Movie Reviews

Gulliver’s Travels (4/19/2011)


Rated PG for brief rude humor, mild language and action.

Starring Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, Amanda Peet and Billy Connolly

Directed by Rob Letterman (Monsters vs Aliens and Shark Tale)

A classic tale get’s the Jack Black treatment…my apologies classic tale.

Jack Black is larger than life in this epic comedy-adventure based on the classic tale. When a shipwreck lands a lowly mail room clerk named Gulliver (Black) on the fantastical island of Lilliput, he transforms into a giant — in size and ego! Gulliver’s tall tales and heroic deeds win the hearts of the tiny Lilliputians, but when he loses it all and puts his newfound friends in peril, Gulliver must find a way to undo the damage. Through it all, Gulliver may just learn that it’s how big you are on the inside that counts.

I’d be crazy if I said I expected anything even remotely entertaining from Jack Black’s Gulliver’s Travels. I was thinking that at the very least my kids would get a few laughs…boy was I wrong.

I’d hardly call myself a fan of Jack Black but occasionally he makes me laugh (I loved Nacho Libre), but the laughs were few and far between this time. And Jason Segel is usually pretty funny, but not only did he not make me laugh…he didn’t make me care about his character. Together they did make me shake my head a lot and say, “This is so dumb.” It really makes me wonder how some films get “green lit.”

Not only are there dumb scenes, there are dumb lines. Like after the big battle scene when Gulliver says, “I wedgied him back to the second grade.” Then there is the big musical number at the end. Yeah, Gulliver brings about “world” peace by singing the 70’s anti-war classic rock song “War.”

But that did inspire me… “Gulliver’s Travels, what is it good for?… Absolutely nothing!!” Yeah, it’s a Coaster.

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There are a few curse words thrown around and we see most of Jack Black’s backside…definitely could have done without that.

Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):

Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: In the film, Gulliver tells lie after lie in order to win of the people of Liliput. He tells them his life story includes famous scenes from films like Star Wars and Titanic. All seems innocent enough but when he lies about how brave he is, it comes back to hurt him and all the people who live on the island of Liliput.

Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: Well I think most of us would agree that lying is wrong. But I also think most of us would admit to doing it.

Ask your child/student if they have ever lied?

The ninth commandment recorded in Exodus 20:16 states, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Imagine what it would be like if everyone told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Together come up with a list of how the world would be different if everyone told the truth,
Ask them if anyone has ever lied to them? How did it feel? Is it easy for you to trust them now?

Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
A: In a scene where Gulliver tries to redeem himself, he tries to convince the king to let him help but the king is understandably cautious. Gulliver actually says, “My word is my bond…this time.” In that moment he realizes that action speak louder than words.

In Matthew 5:34-37 Jesus said, “But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
The point of this passage is less about swearing an oath and more about living with integrity. Jesus tells us that we should live in a manner that when we speak people believe what we are saying.

Do people believe you when you speak?

Make a commitment today to speak the truth and live with integrity.

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Jonathan McKee

Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.

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