Steven Spielberg’s LINCOLN focuses on President Lincoln’s efforts in January 1865 to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery in the United States and its territories. LINCOLN is a meticulous, captivating, somewhat nuanced, and brilliantly performed moral plea against slavery, racism, and prejudice, but it sometimes suggests that the ends justifies the means and contains too much strong foul language that seems anachronistic.

SON OF GOD tells the story of Jesus Christ’s ministry on Earth, leading up to a powerful telling of His death and resurrection and final message to John in Revelation. The pacing could be a little tighter and the movie leaves you wanting to see more about Jesus Christ’s teaching, but SON OF GOD is a captivating, powerful reminder of the glorious nature of God’s grace and love.

THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS is a merry animated romp about a group of incompetent, silly pirates who get sidetracked on an adventure involving Queen Victoria, Charles Darwin, and a bird that was thought to have been extinct. THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS is a funny, playful animated movie for families, with a positive message that being faithful to one’s friends is more important than fame, glory, or riches.

VENUS AND SERENA is a candid story of the power of perseverance as displayed in the careers of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams. VENUS AND SERENA has a light moral/biblical worldview. While the movie has several positive themes such as faith, perseverance and redemption, a caution is still advised for some foul language.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is an awesome, redemptive epic where an imprisoned Batman must inspire several key people, including Catwoman, to turn to the good and help him stop an evil terrorist leader who’s taken control of Gotham City. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES is not only redemptive but also explosive, entertaining, and riveting, with a caution for some intense action violence, some foul language, and brief sensuality.

I AM LEGEND is a very scary, but literate, science fiction thriller about a brilliant scientist in New York City trying to find a cure for a mutated cancer cure that has turned all of the survivors but him into raving cannibal killers. Though too scary and violent for children and other sensitive moviegoers, I AM LEGEND is exhilarating, riveting, touching, profound, and redemptive, with positive Christian content and a brilliant performance by Will Smith.

THE TERMINAL is an extremely witty movie that will make many cry and laugh, as it explores the character of a man in an airport. Although this is not a big action-adventure fantasy, it is one of the best crafted movies ever and has something in it to appeal to everyone.

PAN is a new family fantasy that tells the origins of Peter Pan and how he came to live in Neverland. PAN is a little scary in parts for younger children, and has some brief foul language, but is a fabulous adventure with a strong moral worldview and positive redemptive elements.

UNCHARTED is a rousing action adventure movie about a young bartender and sometime thief who joins an older rogue searching for lost gold allegedly stolen by Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago on his trip around the world, a treasure that obsessed the young man’s long-lost brother. Based on a popular video game series, UNCHARTED tells an exciting, terrific story where the treasure hunters are racing against a ruthless band of other treasure hunters, but it has a strong worldview with some moral pro-life content, many Christian symbols and an overtly Christian message in one scene marred by stealing and lots of exclamatory foul language.