Breaking Dawn Part I (2011)

What's it all about? The Twilight Saga continues. Bella, a human teenage girl, has agreed to marry her one true love, the vampire Edward Cullen. Her friend Jacob (who is also a werewolf) is troubled and concerned for her well-being. The plan is that after their honeymoon Edward will "turn" Bella and she will be a vampire with him forever, however she unexpectedly falls pregnant on their honeymoon, creating massive concern within the vampire and werewolf worlds over what sort of creature is growing inside her, whether she can survive the pregnancy and whether everyone (except her and her child) would be better off if the pregnancy were terminated.

*****

What's it like? If you are not familiar with the Twilight films, this film will make little or no sense at all and if you are not interested in them, this will not make a convert of you. For fans, it represents the progression of the saga towards its conclusion and is likely therefore to be considered indispensable. Undoubtedly the films are an acquired taste, being for some utterly banal and for others affecting and compelling. I don't profess to being a fan, though the films do contain some themes that make for interesting discussion and consideration. Bella remains a virgin until her wedding night, a commendable decision and it is altogether welcome to see that element retained, especially in a film for and about teenagers. The protective instincts of her boyfriend Edward and friend Jacob are also interesting to consider, especially in terms of Edward's concerns about his own self-control.
The story takes us from the Pacific North-West USA to a honeymoon in Rio and then back to the US and takes a pretty long time to move along, though on Bella's return, already heavily pregnant after only a few weeks' gestation, everything begins to pick up a bit more of a head of steam. The werewolves want the baby dead, the Cullens (Edward has parents and siblings, in a manner of speaking) have sworn to protect her and Bella is deteriorating horrifically as the baby growing within her begins to drain her. The scenes of her emaciated body are upsetting to say the least, drawing involuntary gasps from most audiences, a convincing combination of make up and CG-work having the desired effect.
Aside from pacing issues and an entirely misjudged scene involving talking werewolves rendered very unconvincingly, this is not a bad entry in the Twilight saga, with the melancholy tone of the earlier films giving way to some rather more adult body-horror in the third act that pushes the boundaries of the film's 12A certificate. If it's your sort of film, you have probably seen it already, if not, you probably won't anyway.

*****

Should I see it? There isn't really enough space here to do this debate justice, but there are serious questions to be answered as to whether a film about vampires and werewolves is especially suitable for us as Christians, especially where the target audience is around the early teen years. Added to that is the issue with this instalment in particular, namely that there is an awful lot of blood and body-horror in the final scenes which the younger and more sensitive among us will not cope well with. Vampires and werewolves are of course long-standing staples of the horror genre and Twilight itself has contributed to a new sub-genre within fiction writing of gothic romance revolving around the supernatural. The representations of both types of creature have tended towards the relatively tame in earlier instalments, but if you will pardon the pun, the delivery/Cesarean scene at the end of Breaking Dawn is pretty full-blooded. I suspect that although the 12A certificate means younger viewers can go along with a parent, anyone younger than their teens would struggle to stomach the later scenes of the film and I cannot recommend that you (if you are a parent considering whether to see the film with your children) take along anyone below secondary school age.
Aside from the horror elements, the film does offer food for thought and debate for Christians. Bella saving her virginity for her wedding night, the relatively subtle consideration of the issue of abortion in the face of the havoc being wreaked on Bella's body, family ties, including honouring your parents, or standing up to your peers when it comes to the question of "doing the right thing", if you can see it with your children (who may have seen it already, or be determined to see it one way or another) it might be good to do so in a way that gives time and space to discuss it afterwards. It is certainly a film that can and should prompt lengthy conversations.

Arthur Christmas (2011)

What's it all about? It is Christmas Eve and Father Christmas (with the help of his ninja-like elves) is delivering presents to every girl and boy. Due to a hideous error, the bicycle meant for a little girl in Cornwall is not delivered and everyone heads back to the North Pole. Steve, the elder son of Father Christmas, is like a marine - all organisation, slick technology and impersonal. His younger brother, the eponymous Arthur, is a dreamer and a romantic, determined that the bicycle be delivered to Cornwall, even as time is running out. Steve thinks one lost present is an acceptable margin of error, so Arthur sets off with Grand-Santa, a knackered reindeer and an old-fashioned sleigh to try to make it all right.

*****

What's it like? If nothing else, this utterly charming and at times laugh-out-loud funny film from Aardman (Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run - but with CGI instead of plasticine) can help answer the age-old question of how Father Christmas gets to everyone in one night. His army of elves showing breath-taking dexterity and speed in an opening sequence that would be well at home in a high-concept action-thriller. After that scintillating opening, the film settles down to show us Father Christmas, Steve and Arthur and then propels the latter off on his adventure to deliver the girl's bike in time for sunrise. At times the pace is relentless and thrillingly so, at others it breathes a little to give us the important character beats that enable the rest of the action to hang together in an engaging way. Arthur is a great character, sweet, clumsy, utterly committed and the frankly bonkers Grand-Santa makes for a splendid comic foil for him. We also have an elf, Bryony, who finds herself promoted from a "mere" present wrapper to a full on side-kick, showing herself resourceful and spunky in a heart-warming way.
Christmas needs these sorts of films so that we can watch them in the run up to Christmas Eve and warm our hearts with something that not only builds excitement and anticipation, but also reminds us that over-indulged appetites and rampant consumerism do not the season make.
As a film, it is well-paced, if perhaps a fraction over-long (the wrong turns made on the way to Cornwall do become a little repetitive), the voice-work is faultless (James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Laurie and Bill Nighy all chip in) and the mixture of thrills, laughs and genuine warmth instantly propel this into the Christmas Classic list. A wonderful, wonderful film.

*****

Should I see it? Yes, yes, yes. There is just nothing offensive or troubling here at all, unless Christmas isn't really your thing in the first place. We saw it as a family and although some of the plot developments went over the head of my 5-year old, it kept us all gripped and chuckling for a merry 90-odd minutes.

Super 8 (2011)

What's it all about? A group of friends on the cusp of adolescence are trying to get their home-made zombie film shot, using their Super 8 camera. One night, they head off to the local train station to film some scenes when an almighty train crash is caused by a man driving his truck onto the tracks, head-on into the apparently military transport. Joe, one of the friends is also trying to come to terms with the loss of his mother and as the train crash site is quarantined and picked over it becomes clear that something extremely secretive and utterly dangerous was on board the train and is now on the loose.

*****

What's it like? In a word, Super. Set in the late 1970's, it is a film rich in nostalgia, while simultaneously giving us edge of your seat thrills. Steven Spielberg was executive producer and his fingerprints are all over it, as director JJ Abrams channels everything from Stand By Me, through ET and Cloverfield into a rich and compelling tale about friendship, loss, growing up and grief.
The manner in which it is shown that Joe has lost his mother is subtly handled, avoiding soap opera melodramatics and throughout the young cast acquit themselves fantastically well, showing maturity and ability beyond their years. In a tale that is predominantly about them as friends (with some sci-fi/creature-feature trappings) the entire success of the film hangs on them and they do not disappoint. It is one of those films where you have to wait a really long time for even a hint at exactly what it is that has escaped, but it is not frustrating, rather it compels the narrative along and draws the audience in. For the uninitiated, director JJ Abrams produced Cloverfield and directed Mission Impossible 3 and Star Trek, so he knows what he is doing in this sphere of film-making and it shows. The script is funny, moving, still and exciting in all of the right places and the story paces itself all the way through to the thrilling, nerve-wracking finale. Heartily recommended.

*****

Should I see it? Well, yes, for it is indeed a fantastic film, one of the best of last year and out on DVD and Bluray now. In terms of what we might make of it as Christians, there is relatively little in the way of thematic elements that should disturb us, although the now-obligatory "just the once" use of the f-word in 12A films remains annoying and unnecessary. The creature once revealed is going to be a bit much for the younger ones, as is the general sense of peril and fear that precedes it, but I would have thought that all but the more delicate of secondary school aged children should be fine. It looks at important issues of grief, childhood and young love as well, all of which would be an excellent opportunity for conversations with your children, if you can get the time to sit down with them to watch it.