Movie Review: Prom

Title: Prom
Author: Disney
Release Date: 2011
Genre: teen, high school, friendship, romance, drama
My Rating: *
Official Rating: PG for mild language and a brief fight
Age Group: 12+

Summary
Nova, and everyone else at her high school, has been waiting for this night, preparing for it, and everything has to be perfect. Prom is going to bring them all together. Knock down boundaries. Help them find love. Everything will be perfect for one night.
Until Nova's sort-of date cancels on her. And Jordan's boyfriend cheats on her. And Floyd can't even get a girl to go with him. And, and, and. Things fall apart. The decorations burn to the ground. Nova is devastated. This was supposed to be perfect.
So Nova does what she always does. She tries to pull things back together. She gets some unlikely help, and prom ends up happening after all. It's just not what everyone expected.

Word of Warning

• Prom is glorified as being the best thing every, something everyone needs to go to, something that will change lives. This outlook on prom is promoted through the entire movie to the point where it becomes really annoying because everyone watching knows that's not true.
• A student jokingly flirts with his teacher, suggesting they run away together.
• Backhanded reference to girlfriend as a "hot girl"
• Kisses. One from the back that's not visible. At least four others that are visible. One passionate and rather disgusting kiss involving lots of head tilting.
• Guys with no shirts on (letters painted on their chests)
• Girl tends to wear low shirts that reveal a bit of cleavage and short skirts (these aren't as much of a problem since the camera spends most of its time too high to see her legs)
• Mention of serial killers in relation to letters being cut out to create a message. This is meant as a joke.
• Someone mutters, "Oh God"
• A guy is randomly, and with no explanation, in the girls' bathroom. He acts like it's completely normal.
• One kid remarks to his friend that he had better check his breath to make sure he doesn't have "butt mouth" before talking to a girl
• One of the teens has a girlfriend/date who is out clubbing late at night (we do not actually meet her until the end of the movie). This same girl wears a dress which has a slit right down the center. Someone says of her dress that she would have to be a Victoria Secret model to pull it off.
• Guy cheats on his girlfriend and lies about it. He then lies to the other girl he likes. Basically, he lies a lot and manipulates girls.
• Girl tries on a lot of prom dresses (most tight, strapless, low, one with a high slit in the skirt, etc). The guy with her tries to get her to try on a little (very little) black one. She refuses.
• Father listens in on his daughter's conversation with her friends. He then threatens/guilt-trips the guy who likes the daughter into not asking her to prom.
• Brief fist fight. One kid gets beaten and has a bloody mouth. He seems fine otherwise, and the others do as well.
• Parents are awful parents. They are more friends than anything, and when they are parents, they are stressing the child go to a certain college and not mess up any of her plans.

My Thoughts
Um. What to say? It was funny. The best parts were Floyd trying to get a date, the funny things Jesse said, and Lucas and his best buddy Cory (the sophomores).
The writers tried to balance out the sparkly and glorious view of prom with a more negative one, proposed by Jesse, who says prom isn't all that great after all. But even he caves under Nova's dreams for a perfect night.
It's break. I have lots of time, but I do regret spending it watching this movie. Luckily it wasn't very long. It felt pointless. It had its funny moments, yes, but it felt like I was being indoctrinated. Prom is wonderful. Prom is perfect. Everyone loves prom. Everyone goes.
But, content-wise, it wasn't so bad. And as a junior in college, I am clearly not the target audience. And I never went to prom, so who am I to say this movie is wrong?
Maybe it's not. But it is empty. The plot is broken. The character development is nearly nonexistent.
There's nothing to it. It's one of those movies you watch when you're sick because you can't process anything.

Movie Review: 16-Love

Title: 16-Love
Genre: romance, teen, sports, chick flick, family
My Rating: **
Official Rating: PG (for mild thematic elements and brief innuendo)
Age Group: 14+
Summary: Ally is a tennis star in high school and looking at a few matches that will lead her to becoming pro. Her life is entirely tennis and she's good. But when she sprains her ankle and is forced to take a break from the one thing she's been doing for as long as she can remember, she finds something different. A life. A real, regular, teenage life.
So how does the guy she's coaching for his own tennis match fit into all of this?

Word of Warning

• Girls wear short skirts and tank-tops (some are revealing, others not), mostly for their tennis matches. Ally's friend is constantly wearing short shorts or skirts.
• A boy who is addicted to caffeine is nicknamed "Red Bull" but that's never explained as being related to an actual drink.
• A guy spends a good amount of time practicing without his shirt on. Girls are clearly attracted to this and one wants a picture with him. Later, we see a slow-mo of him getting out of a pool.
• The father is inconsiderate of his daughter's actual desires and pushes her to do tennis because he doesn't want her to fail like he did.
• The girl disobeys her father at her friend's urging. Later, she hides things from him, ultimately outright lying to him.
• There is significant taunting between rivals and it's not friendly taunting.
• A scene intended to be comical involves a ball-boy getting hit off scene by a ball. There is a sort of shriek/yell, and the emergency truck drives by. The announcer casually tells everyone to go back to their game, the ball-boy just got on the wrong end of a serve by a famous player. We hear nothing about him after the truck is gone, nor do we see anything.
• A girl badly sprains her ankle and can't walk.
• A girl and her love interest share ice cream.
• A guy remarks that a pro sells his own line of underwear and "they're extremely comfortable."
• A girl forcefully kisses a guy who looks very shocked and unhappy but doesn't put much effort into pulling away. He is also assumed to be more or less taken by a different girl when this happens.
• A girl neglects her friends and family, resulting in anger and friends abandoning her.
• The mother tells her daughter, "All you are is a sum of your choices."
• The daughter ignores her father's orders and does what she likes, hoping he'll eventually agree that she's right.
• A few passionate kisses, almost all of which are in the last five minutes of the movie.
• The cliche of the daughter being misunderstood by her parents, doing what she wants finally, and them realizing how wrong they were and then agreeing with her.

My Thoughts
Honestly, it wasn't too bad for a chick flick. The thing that was the most irritating was all the tennis scenes in which nothing but tennis happened. It might have been a lot more enjoyable if I knew tennis or was interested in it.
But all things considered, the story was a nice (albeit cliche) one and just unique enough not to make me feel like I was watching something I'd already seen. The comical characters were a great addition, there just often enough to make sure the audience didn't become annoyed.
My biggest problems with it were honestly the over-told story of a daughter being misunderstood and then doing what she wants and the parents realizing how wrong they were (what kind of message does that send?) and the long tennis scenes.
So my star count is based less on objectionable content this time and more on boredom.

Album Review: Storyline

Title: Storyline
Author: Hunter Hayes
Genre: Country, pop, young adult, teen
My Rating: *****
Official Rating: Young adult/teen
Age Group: 14+
Summary:
I'm going to do this by song because it seems like the most efficient way to review an entire album.
(Note: I apologize for the length this method caused, but because of the content of the album and how it is distributed, I thought it would be the best way to review this particular work. Due to the length, I have inserted a break in the post. Please click the link to read my analysis of each song.)

My Thoughts
Wow. I'm honestly impressed. Hayes' first album was a bit disappointing with all the little suggestive lines that made it hard to listen to with younger children around. This album, while it does have its suggestive lines, is a lot deeper than that. I remember listening to the first two albums and being struck by Hayes' ability to really address the desires of fellow human beings in a unique way. This album, though it does have its weaknesses, takes that ability one step further. Yes, at times he sounds like someone playing the victim card and complaining about broken relationships, but for the most part there's a little more there than meets the eye.

Album Review: The House You're Building

Title: The House You're Building
Author: Audrey Assad
Genre: Catholic, Inspirational
My Rating *****
Official Rating: all, a few songs teen
Age Group: 6+, 14+

Summary:
Audrey Assad is a Catholic singer with a beautiful voice. In this album she addresses some of the challenges people have every day and puts them into the proper context. The quote from St. Augustine, "My heart is restless until it rests in you, Oh Lord" would be a great way to sum up her approach to a solution. And yet, it's not a cheesy solution. It's a very heartfelt solution filled with beautiful metaphors pointing to the only solution that ever succeeds: God.


"For Love of You"
Summary: This is a reflection on God's great power and existance everywhere. It is because of Him that the singer does anything. She goes through various metaphors, describing just how great God is and what He does with her life and how she responds to that. Quite simply, "For love of You, I'm a sky on fire. And because of you, I come alive. It's Your Sacred Heart within me beating, Your voice within me singing out, for love of You."

"The House You're Building"
Summary: The singer is weary of wandering the world and has "been lookin' for a place to lay my head. All this time, like a vagabond, a homeless stranger, I've been wanderin'." And she finds home in God's house. He is her shelter from the struggles she has encountered, holding her up when she is no longer able to stand alone. And yet, she has a hard time turning to Him for help--and God keeps calling. "In You I find my meaning."

"Breaking Through"
Summary: Still wandering the world, the singer is searching but struggling to listen to the call. She notes that everything around her is pointing toward God and if she just takes a moment to observe the little things, she'll see, "Heaven is breaking through. And it's You." Even though she struggles at times to see this, she knows God is there in everything.

"Everything Is Yours"
Summary: We all know the feeling: "When all the world is on fire. When skies are threatening to thunder and rain. And I am overcome by fears that I can't see." The singer takes a step back, comforting herself with a simple fact, "Everything is Yours, and I'm letting it go. It was never mine at all." She the goes on to observe God's great power not only in protection but also in creating beauty, bringing home the notion that God really does have it all under control and she really can let go. Because "It was never mine at all."

"Restless"
Summary: St. Augustine is very well known for that one quote, "My heart is restless until it rests in You, Oh Lord." The singer observes that God dwells in everything we do, good and bad, and we are constantly searching for an answer. "You are the keeper of my heart. And I'm restless, oh I'm restless, til I rest in You, til I rest in You." Just an absolutely beautiful illustration of St. Augustine's words. She longs to surrender her love to God and let Him touch every aspect of her life.

"Carry Me"
Summery: "Pain is a forest, we all get lost in. Between the branches, it can be so hard to see. And in the darkness, we've all got questions. We're all just trying to make sense out of suffering.....As I carry this cross, You carry me." The singer admits fear and pain can be overwhelming and it is hard to see the way out, or the purpose, of suffering. So she turns to God, who has not left her alone in her pain. "I know Your promises are faithful. And God, I've seen, Your purpose in my life. You're mercy is a river. Your love is an ocean wide."

"Ought To Be"
Summary: The singer begins by trying to describe her great love for God through metaphors, then slows and admits that her love isn't as great as it should be. She comforts herself with "love planted deeply becomes what it ought to be" and continues on to describe God's love for her, far greater than her own. She longs to rise up and meet that love but knows full well that it's not what it could be yet but "love given freely becomes what it ought to be."

"Known"
Summary: The singer meditates on God's great knowledge of her, using various metaphors including one which may be uncomfortable for younger children "as the lover knows his beloved's heart, all the shapes and curves of her even in the dark." There is contentment, a feeling of safety and freedom to be oneself and nothing else, when one is aware God knows all, "Savior You have known me as I am. Healer You have known me as I was, as I will be, in the morning, in the evening, You will know me."

"Come Clean"
Summary: Stunned by the mess of her soul, the singer wonders how she got here. She realizes that things just added on bit by bit and that she needs to come clean, face the facts, and move on. She admits that it's hard and she struggles with figuring out just what to do with the pieces but perseveres, seeking God's help to make progress little by little. This is a song about Confession if there ever was one.

"Run Forward"
Summary: This one is incredibly hard to interpret, but I'll do my best. Hurt by rejection,the singer turns to the Lord, seeking strength where she knows she should have looked for it all along. She confesses she is desperately in love with Him but not deeply. Heart is shutting down thanks to lack of communication, she seeks support from the Lord. She says it simply, "I'll run forward, and you fall back, and grace will come and clear our path." Finally, she thanks the person who rejected her for bringing her closer to the Lord, then begs the person to come back to her once more and offers forgiveness.

"Show Me"
Summary: The singer is content to do whatever the Lord asks of her--in the future. She feels unprepared to fulfill God's plan for her, seeing her own brokenness, and requests He set the plan into motion "but not before you show me how to die." Indeed, she struggles, just as we all do, with following God's will and seeing the beauty in it and needs His help so that she might make her will one with His. She finishes with the humble request, "but for now, just stay with me."

Album Review: Clear As Day

Title: Clear As Day
Author: Scotty McCreery
Genre: Country
My Rating *****
Official Rating: teen, young adult
Age Group: 6+, 14+ if you want to understand some of the deeper references

Summary:
Scotty McCreery appeared out of nowhere, a solidly Christian teen with a deep voice and a love for singing country music. After American Idol, he took off on his journey as a country music artist, still staying grounded in who he was (continuing to play baseball, going to high school, etc). His voice is clear, deep, and very enjoyable to listen to. On top of that, he sings some of the cleanest and down-to-earth country songs encountered these days.

My Thoughts
I admit it. I like Scotty's voice and most of his songs. They're honest, reflecting on a simple life, and almost completely clean. I find it frustrating, turning on the radio and having to switch country stations almost constantly because of what's in the songs. For people who like country music (especially the more traditional stuff), Scotty McCreery is the way to go. The only problem I have with this album is that while the songs are sweet and fun, two times is enough. Many of them can be boring the third time around because half-way through the song all the new lyrics have been used and the rest of the song is usually a slight variation on the chorus. However, if you pay close attention, the slight variation on the chorus is often well worth the third time playing the song.

By Song

"Out of Summertime"
Summary: The singer is at the fair and sees a girl he decides he likes. He mourns, "Oh, she could've been mine, but we ran out of summertime." Then follows the typical summer romance, beaches, names in trees, making plans for the future they won't be able to keep. The singer admits "Of all the things I let get away, she's the one that keeps me awake at night." He throws in one problematic line, "She was hot as July, sweet as sunshine." He does seem to know that they needed more time before they could have truly fallen in love.

"I Love You This Big"
Summary: Scotty starts by saying he's young, but he knows what he's feeling even without experience to back him up on this. He's in love and he wants to explain it, "I love you this big. Eyes have never seen this big. No one's dreamed this big. And I'll spend the rest of my life, explaining what words cannot describe, but I'll try: I love you this big." He then goes through all sorts of clichés (to the moon and back, etc), saying, "Girl you do something to me, deep down in my heart." Then back to that sweet chorus, and that's pretty much the whole song.

"Clear As Day"
Summary: "That night's still clear as day," Scotty recalls, and indeed it is, down to the last minute detail "You hold to what you love. Some things never fade." After a baseball game, he meets up with his girl and they go to a party. She hugs him, saying she likes to watch him play ball, then they leave the party for some "fresh air." They get closer and, "my lips aint never kissed that way." As it comes to an end, she promises to call him--"that's a call you never got to make." "They blamed it on the fog and pourin' rain, and that night's still clear as day."

"The Trouble With Girls"
Summary: "The trouble with girls is they're a mystery" Scotty declares, and he confesses that he's spent a long time trying to figure them out but hasn't made any progress. He sings, "they're so dang pretty. Everything about 'em does something to me, but I guess that's the way it's supposed to be." Smiles, batting eyes, sweet hellos, sad goodbyes, one touch is enough, "sugar and spice and angel wings. Hell on wheels in tight blue jeans," summer nights by the lake, it's hard to find one to like even with so many around, and more. The kiss at the front door leaves him wishing he could go up, then the girl asks him to stay. He concludes, "the trouble with girls is nobody loves trouble as much as me."

"Water Tower Town"
Summery: A reflection on a little town where things are good and simple. People wave, go to church, know the gossip, and work hard. "Friday night football is king, sweet tea is good with everything. Fireflies come out when the sun goes down. Nobody eats till you say 'amen' and everybody knows your mom and them. You can see who loves who from miles around" and that's that. Life is good, simple, and honest.

"Walk in the Country"
Summary: Bored, Scotty takes a walk in the country to escape the chaos of the world (TV shows, ties,. He wants the fresh air and freedom. "Walk in the country with me. Watch the sun sinkin' down on the trees. It's gonna do us some good, to get down in the woods, take a little walk in the country with me."

"Better Than That"
Summary: Scotty's sure this girl's love is "better than that," listing all sorts of great things he had originally thought were the top (first crush, first kiss, fishing, a truck, seeing the ocean, singing, etc). "You love is better, better than that. Nothin' is sweeter than you, makin' my heart beat so fast. Everything I could've been, what was at the end of all those other paths, your love is better than that."

"Write My Number On Your Hand"
Summary: A summer romance involves swimming yet again, this time with the girl in a bikini and the two sharing a Coco Cola, Scotty wanting to kiss her "like an old bullfrog." They talk and Scotty requests, "Write my number on your hand where it's easy to see, and give yours to me. Write my number on your hand where it's easy to see. It'll look good in blue on your sun-kissed tan. Write my number on your hand."

"Dirty Dishes"
Summary: A tribute to his mother, this song of Scotty's is sweet and reflective. With the family at the table, she bows her head and prays, "I wanna thank you Lord, for noisy children and slammin' doors, and clothes scattered all over the floor, a husband workin' all the time, draggin' in dead tired at night, a never endin' messy kitchen, and dirty dishes." When asked to explain her strange prayer, she explains, "Noisy kids are happy kids, and slammin' doors just mean we live in a warm and lovin' home. Your long hours and those dishes in the sink means a job and enough to eat."

"You Make That Look Good"
Summary: Scotty's a simple country boy in love with a girl who, "you make that look good. Might as well say Cadillac right there on the hood. The way you flash that smile, no matter what you do, you make that look good." No matter what she's wearing (jeans, flipflops, and a tanktop) she still looks beautiful according to Scotty. "Boys will be boys, we like runnin' around, paintin' the town, don't know a thing about settlin' down. But right now, you make that look good." In fact, her beauty makes Scotty feel like he can do things he didn't think he could do before (nothing morally wrong, however).

"Back On The Ground"
Summary: Returning to his home, Scotty meets his mother who is happy to see him, greeting him with a hug and wanting to hear how he's doing. "Aint it funny how it all comes back around? I remember when I couldn't get out of her hair and ditch this town. I was restless and time to move on. Now it's any reason to go back home. That's what it's all about. Yeah, I'm just slowin' down, get my feet back on the ground." They spend the afternoon talking, happy to have all the time in the world, Scotty having no desire to leave.

"That Old King James"
Summary: Scotty has a hand-me-down King James translation of the bible which has been taken everywhere by his relatives. It was taken to war ("right there in the middle of hell"), cancer, crazy kids, and now sits in the house for Scotty's mother to take down when things got rough and she needed a little something to keep her going. The Bible has been cried over, marked up, and worn out. Scotty briefly wonders what toll he took on his mother and the well-loved bible. Finally, it falls into his hands with the directions "read it when you're feelin' down" and his response is a sincere "yes ma'm."

Book Review: Stormbreaker

Title: Stormbreaker (Alex Rider series)
Author: Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Teen, Action, Thriller
My Rating: *
Age Group: 14+

Summary -
After his uncle dies in a tragic car accident, Alex has nothing to look forward to in life. He's a fourteen-year-old orphan with no friends and no real knowledge of his uncle's past. But when he begins to suspect that his uncle's death wasn't an accident and starts to investigate, he's picked up by the MI6. Apparently, his uncle was more interesting than Alex thought; he was actually a spy whose last mission killed him.
And now MI6 wants Alex to complete the mission. They don't really give him much of a choice in the matter. So he's packed off to a computer manufacturing facility to discover why his uncle died and what Herod Sayle, a technology mogul, is doing. Neither MI6 or Alex realize just how dangerous the mission will be.

The Bad -
 - Ian Rider is killed by an assassin (not described).
 - Alex gets into various dangerous situations, either purposely or accidently, most of which you would expect to find in a spy book. Some are: sneaking into a junkyard and getting trapped in a car about to be destroyed, various fistfights, gunfights, climbing dangerously high buildings, sneaking around a high-security facility, being dropped into a jellyfish tank to die, etc.
 - MI6 blackmails Alex into joining them, knowing full well that he might not live. This is made more serious because he's only 14.
 - A man at the training camp that Alex is sent to purposely sabotages him.
 - A remark is made in a description of a fat man about his buttocks.
 - A remark is made about how jellyfish have no anus.
 - There is a mention of drug smuggling.
 - There are several uses of the euphemism "bliddy" for a popular British swearword.
 - Herod Sayle, the bad guy, is genuinely evil, with many evil sidekicks. They all threaten Alex's life at some point. Sayle's evil plot includes killing thousands of children in order to get revenge for bullying he received when he was in school.
 - An assassin kills a man for dropping a box (described).
 - While Alex tries to avoid killing anyone in cold blood, he does cause quite a few accidental deaths as he escapes from various dangers.
 - Alex shoots a gun in a crowded room. He misses everyone but the bad guy, whom he wounds.
 - Sayle is assassinated.
 - Alex states his intention to kill the man who murdered his uncle.
 - While this does not become more apparent until later books, the characters of the Alex Rider stories have very little moral sense of right and wrong. Their general philosophy seems to be that as long as everything ends up alright, anything can be done to get to that conclusion. Alex himself seems to have at least an inclination toward good, but his irresponsibility and selfishness tends to drown this out in later books.

The Good -
 - In this story at least, Alex tries to do what he thinks is right.
 - Alex shows great resourcefulness and bravery.

Conclusion -
I'll admit that I've read quite a few of the Alex Rider books, though it's been a few years since I bothered to pick one up. And rereading this book reminded me exactly why I stopped bothering.
No matter how hard he tries, Anthony Horowitz cannot write. I don't know how these books became popular, or even sold to a publisher, but it's like Horowitz wrote them in his sleep and published them without editing them at all.
Outside of the utter sloppiness of the writing, the Alex Rider books don't really tell an uplifting or enlightening story anyway. The "get it done" attitude of the characters leads them into doing many things which would disgust many sensible readers, and while this first book in the series is relatively clean, you can still pick up hints of this attitude, particularly in the adult characters.
Would a younger reader enjoy it? Maybe, if they're the sort who can overlook a bad writing style. But should they read it? The first book is innocuous, but as it ends on a semi-cliffhanger, parents should probably be wary of introducing the series, because the later books become much less innocent.


Please Note: This is the first book in the Alex Rider series, and while it is relatively appropriate for a 14+ age group, the rest of the series is not. I would suggest that parents read the series before giving it to anyone under the age of 16. 

Maria has also written a review of a movie based off of this book: Operation Stormbreaker

Album Review: Hunter Hayes (Encore)

Please note that all the songs in Hunter Hayes's first album ("Hunter Hayes") are included in this new album, resulting in this particular post serving a sort of double purpose. Stacy has kindly agreed to share her thoughts concerning most of the songs from the first album. I have also reviewed his song from Act of Valor titled "Where We Left Off."


Title: Hunter Hayes (Encore); Single "Where We Left Off"
Author: Hunter Hayes
Genre: Country, Pop
My Rating: ****
Age Group: various
Official Rating: Teen, Young Adult

My Summary:
I'm going to do this by song because it seems like the most efficient way to review an entire album.
(Note: I apologize for the length this method caused, but because of the content of the album and how it is distributed, I thought it would be the best way to review this particular work. Due to the length, I have inserted a break in the post. Please click the link to read my analysis of each song.)

My Thoughts:
It seems like I am constantly asking the same question: Why is it that someone with such a great voice and cool music sings songs which border on being inappropriate?
Please don't take that the wrong way. There are truly good songs on this album, and Hunter Hayes does sing some other good ones (take "Where We Left Off" from Act of Valor, which I reviewed along with this album). Still, many of his songs tip-toe on that line between "This is appropriate" and "Turn off the radio!"
At times it seems like one has to choose between quality music and a good voice. It's one or the other, not both. Not in this case. Even the message in many of these songs is a good one, all things considered. Sure, at times it feels like he was so close to seeing the bigger picture, and then he falls short, just barely, of something great. This is almost disappointing at times, sort of like C. S. Lewis is to some Catholics (he was so close! we say). Still, someone knows how to write extremely catchy songs. In fact, these are great road trip songs.
As long as no young children or easily influenced teens are listening. But aren't we all easily influenced? The question, then, is a very personal one: how much can you take before it's too much? Never cross that line.
Then decide if you take Hunter Hayes on your road trip. I know I will, even if I hit the "skip" button a few times.
At the very least, he will keep you awake.