book's message could have for their children if they really understand that it doesn't matter what others say about us, because we are God's own children, made in His own Image. The one danger here is that the lesson could be readily misunderstood by a child as countering what others think by elevating the child, rather than countering what others think by elevating the thoughts of God. That's a bit of a fine point, but one that parents can help their children understand. This is available as a board book or a slightly bigger picture book, and it is worth getting the one, and then the other as your child ages. Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton 2006 / 21 pages This is my favorite board book of all, but that might be colored a bit by the fact my wife gave it as a gift when we were dating. But what cemented it as a favorite for our kids is the free sing-a-long song you can download for it. Davy Jones of The Monkees does a fantastic job with this little ditty. The tune is memorable, which meant that even I could do a pretty decent rendition singing it to our kids. It's about a penguin who loves a hippo and has a proposal: I want to be your personal penguin I want to walk right by your side I want to be your personal penguin I want to travel with you far and wide... Sanda Boynton has many other great board books including The Going to Bed Book, Fifteen Animals, and Barnyard Dance and while I haven't run across any that aren't great, I did just notice that she's started listing her personal pronouns as "she/her" which is better than going with "he/zer" but still shows she's bought into this "more than two genders" nonsense. So, again, read before you buy. You can check out the Your Personal Penguin song (and other Boynton hits) here. Goodnight Mr. Darcy by Kate Coombs 2015 / 20 pages This is a gimmick, but so brilliantly done it deserves a spot on this list. As you may have already deduced from the title, this is a mash-up of the board book classic Goodnight Moon and a classic of another sort, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  As stated earlier,  I am not a fan of Margaret Wise Brown's 1947 Goodnight Moon. I could handle it once or twice, but the simple repetitions started driving me a little batty even going on thrice. So when I saw this, in the same coloring, and a similar rhythm, but much more clever, I thought it might be the perfect substitute. And it was! Here's a little taste: In the great ballroom There was a country dance And a well-played tune And Elisabeth Bennet – This really is intended for adults, but the rhythm and rhyme will grab your children's interest too. This is not the only board book version of Pride and Prejudice, but as the others lack the same charm, be sure if you have the right author....

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Documentary, Drama, Movie Reviews

The Story of the Weeping Camel

Foreign film / Docudrama 2003 / 87 minutes RATING: 7/10 This is as much drama as documentary because, as film critic Roger Ebert described it, “It uses real people in real places and essentially has them play themselves in a story inspired by their lives. That makes it a ‘narrative documentary,’ according to the filmmakers.” What we get is a peek inside a Mongolian nomad family during their camel birthing season. The camel of the title takes three days to give birth and then refuses to suckle her calf. It will die unless she changes her mind so two young brothers go off on a 50-kilometer journey to bring back a musician from the closest village. They hope his music will soothe the mother camel into accepting her offspring. The legend is, if the camel does finally start to feed her calf, then that will cause the mother to weep. Cautions At one point a little boy is bathed, and we can briefly see him naked from the front. If you are watching this with little kids, the camel birthing scene might be a little intense - we see the calf delivered, still covered in the membrane and a little bloodied. Conclusion This is for the adventurous... and patient. Weeping Camel is too slow for children, and probably most adults, but if you like learning about other people and countries, and are a fan of documentaries, then this is for you, offering an up-close and fascinating look at such a completely different culture. There's certainly a reason this got a 2005 Oscar nomination for best documentary. I could only find a low-rez trailer online, but it'll give you a good feel for the film. ...

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Family, Movie Reviews

Hangman’s Curse

Teen Suspense / Mystery 2003 / 106 minutes RATING: 7/10 Bullies at Rogers High School are all getting deathly sick. Is this the work of Abel Frye’s ghost, a student who committed suicide ten years earlier? The Veritas Project, a family of investigators, is brought in to uncover the truth and they quickly find things are not at all as they appear to be. If you were going to judge this movie by its cover you would probably dismiss it as some weird supernatural thriller, but the villains in this story turn out to be familiar foes. At its core this is a movie about bullies and the bullied, about cliques and trying to belong. This is campy, for sure, but could still be an interesting one to watch with your teens and discuss. Cautions That said, Hangman's Curse begins with a student’s suicide and delves into the practice of witchcraft so this clearly isn’t suitable for anyone under 10. In fact, parents should really preview this before watching it with their kids. This has been billed as "Christian horror" and if you can't deal with spiders, you really should give this a miss. The tagline is: "Watch your locker. Watch your back. Watch your soul" and that just about sums up why this film is going to be too much for many viewers – we just aren't expecting a Christian film that'll make you jump. In some countries this has been restricted to 16+, though I'd say that might be more because folks rate anything with bullying (or cigarettes) rather severely, as compared to what they do with sexuality or language. Conclusion Horror, suspense, and more than a little cheese – whatever you want to call it, you haven't seen a Christian movie like this before. Based on a Frank Peretti teen novel of the same name, Hangman’s Curse is a Christian film that manages to get us thinking, at least a little. It's got some humor too, and it gets its anti-bullying message across crystal clear but in such a campy way that it isn't all that preachy. To get a good feel for it, check out the trailer below. ...

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Animated, Movie Reviews

Wallace and Gromit: four short films

Animated / Comedy 1989-2008 / 114 minutes RATING: 8/10 It's been 35 years now, since student filmmaker Nick Park crafted his leading man out of clay. He made Wallace lovable and oh so inventive, but also more than a bit thick. Then Park carved up Gromit, Wallace's loyal, long-suffering dog who can't quite manage to keep Wallace out of trouble entirely, but who does manage to keep his master from getting in too deep. Wallace might be a brilliant inventor, but Gromit is the wise one. Since his first stop-motion claymation film, A Grand Day Out (where the duo managed to make it to the moon), Park has featured this duo in three more shorts and a couple of feature films; they've won a few Oscars, and spawned spin-off TV shows (Shaun the Sheep being the most notable). Not bad for a dim bulb and his dog. Part of the charm here is that the two of them do care for each other. Of course, that doesn't mean Wallace knows how to express his affection. He'll build an automatic patting machine, for example, rather than give Gromit the scratch behind the ears that his canine companion really wants. And when Gromit wants to go for "walkies," like every dog does, Wallace builds a set of "techno trousers" that he can attach Gromit's leash to, so the robot pants can take Gromit for his walk. Really Wallace, really? Gromit can't even talk, but the expressive dog sure can communicate. (They actually write dialogue for Gromit, even though he isn't going to speak it, so the animators will know how to shape Gromit's expressions.) Right behind this duo, third billing goes to the inventions – Wallace has more gadgets than James Bond, and they're twice as cool. He's built a machine that automatically throws him out of bed, sliding Wallace down a chute so he can land at his breakfast table, where another machine dresses him and yet another makes his breakfast. This process rarely goes off without a hitch, and the malfunctions are as fun as the successes. Another of Wallace's crazy contraptions is a knitting machine that just needs you to pop a sheep in one end, and a sweater will come out the other. Park has made four short claymation Wallace and Gromit films in all. A Grand Day Out 1989 / 24 minutes Wallace and Gromit need a vacation, and when Wallace discovers they are out of cheese, they decide the best getaway destination is the moon, what with all its bounty of green cheese. How are they going to get there? By building a rocket ship in the basement, of course! The Wrong Trousers 1993 / 30 minutes Wallace and Gromit’s happy home life is disrupted by a mysterious penguin who rents one of their rooms. Soon the shifty-eyed flightless foul is trying to replace Gromit in Wallace’s affections. But never fear, the loyalty of this tried and true dog does win out in the end. The moral of this tale? Either never neglect your dog, or don’t trust shifty-eyed penguins. Fun and silly, it won an Oscar. They even made a sequel, the feature film Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. A Close Shave 1995 / 31 minutes To make ends meet, Wallace and Gromit have started their own window-washing business. A wool merchant, Wendolene Ramsbottom, asks them to clean her shop windows, and, of course, Wallace falls in love. There are two mysteries to solve: first, where has the country's wool gone? and, second, what or who is destroying the interior of Wallace and Gromit's house? (One hint: this is where Shaun the Sheep makes his very first appearance.) A Matter of Loaf and Death 2009 / 29 minutes Wallace and Gromit are now bakers, and great at it. It doesn't hurt their business, either, that all the other bakers in town are being bumped off one by one. Wallace is in love again, this time with Piella Bakewell, the spokesmodel for Bake-O-Lite breads. The ever loyal Gromit gets stuck doing Wallace's work in the bakery, even as he's also trying to prevent the two of them from becoming the "cereal" killer's next victims. The description pitched this as a "who-doughnut" in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, and I was skeptical; how could they pull that off in claymation? But they did! Cautions While A Grand Day Out would be safe for all ages, The Wrong Trousers has a somewhat creepy villain that the pre-school set could find a bit disturbing. The last two films amp up the tension more, with first sheep, and then bakers, getting killed. One baker even gets killed off screen but then falls back into the shot, face first into a cake. It's all claymation, so, not at all realistic (and there is no blood or gore). But it underscores how these aren't really intended as family fare. Some animation is for kids, with some jokes for adults thrown in. I'd say this is for adults, and some older kids  – 10 and up – could enjoy it too. Language concerns would be limited to a few uses of "heck" and "flipping" and I think an "oh my gracious." Finally, in A Matter of Loaf and Death, a bomb blows a hole in Wallace's pants, and we see a brief shot of Wallace's naked, claymation butt. Again, the claymation aspect of it means this is far from titillating, though it might get little boys tittering. Conclusion The appeal here is the spectacle of all of Wallace's crazy inventions, and the simple beautiful loyalty of these two friends. It's clever, and might even inspire some kids to give stop motion filming a try. I remember making one, not with clay, but with a pair of my shoes doing a dance across the floor. There are so many tools online to get an inventive kid going, and this might be just the thing to inspire them. That said, these are not all for the very young. The Brits rate these as 7+ but I'd say that especially A Matter of Loaf and Death should be 10 and up. For a taste of what Wallace and Gromit are all about, check out this compilation of their "cracking contraptions" –  8 two-minute videos of Wallace at his most inventive. ...

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