By Debbie Schlussel

I was in legal proceedings all day Friday (and almost the entire week) and didn’t have time to get my movie reviews up in time for the Jewish Sabbath. So, my apologies for the belated movie reviews. Believe me, if there was something I was very enthused about or felt very strongly against, I’d have made it a point to put these up earlier. But better late than never. You can always hear my movie reviews first thing every Friday morning on “The Mike Church Show” on SiriusXM Patriot Channel 125 after 7:05 am Eastern and on “The Pat Campbell Show” on KFAQ 1170 AM Tulsa at 7:35 am Eastern. I do my movie reviews on both, as well as some discussion of current political issues and pop culture topics on both shows. So check it out.

* “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1“: Although there was considerable action in this, it was mostly slow-moving and kinda dull. On top of that, while watching it I felt like a cog in a movie sequel machine. This is a continuation of the last Hunger Games movie, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” (read my review), which was considerably more exciting and suspenseful. And if you didn’t see the previous movies, I don’t think you’ll know what is going on–at least not entirely, as it seems like you were dropped off in the middle of a story. Worse, the movie then ends in the middle of the story, to get you to go to the next and last of these Hunger Games movies. What I did like: the exercises in video propaganda that both sides in this movie use, which is akin to the kind that Al-Qaeda and ISIS use (and wimpy America doesn’t).

The story: in the last sequel, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) was whisked out of the middle of the Hunger Games by the rebels who are looking to overthrow the Capital and the President of Panem. Now, the President of the rebels (Julianne Moore) and her top aide (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) are trying to get Katniss to serve as their propaganda spokesperson–their “Mockingjay.” At first, she declines and is upset that the rebels didn’t rescue her partner in the Hunger Games, Peeta. But then she helps the rebels make videos for their side and go to war against the Capital.

Yeah, I didn’t think it was all that exciting. And it wasn’t. Boooooring. Next!

Nothing objectionable about it, except the gross human bones and skulls everywhere in this movie pimped on kids. But that’s everything coming out of Hollywood these days, sadly. Read my reviews of the first and second Hunger Games movies.

ONE REAGAN

Watch the trailer . . .

* “The Theory of Everything“: I had mixed feelings about this biopic concerning the life of physicist Stephen Hawking. While I believe most life has value and is worth living (exceptions are plentiful like Yasser Arafat, ISIS and Al-Qaeda terrorists, etc.)–and this movie makes that point (yes, it is a pro-life movie)–I found it painful and torturous to watch. I didn’t enjoy watching a man get progressively more and more disabled and helpless and, yet, still try to engage in bodily functions that don’t work for him. I also didn’t enjoy listening to the actor who plays him try to speak as Hawking apparently did when his vocal chords, voice box, and tongue stopped working. And, on top of all that, there’s the fact that Hawking is an overrated far-leftist anti-Semitic, anti-Israel jerk. So, it’s hard to watch a movie glorifying and gushing over him. Yes, this movie only does that and doesn’t at all show that Hawking’s theories were often disproven gibberish. Plus, his far-leftism gets only a quick mention or two.

That said, Eddie Redmayne, the British actor who plays Hawking in this, is very convincing. You really do believe he is Hawking, and the acting clearly stretches many bounds in his portrayal of Hawking’s ever-increasing disabilities. As I noted, I liked the pro-life message of this, and Hawking’s eventual admission that he believes it might be possible that there’s a G-d (he’s an atheist). There are many times when Hawking’s life could have been ended, but his wife insists he be kept alive and do what he can to remain useful and active in life. On the other hand, there are many innocent Jewish and other lives which are fully functional and worth living that were taken away by the Palestinian Muslim savages with whom Hawking allies in real life. And that deserved a mention that wasn’t given in this one-sided love letter of a movie.

The only negative on Hawking shown in this movie–even though there are many more not presented in this flick–is that he dumps his devoted wife, Jane (Felicity Jones), who gave everything to keep him alive and make him a success in life. And then he dumps her for his caregiver who gives him Playboys to read. . . for the articles, of course. All of that is also soft-pedaled and quick. On top of that, the movie is very slow and a little boring.

As I noted, I believe most human life is worthy. Sadly, while Hawking apparently believes his own is worthy, he doesn’t believe that Jewish life in Israel merits a heartbeat.

ONE MARX PLUS ONE ARAFAT

Watch the trailer . . .