Walk, The (9/30/2015)

Rated PG for thematic elements involving perilous situations, and for some nudity, language, brief drug references and smoking.

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon and Ben Kingsley

Directed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future and Forrest Gump)

Part heist film and part love letter to the Twin Towers, The Walk is worth the journey.

As a boy, Philippe Petit dreams of performing daring feats for dazzled crowds. As an adult (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), his life’s ambition comes true when he becomes a high-wire artist who stares death in the face with every step. Under the guidance of mentor Papa Rudy, the French daredevil devises a plan to walk on a tightrope attached to the north and south towers of the World Trade Center. With help from his team and against all odds, Petit attempts the seemingly impossible stunt on Aug. 7, 1974.

Forty years after Philippe Petit’s impossible dream, director Robert Zemeckis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt bring this incredible true story and the fallen World Trade Towers to life. And they do it with the latest in state-of-the-art visual effects, 3D, and IMAX technology. This movie will make moviegoers feel as if they are walking on clouds.

Even if it didn’t feature the best 3D of any film since Avatar, Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk would still be a great film. There is a perfect blend of gritty reality and lighthearted humor, not to mention another terrific performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Watching The Walk made me come home and immediately look up Philippe Petit and his infamous walk. From what I found, the film adheres to the historical facts. Kudos to Director Zemeckis and screenwriter Christopher Browne. I loved how they grabbed our attention immediately by introducing Petit, as the narrator who delivers his lines from the Statue of Liberty’s torch. This allows us to once again see that iconic Manhattan skyline.

I know not everyone is a fan of 3D films, but this is one to at least consider paying a little bit more to see. There are moments when you will actually duck at things flying at you or grab ahold of your armrest during the actual walk. Besides the 3D effects, the other special effects are flawless. In fact it’s so intense that people who suffer from vertigo should steer clear of The Walk. This is not a joke.

The pace at times slows down but the final 30 minutes is worth the journey…It’s “Theater Worthy.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
The is no sex or nudity (except for a brief shot of a man’s butt), no violence and even the language is mild.

CONVERSATION STARTER:

1. How would you describe Philippe Petit’s walk?

Read 2 Corinthians 5:7

For we walk by faith, not by sight.


2. What do you think that verse means?


3. How do you walk by sight?


4. What does it mean to walk by faith?


5. What can you do this week to walk by faith?