Thursday, February 11, 2016

Why You Probably Shouldn't Go See Deadpool...



Clearly, blogging on a regular basis is not one of my favorite things to do.  Having said that, I apologize if it only seems like I post about something that I'm fighting or standing against.  I believe it is more important to fight for things, than it is to always be fighting against something.  At the same time, I'm a youth pastor, and I don't feel like I'm doing my job, if I'm not helping parents make the best decisions possible for their middle & high school students.  So, as much as I will probably upset some of my teenagers with this post, I would rather help them challenge what they're comfortable with, than stand aside and allow the media & Hollywood to inject pure garbage into their hearts & minds.  They can be upset with me, hate that I potentially ruined their weekend plans, or be irritated that I gave their parents a good reason to care about what their watching - but for anyone that knows my heart, they know I'm not just out a "soap box crusade".  To me, this is more than just about whether or not a movie is popular, funny, or "cool", it's about whether or not we are pursuing the things that are unwholesome, unholy, and blatantly inappropriate, or pursuing the things that are worth standing up for.

While I am normally not one to post or send out direct movie reviews, I feel that this one particular movie deserves a fair warning, before it's too late.  Please understand, that it is not my intention to control or manipulate the choices that you make as parents, regarding what you allow your students to do and watch.  However, I do feel a great sense of responsibility to make you aware of the content of this particular movie, so that you can make the best possible decision for your family.

The movie in question is the Marvel Comics based film, Deadpool.  Trust me when I say, that this movie does not follow the normal formula for content & appropriateness, that the recent trend of superhero movies have in the past several years (most of which, I am a fan of).  In fact, this film is based on a character that is highly vulgar, violent, and inappropriate himself, even in the comics.  A quick look at the MPAA rating for this flick, should raise enough questions on it's own, as to whether or not this movie is right for any member of your family, especially children & teens.  The International Movie Database (IMDb) states that Deadpool is rated R for "strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity".  From what I have read and researched regarding this film, it was nearly rated NC-17 for the high amounts of inappropriate content.  Ryan Reynolds, who both stars as the main character, and also helped produce the movie, was trying to push the content to be as vulgar, graphic, & explicit as possible.

While many might argue that the "humor" (for lack of a better term) is witty, funny, & snarky - the continued & overwhelming usage of strong language, sexual innuendos, graphic violence, and explicit sexual content & nudity should be more than enough reason to stay as far away as possible.  In case you are wondering, I have not seen any pre-screening of this film, nor do I intend to watch it at any point in the future.  Personally, I find it offensive & inappropriate for my 37 year old self, let alone any of our middle or high school students.  While I am a huge fan of comic book movies & superhero films, this one isn't even close to being on a watch list for me or anyone else in my family.

Of course, you may personally feel different about this movie, and if that is the case, I can politely agree to disagree.  Like I said before, in no way am I trying to tell you how to be a parent, or what you should/shouldn't allow your child to watch.  I only want you to be aware of what's out there, and encourage some real-life conversation between you & anyone in your family that is interested in seeing this film.  How you choose to handle this, or any similar situation, is completely up to you, and I promise that you will only get support & respect from me regardless of any outcome.

Below I have posted the links to a few different movie review sites that are all geared toward families.  I typically go to www.pluggedinonline.com for movie content reviews, but there isn't anything available as of yet on their website.

https://www.movieguide.org/reviews/deadpool.html - here is a generic review covering the basic story line & content.

http://www.kids-in-mind.com/d/deadpool.htm - Here is a more detailed explanation of exact scenes & content covered throughout the movies.

http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/movies/deadpool-movie-review.html - here is one last, Christian review of the movie, with basic details of the explicit content.

If you are a student, wondering why it shouldn't be a big deal for you see whatever you want, please read through the reviews and content descriptions in the links, and tell me how any of that material is something worth spending time and money to watch. If you have any questions about these reviews, this post, or the movie in question, please do not hesitate to ask me directly via comment or private message.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

this movie is obviously rated R for a reason. parents that let their kids see this movie without doing research (no offense ) are idiots . the movie is one of the if not THE most accurate comic book adaptation made to date . No, families should should NOT see this movie as a family . this is NOT a family movie . I loved it . I have been a fan of Deadpool since his first appearance in New Mutants issue #98 . I plan on going to see it again . But just to point out , you know the quote you have at the top of your page , " what you do in life echoes in eternity " ? that quote is from the movie " Gladiator " starring Russel Crowe , and Joaquin Phoenix , which is actually a pretty violent movie itself .