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Hanna is a suspense-filled thrill ride that has a 16-year-old teenager handily taking on the CIA who seeks to destroy her very existence.

Check out my full review here: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/2012/04/hanna.html

Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) has grown up in the wilds of Northern Finland, north of the Arctic Circle. She lives with her father, ex-CIA agent Erik (Eric Bana) in a small cabin where they train, hunt and practice self-defense until the time is ready.

As any teenager might, this special girl feels like it is finally time to move out and to learn about the real-world for herself. Her father has a special â??missionâ?? for her in this new life of independence. Some of the plot as to why he would come out of hiding and risk exposing his daughter to be apprehended by the CIA with the possibility of her death, and while she is completing the mission, Erik has his own mission in which they will ultimately rendezvous at a set point in Berlin, Germany remains to me a mystery.

My biggest qualm with this film has to be plot. All of these unanswered questions and reasoning as to purpose is where I get caught up. Erik has spent his whole life plotting and planning with some great endgame in mind, but as a viewer, that endgame never really comes into focus.

He has been for years and years enslaved in his cabin in the nearly uninhabitable Arctic and when his daughter finally wants to be free, he devises an elaborate plan for that to happen, but his methods seem completely ridiculous.

It does, however, similar to the conclusion of the Bourne Identity, have an opening to expand the film into a franchise of multiple films. Hanna did seem a lot like a teenage girl Bourne Identity. It has the aspects of the CIA, a secret program, a cover-up and a rogue agent all working together eerily similarly.

The CIA in the film is the enemy and the head of that threat is Marissa (Cate Blanchett), Erikâ??s former handler. She has been hunting Erik down for years and when the plot to finally be free begins, she is the first person made aware of Erikâ??s tracker being initialized. Blanchett struggles mightily with a Southern accent she employs as an agent. It was really bad and ditching it altogether would have better serviced the film. Marissa is a worthy adversary for Hanna and Erik as she methodically seeks to destroy them and everything they have left.

Visually, Hanna is excellent. Itâ??s delicious eye candy from the stark white of the Arctic to the bustling streets of Morocco. Director Joe Wright employs alternating black and white images to create a strobe effect throughout the film. Wrightâ??s captivating chase scenes are especially brilliant. Many of them are on foot running to get away from danger, to escape a high security holding facility or to outrun an assassin. The filmâ??s hand-to-hand fight scenes are another added bonus to the fast-paced thriller. The Chemical Brothers score also provided a huge boost to the overall feel of the film.

Hanna is a vicious, emotional teen who is dangerously lethal. The action of the film accentuates her power.

My score â??
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Plot: 7 out of 10
Character Development: 7 out of 10
Acting: 7 out of 10
Audio/Visuals: 9 out of 10

Kung Fu Panda 2 packs as great a punch as the original and also adds lots of laughs.

Po (Jack Black) and the Furious Five are back in action to fight evil. A new super villain, the evil Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) has threatened to take over all of China by developing a super cannon that has rendered Kung Fu powerless.

Similar to the first installment, Kung Fu Panda 2 brings back all of the elements we loved in the first film. The laughs are numerous and the message remains the same. Despite, what people say or what happened in your past, if you believe in yourself, you can overcome all evil.

Check out my full review here: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/kung-fu-panda-2.html

Machine Gun Preacher is the true story of a modern day hero with a troubled past, who was transformed by Jesus and then devoted his life to defending children who cannot defend themselves from the evil lurking to capture them.

Check out my full review here: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/2012/04/machine-gun-preacher.html

I thoroughly enjoyed this film except for one thing: I have no idea how Hollywood can portray Christians as so old-fashioned that they would show them as stuck in some time from 30 years or more ago and havenâ(TM)t changed with old hymns from the turn of the century, a church built decades ago that hasnâ(TM)t been renovated since its construction. The preacher is also portrayed as a slick talking Southerner who lays guilt on the newcomers who have not yet come to know the Lord until a dozen people accept the Lord. Granted, Sam is a self-proclaimed âhillbilly from Pennsylvaniaâ? but thereâ(TM)s no way that this is really how church is in backwoods Pennsylvania.

Sam Childersâ(TM) (Gerard Butler) conversion to Christ comes after a night of doing drugs and nearly killing a hitchhiker. At the lowest of lows, Childers surrenders his life to Jesus and radical transformation begins in a manâ(TM)s life marked by crime, drug abuse, and evil.

In his new life as a born-again Christian, Sam listens to a missionary who comes to visit the church he attends. He tells of the work that is going on in Uganda, bordering the war-torn nation of Sudan. Samâ(TM)s trip to Uganda forever changes his life. He sees the disparity of the nation and wants to go north to the Sudan. Here he finds terrible acts of evil committed against helpless children by a wicked terrorist group.

The film pits Samâ(TM)s character against the leader of the Lordâ(TM)s Resistance Army (LRA), Joseph Kony and the war atrocities he commits against the people of the Southern Sudan. Indignant at the conditions in the Sudan and the way the âinvisible childrenâ? of Sudan are hunted and forced to live in constant fear of being apprehended in the night, Sam decides to make a difference in this worn-torn area.

Shell-shocked by his short-term trip to Uganda and the Sudan, he realizes that he must return to be an advocate for those who cannot defend themselves and are terrorized by evil men who take advantage of them.

Samâ(TM)s first night home he receives a vision from God. God speaks to him to build a church. He describes the church as somewhere that âainâ(TM)t gonna turn you away if youâ(TM)re a prostitute or a drug addict. A place for sinners just like me.â?

His wife Lynn, the one who introduced him to Jesus thinks heâ(TM)s crazy, in which he replies, âyeah⦠a little bit.â? He is energized by the plans, the hopes, and the dreams that go into his vision. Even crazier, is the orphanage heâ(TM)s planning on building in the Sudan!

The first day of church at Shekinah Fellowship Church (I love that name), the pastor he had to come teach is a no-show and he is forced to give a message about his rough past and Godâ(TM)s deliverance in his life.

Returning to the Sudan, Childers finds the piece of land he wants and construction begins immediately, despite the threat from the LRA and the conspicuous location in a remote part of South Sudan. When LRA soldiers take begin an assault on the village he is staying in, he evacuates all of the kids to go to the church, which is under construction.

After fending off the LRA soldiers, he calls his wife, Lynn (Michelle Monaghan) dejected at the turn of events. She gives him a serious pep talk not to give up:

Lynn: âItâ(TM)s a test, Sam.â?
Sam: âI canâ(TM)t do it no more, Lynn. Itâ(TM)s over.â?
Lynn: âThose kids have had their whole lives burned to the ground and worse. How many of them do you see giving up? God gave you a purpose Sam Childers. Now, get off your butt, stop your crying, and build it again. You hear me?â?

As he defends the kids and fights against evil, his fame spreads as the âwhite preacherâ? even among the kids who have been recruited as warriors for the LRA. Itâ(TM)s a powerful moment as his kindness and love to fight for the powerless pays off in the deliverance from evil, young kids forced to become soldiers in a battle they do not want to fight.

The film is a poignant story of the power of the gospel. God is just. He is a father to the fatherless. He is a defender of the weak. He brings hope to the hopeless as he shows them what it means to be children. He teaches them baseball, builds a playground, and restores to them their childhoods. The story is not only about the children being rescued and delivered, but itâ(TM)s a story of Childers journey with God, his struggles against evil, and finding the true love that God has to offer.

Psalm 68:5 describes God as âFather of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.â?

The fight Childers faces in his journey is described in Romans 12:21, âDo not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.â?

Some closing facts and figures from the film:

Amnesty International estimates that Kony and the LRA are responsible for over 400,000 murders and 40,000 child abductions.

These children are tortured, raped, sold into sex slavery, and forced to take part in ritualized killing by LRA commanders.

To this day, Sam Childers fights for the children of Southern Sudan and Northern Uganda.

As a side note, even though this could be considered a "Christian" film, it is not suitable for children. The film is rated R due to violence, language, drug use, and a scene of sexuality.

My score â"
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Plot: 7 out of 10
Character Development: 7 out of 10
Acting: 8 out of 10
Audio/Visuals: 8 out of 10

The Grey is a man versus wolves horror story in the Alaskan wilderness.

The film seems like it has been done before, maybe this time just with wolves. If it was a bear or a mountain lion, or deadly cliffs, the story just seems a bit redundant. By far, Liam Neeson carries this film, as Ottway, the experienced wolf hunter.

The premise of the film is about a rough group of men working on the oil pipeline out in the uninhabited wilds of Alaska. On the final day of the job, Ottway, away from the others who are drinking, fighting, and just excited to be getting back to the rest of the world, writes a suicide note to his love interest back at home, even though he knows that there is no way she will ever read it.

Check out my full review here: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/grey.html

Have you ever known a friend that seems to have never moved past high school? They re-live those days for years after graduation. When you spend time with them all that they talk about are the "good ol' days"Â?? Young Adult is a story written by Diablo Cody (Juno) and directed by Jason Reitman (Up In The Air) about a 37-year old woman, Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron), who still has a crush on her high school sweetheart, Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson). The problem is that Buddy has moved on, is now married and has just celebrated his first daughter's birth. After getting the baby announcement in an email, Mavis, a Young Adult novel series ghostwriter, decides she will drive back home to Mercury, Minnesota, a small hick town to win him back and free him from the slavery of marriage and fatherhood.
Check out my full review here: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/#!/2012/05/young-adult.html

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a heart-pumping thriller that captures you in its grip of horror and intrigue until the final second.

Check out my full review here at: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/2012/04/girl-with-dragon-tattoo.html

It is methodically calculating as it counts down to the discovery of the wolf in sheepâ(TM)s clothing. The cast is phenomenal. Rooney Mara (Lisbeth Salander) steals the show with her brilliant intellect, her seductive appeal, and her ruthless defense of the defenseless. She stands apart among a top cast in David Fincherâ(TM)s masterpiece. Daniel Craig (Mikael Blomkvist) plays an embattled journalist who has been tricked into trading in his credibility for a story. He is a great investigative journalist who has a vulnerable side.

The ageless Christopher Plummer (Henrik Vanger) is the wary, kind uncle (and former CEO of the family business) who has been searching for the murderer of his dear niece who vanished years before from the island Henrik and his family (and relatives) have occupied for decades. On the day of her murder only family members were present on the island, all of them together in one place, and no particular evidence pointing any one person in particular.

After the embarrassing imprisonment of Blomkvist after losing his libel case made against Hans-Eric Wennerström, a Swedish billionaire industrialist, his Millenium magazine is faltering and Blomkvist is approached by Henrik to investigate the murder of his niece, Harriet. Blomkvist takes a step down from Millenium with the promise of a hefty compensation and solid evidence against Wennerström if he can crack the cold case of Harrietâ(TM)s murder. He is welcomed to the familyâ(TM)s isolated and frigid island, off the coast of Sweden.

Blomkvist interviews the remaining family members living on the island searching for clues. His investigation really heats up after he finds photographs of Harriet the morning of her murder in town attending a parade. He further ascertains that he needs access to the companyâ(TM)s records in order to discover who the killer is. In order to comb the family businessâ(TM) archives, he hires Lisbeth Salander, a pierced, tattooed, goth computer hacker and private investigator, and the same young woman who investigated his past before Henrik hired him.

Blomkvist and Salander have a complicated relationship in the film, as partners, lovers, and confidants. As they research all of the details surrounding the murder, they discover that it isnâ(TM)t just Harriet who has been murdered but woman all over the country that have been marked as cold cases are cropping up with ties to Harriet and Harrietâ(TM)s family.

The rising action in the film builds enormous tension as Blomkvist pokes around somewhere he shouldnâ(TM)t be and Salander uncovers dark secrets of her own.

Director David Fincher does a remarkable job with the horrifying discovery of the perpetrator of the murders and then the characterâ(TM)s realization of how deep theyâ(TM)ve gotten themselves. It is terrible and wonderful all at the same time.

The film has graphic sexual content which is not suitable for younger audiences or anyone sensitive to sexual content. It is persistent throughout the film.

My Score â"
Overall Rating: 9.75 out of 10
Plot: 9 out of 10
Character Development: 10 out of 10
Acting: 10 out of 10
Audio/Visuals: 10 out of 10

Who knew that you could create an uplifting and inspiring family film out of the tragedy of losing a parent in your pre-teen years?

Check out my full review here: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/2012/04/we-bought-zoo.html

Thatâ??s exactly what We Bought a Zoo did in their film starring Matt Damon (Benjamin Mee), Scarlett Johansson (Kelly Foster), Thomas Haden Church (Duncan Mee) and Elle Fanning (Lily Miska). The film is a moving depiction of life after loss for the surviving spouse and hurting children who are left behind. The film demonstrates the aftermath of death and its effects on the entire family.

The film depicts the struggle between father and son as Damonâ??s character, Benjamin tries to guide his hurting 14-year old son, Dylan (played by Colin Ford) through his first year of high school and his the first year of his life without his mom. Dylanâ??s only solace from the pain of loss comes in his artwork, which features dark depictions of decapitations and scary creatures. He has been struggling at school all semester when he is caught stealing and forces the principalâ??s hand to expel him from school.

This development prompts Benjamin to look for a change of scenery. His work has been affected by the death of his wife and he finally quits the job, and looks to pack up and move to some place with a big backyard outside of the city. The constant ray of sunlight in the film is Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones), Benjaminâ??s 7-year-old daughter, who seems to be handling the loss the best of everyone in the film.

On Benjamin and Rosieâ??s house hunting trip they come upon an older home with 18 acres of backyard. Despite warnings from his realtor, Benjamin thinks they have finally found their new home. It is miles from the nearest store, has lots of room to roam and one catch: itâ??s a zoo!

Against his better judgment and his brother Duncanâ??s admonitions, Benjamin in an act of desperation to escape the never-ending grieving process and to boost the overall morale of the family decides to buy the zoo.

Upon later reflection, Benjamin makes a bold comment about his approach to life and about taking chances. He says, â??You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.â??

Itâ??s a statement of courage, bravery, but ultimately faith.

Faith is stepping out into something without guarantees. It is doing something no one else would even attempt. It is putting yourself out there with everything to lose, but so much more to gain.

Against all hope, faith accomplishes the impossible.

The film portrays the real-life story of a man who lost everything when his wife died, but refused to give up and went for everything by selling his house, to take his family on an incredible adventure.

The filmâ??s story speaks to something inside of mankind. It speaks to a place of complacency and routine. It challenges you where you are to consider your life. To take a step back and examine what you are doing and why you are doing it. Benjaminâ??s wifeâ??s death was a wakeup call for him that he chased after other peopleâ??s adventures as a journalist, but never really experienced his own adventure.

Sometimes it takes something drastic. It takes something life-altering in order to live in such a way that you become really alive; not going through the motions; not just doing what you have always done. But truly living it a way that has an impact.

As Christians, we are called to be the salt of the earth and a city on a hill. We are called to stand out and to make a difference in the lives of those around us. We arenâ??t to remain idle, watching those around us, instead, we are to participate in the lives of those we interact with. In order to get out of that rut it occasionally requires a leap of faith. It requires â??getting out of the boatâ?? metaphorically speaking, like Peter who had been with Jesus and didnâ??t want to just watch, but wanted to participate in what was going on around him.

In order to change the world it might just take twenty seconds of insane courage to step out and do something extraordinary.

My Score â??
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
Plot: 7 out of 10
Character Development: 8 out of 10
Acting: 8 out of 10
Audio/Visuals: 9 out of 10

"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. But I was outside the Bagdad Theater in Portland one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for fifteen minutes, and he never opened his eyes.

After that I liked jazz music.

Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.

I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." -Author's Note, "Blue Like Jazz", Donald Miller

Check out my full review here: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/2012/04/blue-like-jazz.html

This movie, based on Donald Miller's book, presents "anti-religious" thoughts on Christianity as the title's hero, the young Don Miller himself (played by Marshall Allman), aims to throw off the religion (and hypocrisy) of his Southern Baptist upbringing in a small town in Texas.

Miller, in an attempt to "fit in" and appear cool at the highly liberal Reed College in Portland, Oregon, tries to ditch God after Lauryn (Tania Raymonde), an openly gay woman on his floor, warns him to keep his Christianity in the closet if he wants to stick around.

Don finds God to be an easy target to mock to gain friends and popularity. He befriends Reed College's atheistic "Pope" (played by Justin Welborn) who engages in periodic book burnings and defaces a church.

Don's life at Reed College is filled with anger towards God and the church because of previous wounds. He feels betrayed by the hypocrisy and the many years growing up in church but never really knowing God. He sees God as father as a poor choice of "marketing" when in America so many fathers abandon their families and children. How could we see God as a father when a father's wounds run so deep.

For the religious this movie is a slap in the face. It breaks all the rules. There is drinking, homosexuality, partying and revelry (in sin). There is defacement of church buildings and defilement of what a religious person would call sacred.

And that's the point.

The movie gets at the heart of religion. Religion is about rules and being "good". Blue Like Jazz thumbs its nose at religion and gets to the heart of who God really is. It gets to the heart of a God who pursues and forgives and loves no matter the cost.

Despite his sin and running away from God, God doesn't turn his back on Don. He doesn't abandon him to his sin. God continues to pursue Don despite his bad behavior.

Another central figure of the film is Penny. She is a good-natured, caring girl who is involved with activism, goes overseas to visit refugees, and has captivated Don as he sees something different in her that he doesn't see in others at Reed College.

She is the only Christian on-campus at Reed and she is also maybe the most genuine character in the film as well. She not only stands up for what she believes, but she also sacrifices for her beliefs as well. She too takes an interest in Don as she sees a hurting kid that is just trying to find his way in life. She is patient with him as he is finding out who he is and who God is.

As a Christian, she is a perfect example of how we should be. That should not judge the world, but we embrace the world like Jesus does. She is kind and compassionate and caring. She is in the world, but not of the world.

The film is a wonderful picture of how God pursues all mankind with a patient love.

Romans 2:4 - Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

God doesn't pursue us with a book of rules, slamming it over our heads, he pursues us with his kindness and forgiveness. He shows his compassion to us. When we finally turn to him, when we recognize how patient and kind he is to us, we are undone.

Blue Like Jazz is a powerful portrayal of God's love and pursuit of his people, even when they try and push him away.

My Score -
Overall Rating: 9 out of 10
Plot: 9 out of 10
Character Development: 10 out of 10
Acting: 9 out of 10
Audio/Visuals: 8 out of 10

Haywire is a high-octane intelligence thriller with Gina Carano as the smart, sexy, efficient lead calling all the shots, even after it all comes crashing down.

Check out my full review here: http://reelstorymovies.blogspot.com/2012/05/haywire.html