Susan Ellingburg

• Intelligent Apes, Mindless Entertainment
  Every cliché is covered, and there are plot holes big enough to drive a tank through, but it's all about the spectacle and effects.
  Thursday, July 10, 2014
• Christians Might Want to Avoid The Vacationers
  The Vacationers is a smooth read that will keep readers turning pages long after they should have turned out the light and gone to bed.
  Tuesday, June 17, 2014
• 22 Jump Street: At Best, a Diversion; At Worst, Crass
  Doesn't take itself too seriously; the actors have a blast, creating lightheartedness. But it just had to sink into the gutter.
  Friday, June 13, 2014
• Days of Future Past a Solid Seventh Entry in the X-Men Franchise
  Catch up with the previous films or you'll be lost, but with Singer back in the director's chair, this is a fun, funny, fast-paced romp.
  Friday, May 23, 2014
• Million Dollar Arm is Predictable, but Pleasant
  A baseball movie that's not about baseball. A heartwarming (and completely predictable) underdog story based on a real-life competition.
  Friday, May 16, 2014
• Legends of Oz: Dorothy Shoulda Stayed in Kansas
  Begins with some of the most charming opening credits you've ever seen... and it's pretty much all downhill from there.
  Friday, May 9, 2014
• Walking with the Enemy a Story That Needs to be Told, Seen
  A tale of courage, sacrifice and redemption set against the backdrop of war-torn Budapest near the end of WWII, but it does tend to drag.
  Friday, April 25, 2014
• Captain America Sequel Explores Themes of Ethics, Trust
  Old-fashioned good-vs.-evil fun, even if you aren't sure which side is which among the not-so-subtle real-world political parallels.
  Friday, April 4, 2014
• Sabotage a Gruesome but Glib 'Whodunnit'
  An honest-to-goodness mystery: someone is killing off members of an elite DEA task force led by John 'Breacher' Wharton. Who? And Why?
  Friday, March 28, 2014
• God's Not Dead... but Christian Films are on Life Support
  Though this cameo-filled affair tries to make a profound statement about bold faith, it falls prey to several predictable blunders.
  Friday, March 21, 2014
• Mr. Peabody & Sherman: Fun for All Ages through All Eras
  Fun for kids and adults, provides a lot of laughs, teaches a little history, even makes a few points about parent/child relationships.
  Friday, March 7, 2014
• Walking with Dinosaurs is 'Awesome' in 3D
  Feels like something you'd see at a good science museum. Dino-crazy youngsters will love it, and their parents won’t mind it either.
  Friday, December 20, 2013
• Middle Earth More Thrilling Than Our Last Visit in Second Hobbit Installment
  Less bloated, this second installment stands as a premium Hollywood production that can teach other major lit-franchises a thing or two.
  Friday, December 13, 2013
• Disney Does it Again - Doubly - with Frozen
  Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" comes to life in a retelling that will have families laughing and singing, and hearts melting.
  Wednesday, November 27, 2013
• The Christmas Candle a Triumph of Inspiration (that Doesn't Feel Like the Typical Christian Movie)
  As a Christmas movie about the real meaning of Christmas, this a beautiful Christmas card of a film may well become a holiday classic.
  Friday, November 22, 2013
• Enjoy Thor: The Dark World for What it is: Mindless Fun
  This is not a message movie, not a film that makes us better people. This one is just for fun. And what a lot of fun it is.
  Thursday, November 7, 2013
• Free Birds is Anything but Family Fun
  I was expecting Chicken Run with a Thanksgiving twist. Instead, I got a mean-spirited tale that left a bad aftertaste.
  Monday, November 4, 2013
• A Brainy Stallone Aids Escape Plan
  Despite the grim setting and violence, it's a fun film for those who fondly recall the heyday of Stallone and Schwarzenegger.
  Friday, October 18, 2013