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Plugged in reviews of movies now in theatres.

There are lots of new movies in theatres and maybe your child has mentioned one or two of them to you. But what are these movies really about and how can you find out without having to go see them yourself?

With Plugged In movie reviews, you'll find a detailed breakdown of up-to-date films, including spiritual content, sexual content, violent content, the amount of crude or profane language, content involving drugs and alcohol, other negative elements as well as positive aspects of the film.

Here are a few reviews of new releases you may want to read up on:

Stronger (R)

The Lego Ninjago Movie (PG)

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (R)

Friend Request (R)

Mother! (R)

American Assassin (R)

True to the Game (R)

Home Again (PG-13)

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Movie Review: Elemental

Pixar’s latest tells the colorful story of two very different characters—one fire, one water—who fall in love but struggle to navigate their obvious differences. Redemptive themes mingle with some hot-button cultural concerns that parents will want to consider carefully.

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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live.

Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

Each month, Plugged In is visited more than 1 million times by people looking for detailed information about what’s really in popular movies, videos, television episodes, songs and games. Entertainment industry ratings only tell you so much. We go deeper, diving into specific content and the meaning behind it. Our award-winning website also offers news and blogs.

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‘The Shack’: Must-See Movie, or Stay Away?

Tim Tebow liked it.

“Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines recommend it.

But blogger Tim Challies refuses to even see it.

I’m talking about “The Shack,” the film adaptation of the 2007 novel of the same name, which is reviving the controversy around William P. Young’s bestselling book about a grieving father who encounters the Holy Trinity … in human form.

The movie debuted in theaters across the nation last Friday, making a very respectable $16.1 million during its first weekend.

So what does Focus on the Family’s media discernment team think about “The Shack”? I hope you’ll head over to PluggedIn.com and read our team’s complete, in-depth review of the movie .

I’m curious to hear from you: Did you watch “The Shack” this weekend? If so, what did you think? And if you’re staying away from the film, I’m curious to know why. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section, below.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment , faith , news March 7, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Jim Daly Blog

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Focus on the Family Movie Reviews

Michael has spent years as a freelance writer and editor submitting works to several accomplished magazines as well as publishing his own works about freelancing as a business.

Learn about our Editorial Policy .

There are many people who are interested in Focus on the Family movie reviews, because they can provide some guidance as to what is appropriate for their children to watch and what isn't. The organization isn't just about Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, and other family-friendly fare; they review just about every flick that comes through Hollywood.

What Is Focus on the Family?

In case you are not familiar with the non-profit organization, Focus on the Family is an evangelical group based out of the United States. It was founded in 1977, and they say that they are dedicated to nurturing and defending families worldwide. More specifically, Focus on the Family -- which is aligned with the American Christian right -- aims to protect family values.

6 Reasons Family Communication Really Matters & Real-World Tips

Focus on the Family has several arms, to speak, which work toward this common goal. The Adventures in Odyssey radio show is perhaps one of their best known projects, but they also have all sorts of other Radio Theatre and political endeavors. One such endeavor is the reviewing movies.

As with any organization aligned with the Christian right, Focus on the Family has come under fire and into controversy from several groups. In 2006, for example, FOTF founder James Dobson was accused of manipulating research data that said gays and lesbians are not good parents. They naturally denied this allegation. Focus on the Family also fully supported Mel Gibson when the latter was accused of anti-Semitic content in relation to The Passion of the Christ .

Plugged In is a website of Focus on the Family and they offer reviews of just about any kind of mass market entertainment, including movies in theaters, video/DVD releases, music, television, and more. By and large, their reviews take on the same structure.

Parental Guidance Suggested

As a movie review site, Plugged In has an extensive library of films for you to consider. Each of the reviews is composed of seven key sections.

Introduction : Although not labeled as such, the first paragraph or two outlines the plot summary to the film in question. You get an idea of what the movie is all about, perhaps with mention of where the film ties in to the world at large.
Positive Elements : This is where FOTF describes what positive morals or ideas are expressed in the movie. These may include things like love for your fellow man.
Sexual Content : They'll warn against things like scantily-clad women and sexual innuendo. Even verbal mentions of condoms and other sexual content will be described in this section.
Violent Content : You are given a perspective on how brutal or gruesome the violence is. For horror and action films, this is probably more of a concern for parents. Chair-throwing in dramas may be mentioned here.
Crude or Profane Language : In addition to coarse language, this section also reveals if "Jesus" or "God" are used inappropriately.
Other Negative Elements : This serves as a catch-all for other undesirable content, like the consumption of alcohol and drugs.
Summary : A final verdict on whether the film promotes good family values or not, citing both the good and the bad.

Example Movie Reviews

To get a sense of how the organization approaches movies, read these sample reviews.

Cloverfield : The Focus on the Family movie review applauds Rob's dedication to Beth and his willingness to risk life and limb to save her. However, they are not pleased with the level of violence, the mild sexual content (pre-marital), and excessive use of "my God".
Alien vs. Predator : The biggest complaint in this particular Focus on the Family movie review is that the PG-13 rating given to this classic alien movie is deemed inappropriate, given the extreme level of violence. AVP gets quite gruesome, even if the camera cuts away just in the nick of time.

Take Advantage of the Pre-Screening

If Focus on the Family seems to have the same views on movies and other media as you do, this may prove to be quite the time saver. If you trust their guidance, you'll no longer have to screen everything your kids want to watch (and in turn, you don't have to see or hear things you would prefer not to).

Find Family Movies, Movie Ratings and Movie Reviews

Browse all of our movie titles from this page..

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Parent Reviews and Movie Info

Titles with full reviews are marked in red.

2 Fast 2 Furious
3 2 1 Penguins—Trouble on Planet Wait-Your-Turn
3:10 to Yuma
3 Days To Kill
3 Ninjas Kick Back
The 5th Quarter
The 5th Wave
The 6th Day (2000)
7 Days in Entebbe
10 Cloverfield Lane
10 Things I Hate About You
The 11th Hour
12 Angry Men (1997)
12 Dogs of Christmas: Great Puppy Rescue
12 Years a Slave
13 Going on 30
13 Hours - The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
The 15:17 to Paris
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
20th Century Women
21 and Over
21 Jump Street
22 Jump Street
30 Minutes or Less
The 39 Steps (1935)
The 40-Year-Old Version
47 Meters Down
47 Meters Down: Uncaged
50 First Dates
90 Minutes in Heaven
101 Dalmatians
101 Dalmatians (1961)
102 Dalmatians
300: Rise of an Empire
(500) Days of Summer
2001: A Space Odyssey
2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)
Abandon (2002)
ABCs of Death
ABCs of Death 2
About A Boy (2002)
About Last Night
Above and Beyond
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
The Absent-minded Professor
The Accountant
Ace of Hearts
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Across the Universe
Action Point
Act of Valor
Actors of Sound
Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights (2002)
The Addams Family
Addams Family Values
The Adjustment Bureau
Adventure Boyz
Adventureland
The Adventures of Huck Finn
The Adventures Of Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle
Adventures of Rufus: The Fantastic Pet
The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3-D
Adventures of Tintin

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Plugged In Movie Review

Jun 19, 2015.

Hollywood's bravest storytellers all work for Pixar. Who else would dare make a movie about the mind of an 11-year-old girl? And an amazingly insightful movie at that. (PG) Read our full review on Plugged In Online.