From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina Signals A Hollywood Retreat From Obnoxious Girlbosses
Audiences are tired of obnoxious girlbosses -- rightly so -- but this film doesn't deserve to suffer for the missteps of previous productions.Audiences are tired of obnoxious girlbosses -- rightly so -- but this film doesn't deserve to suffer for the missteps of previous productions.Pixar’s ‘Elio’ Flop Is Another Sign The Studio Must Adapt To Survive
Pixar’s reliance on sequels, prequels, old animation, and repeated storylines is self-destructing the once beloved film production company.The new ‘Karate Kid’ just kicked grievance culture in the teeth
The new “Karate Kid” movie has a surprising twist: older men teaching younger men to work hard, honor tradition, and develop a virtuous character. “Karate Kid: Legends” is exactly what you think it’s going to be — and thank God for that.
If, like me, you grew up trying to perfect the crane kick in the living room after watching the original “Karate Kid,” then this movie will hit all the right beats. It follows the classic formula: an underdog with raw talent, a wise mentor with quiet gravitas, a villain who cheats, and the enduring truth that virtue matters more than victory.
New movie, timeless themes
You might ask, “So ... it’s not a great movie?” No. It is just what you expect, and that’s what makes it great. It doesn’t pretend to be something else. It’s not trying to be edgy, subversive, or “reimagine the genre.” It isn’t the millionth movie in the “Sixth-Sense-twist-at-the-end” series of hackneyed films we’re all bored with. It’s just a good old-fashioned “Karate Kid” movie. And in an age when every studio seems bent on turning childhood memories into political lectures, this is a welcome roundhouse to the face.
The tradition here is simple and good: older men teaching younger men how to face suffering with courage and to live lives of virtue.
No woke sermon, no rainbow flag cameo character delivering predictable lines about systemic injustice, no Marxist backstory about how dojo hierarchies are tools of capitalist oppression — this isn’t a Disney film, and you can tell.
Instead, it asks a dangerous question, one so controversial it might get you fired from an English department faculty meeting: Do hard work, discipline, tradition, and honor still matter?
In the woke world, of course, the answer is no. Disney movies now teach that tradition is oppressive, virtue is repressive, and hard work is a tool of colonialist mind control. Your feelings are your truth — and your truth is sacred. If you feel like turning your back on your family to pursue LGBTQ+ sex, then you’re the greatest hero in human history. But “Karate Kid: Legends” doesn’t go there. It doesn’t need to.
It’s not a message movie. But it has a message. And it’s one even a child can understand: Be honorable. Do the right thing. Grievance and self-pity don’t lead to victory. And if they do, it’s a hollow one.
Mentorship, hard work, virtue
The film also manages to affirm tradition without being heavy-handed about mystical Eastern spiritualism or ancestral ghost sequences. Disney spews New Age spirituality in cartoons for kids at every opportunity.
The “tradition” here is simple and good: older men teaching younger men how to face suffering with courage and to live lives of virtue. That includes working through loss — deep loss, the kind that could break a person. But instead of turning to rage or self-indulgence, our young hero learns to endure, to persevere, to get back up — and maybe, just maybe, deliver that final clean kick.
RELATED: Ferris Bueller's surprisingly traditional ‘Day Off’
Of course, there’s a villain who cheats. You’ve got to have that. And yes, he’s detestable. That’s kind of the point. As the smug leftist professor at your local state university might say, “So it’s about childish morality?” Yes, professor — it’s about what even a child can know: Doing the right thing and building character matters. Wallowing in the self-pity of grievance culture will never get you there.
Somehow, this simple truth has become controversial. In a world where adults cry on TikTok about microaggressions and activist professors turn every syllabus into a therapy session about their own victimhood, it’s refreshing to see a film that reminds us that life is hard. But that doesn’t mean we give up. It means we get better. Stronger. Kinder. More honorable.
And that’s what “Legends” delivers — without apology, without postmodern irony, and without the cultural sludge we’ve come to expect from Hollywood.
No Oscar? No problem.
It’s clean. It’s earnest. It’s nostalgic without being desperate. And it shows us a vision of manhood and mentorship we desperately need: older men guiding the next generation, not with snark or shame, but with honor, wisdom, and love.
So if you want a movie that will entertain your kids without corrupting them — and hopefully inspire them to build a virtuous character — go see “Karate Kid: Legends.” It may not win an Oscar (which already tells you it’s good), but it might just help restore your faith in simple, straightforward storytelling. And that’s worth more than a golden statue.
Ferris Bueller's surprisingly traditional 'Day Off'
Forty years ago this month — June 5, 1985, to be exact — a high school senior named Ferris Bueller decided not to go to school.
Instead, he took his girlfriend, Sloane, his best friend, Cameron, and a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder (“borrowed” from Cameron’s dad) on an adventure-packed odyssey through Chicago, during which they lunched at a hoity-toity French restaurant, took in a Cubs game, and participated in the Von Steuben Day parade, all while engaging in an epic race against time, parents, and Vice Principal Edward R. Rooney.
Ironically, it’s Ferris who exhibits the very leadership qualities Vice Principal Rooney lacks.
Spoiler alert: He gets away with it.
"Ferris Bueller’s Day Off" is a teenage rebellion fantasy, but of a very different sort from the type Hollywood cranks out today.
For conservative pundit and former Nixon speechwriter Ben Stein, who had a small but indelible role as a droning economics teacher, the movie is a glorious product of the Reagan era. Noting that Hughes “was an ardent Republican” who “believed Reagan could transform all of us into Ferris Buellers,” Stein celebrates Ferris as “an unregulated high school kid in an unregulated world.”
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But Ferris is no libertarian. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" celebrates loyalty, courage, and even justice. It encourages us to love our families, to stand up for our friends, and to be grateful for the time we’re given on Earth.
Yes, Ferris breaks the rules, but his mischief — unlike that of the 1960s radicals who came before him (or, for that matter, the leftists currently wreaking havoc on our streets) — is creative rather than destructive.
In fact, take a closer look at his itinerary, and you see that Ferris follows a strict moral code of his own.
Real friendship is sacrificial
Ferris’ name may be in the title, but this is Cameron’s story. Ferris is the same carefree, popular guy at the end of the movie as he is at the beginning.
Cameron complains about being roped into his best friend’s “stupid crap,” but eventually we understand that all of Ferris’ elaborate planning — not to mention the risk he assumes — is for Cameron’s benefit. It’s Cameron, not Ferris, who really needs this day off. As a true friend, Ferris realizes that the only way to break Cameron out of his shell is to make him face his deepest fears — even if Cameron ends up hating him for it.
Family bonds are important, no matter how fraught
Ferris lies to his parents, but there’s no contempt beneath his deception. He truly loves them as much as they love him.
Cameron is not so fortunate. His strict home life — ruled by an emotionally absent, domineering father — has paralyzed him with anxiety and fear. When Cameron finally confronts this truth, he resolves not to reject his dad so he can heal his “trauma” (as he might be encouraged to do today) but to stand up to him — a healthy sign that the father-son relationship is worth saving.
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Even Ferris and his seething, judgmental sister Jeanie repair their rift by the end of the film. Jeanie lets go of her resentment and helps her brother when he needs it most, while Ferris learns the humbling lesson that even he can’t always go it alone.
Authority deserves respect — but only when it’s earned
Vice Principal Rooney embodies overreaching authority — petty, ineffective, and consumed by the need for control. In the end, Rooney’s childish obsession with “beating” Ferris undoes him as much as any stunt his quarry pulls. Ironically, it’s Ferris who exhibits the leadership qualities Rooney lacks. With his natural charisma and willingness to take calculated, strategic, and effective action for himself and for others, Ferris can’t help but draw people to him.
We should be grateful for the present moment
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Ferris’ deceptively simple motto expresses deep, timeless wisdom.
All that he and friends gain by hoodwinking the adults are a few precious hours to appreciate the city of Chicago and each other’s company. And that's enough.
They don’t waste their time while playing hooky; instead they spend it truly alive to the joy of existence. And while church isn’t one of their stops, the reverent gratitude they display brings to mind Psalm 118:24: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
'The American Miracle' reveals God's hand in nation's founding
Less grievance. More gratitude.
That was the motto guiding film scholar and talk show host Michael Medved as he wrote “The American Miracle," his 2016 tome exploring the providential moments that helped create the freest country in human history. The subject proved so vast that the author penned a companion book, “God's Hand on America: Divine Providence in the Modern Era.”
'One of the very few things they agreed on completely … was divine providence, the invisible hand. Washington used that phrase in the first inaugural address.'
Almost a decade later, we're drowning in grievance, while gratitude remains in short supply. A perfect time for Medved's book to reach the big screen.
No accident
“The American Miracle” hits theaters June 9-11, courtesy of Fathom Entertainment. The docudrama features recognizable names like Kevin Sorbo and Pat Boone, but the true stars are Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin.
The movie, subtitled, “Our Nation Is No Accident,” argues that God’s hand worked in mysterious ways to boost the country’s creation.
“I’ve been living with this idea of divine providence,” Medved tells Align, recalling pre-recorded history segments on his long-running radio program. “The most popular episode, ‘God’s Hand on America,’ gave rise to the book.”
Years later, it seemed like the right moment to bring its message to theaters nationwide.
The movie shares amazing stories tied to the country’s birth, including the many near-death experiences George Washington survived before becoming the nation’s first president.
Early in Washington’s life, he fought alongside the British and was the only horseback officer to survive a harrowing battle. “His hat was shot through with bullets, and two horses were shot out from under him. He was unscathed,” Medved shared.
No sugarcoating
The film doesn’t sugarcoat the Founding Fathers but puts them in spiritual context.
“At no point do we suggest the people you meet in the film are perfect human beings. … They were a remarkable group of human beings,” he says. “One of the very few things they agreed on completely … was divine providence, the invisible hand. Washington used that phrase in the first inaugural address.”
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Medved recalls a sermon from Presbyterian Minister Samuel Davies that echoed that sentiment.
“I cannot but hope Providence has hitherto preserved [him] in so signal a manner for some important service to his country.”
“The American Miracle” blends re-enactments with historical experts to buttress Medved’s arguments.
“Some of the leading historians in the country take the idea of divine providence very seriously,” he says.
Avoiding polarization
Medved’s conservative thinking is part of his brand, along with an extensive career as a film critic. He worked alongside fellow critic Jeffrey Lyons on the 1980s PBS show “Sneak Previews,” taking over for original hosts Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert.
His personal politics aside, Medved still didn’t want “The American Miracle” to embrace a partisan ethos. The film’s array of experts, including Robert P. George, Joseph Ellis, and Jana Novak, offer some ideological diversity. That includes contributions from Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss.
The Hollywood icon is no rock-ribbed conservative. He’s left-leaning but a patriot who promotes a better understanding of the country’s founding principles via his Dreyfuss Civics Initiative.
“We tried to avoid some of the polarization that has been poisoning our politics,” Medved says of the film. “[Dreyfuss] has been a friend of mine for many years, since high school. He has made a passionate cause of civics and teaching civics.”
Part of “The American Miracle” explores the role black soldiers played in the American Revolution, fighting on behalf of the patriots. It’s hardly the kind of material one expects in a 21st-century film. Hollywood narratives wouldn’t allow it, but the historical facts remain.
Medved called their contributions “indispensable."
Spotlight on the founding
Medved’s decades-long media career allowed him to watch the pop-culture transformation up close. He hails the new wave of choice in media circles, be it podcasts or new media platforms offering something different from what legacy media outlets provide.
“Today, depending on what your own obsession or interest is, there’s something there for you. Generally, we all spend too much time on mass media,” he says. “However, the advantage today is that there is a great deal of choice.”
That also holds for the pop-culture realm. Medved brings up the crush of stories tied to the American Civil War, from feature films to the celebrated “Civil War” docuseries from PBS mainstay Ken Burns.
What’s missing? More cinematic takes on the country’s Revolutionary War and astounding origins. That’s where “The American Miracle” comes in.
“It hasn’t gotten the same kind of attention. There’s no equivalent of ‘Birth of a Nation’ or ‘Gone with the Wind’ or ‘Glory,’” he says.
Bigmouth strikes again: Brave Bono latest aging rocker to bash Trump
Bono is more than just a rich and famous rock star. He's also a rich and famous activist.
The U2 front man has never been afraid to take bold stands — sometimes right in the middle of a song. AIDS? Poverty? He's against them — and he doesn't care who knows it.
Former Paramount CEO and Hollywood legend Barry Diller called 'Popeye' the most 'coked-up film set' he ever saw.
Now he's risking it all to oppose an even bigger scourge of humanity: Donald Trump.
This week the Irish warbler stopped by "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to swap anti-Orange Man barbs with late night's saddest clown.
Now, Bono isn't one to meddle in American politics. He never said a peep about the Biden administration’s rampant censorship arm, the loss of personal freedoms during COVID-19, or his own homeland’s rising levels of anti-Semitism.
But the 47th president? Drastic times call for drastic measures. Or maybe he's got his eye on a late-night show all his own?
He also sided with Bruce Springsteen in the aging rocker’s war on Trump.
“I think there’s only one Boss in America,” Bono said, the equivalent of a comic saying he’s glad to be back in (insert city) for cheap applause.
Anti-Hamas celebs a class act
It’s not very hard to speak out against anti-Semitism, is it? Bigotry bad.
See?
Tell that to Hollywood A-listers. They’ve been mostly silent over the past year-plus following the October 7 attacks and the shocking rise of anti-Semitism on college campuses. Yes, some signed open letters in the days following October 7 condemning Hamas, but that’s been mostly it.
The exceptions? Patricia Heaton, Debra Messing, singer John Ondrasik, Julianna Margulies, and Mayim Bialik. Those celebrities, along with Dean Cain, signed a new letter decrying the anti-Israel rhetoric which helped fuel the recent slaying of two Jewish people in Washington, D.C.
“Hamas, Iran, and their allies and ideological sympathizers in the West have flooded the world with their hateful lies and anti-Semitic incitement since October 7 — lies designed to demonize Israel, the Jewish people, and their supporters,” the letter reads.
Never forget that the media helped peddle many of said lies.
That wasn't spinach ...
The 1980 film “Popeye” seemed like a can‘t-miss adaptation.
Rising star Robin Williams played the sailor man, Shelley Duvall looked like the spitting image of Olive Oyl, and famed director Robert Altman worked behind the camera. Yet it missed by a country mile.
Many critics trashed it, and longtime Popeye fans were likely stunned by what they saw. The movie made back its budget, but it wasn’t the blockbuster many anticipated.
Yeah, it was weird.
Now we’re learning one reason why the film didn’t live up to its potential. Former Paramount CEO and Hollywood legend Barry Diller called "Popeye" the most "coked-up film set" he ever saw.
Film cans were used to sneak cocaine onto the set, for starters. It only got crazier from there, apparently.
As Diller recounts, “If you watch 'Popeye,' you’re watching a movie that ... runs at 78 rpm and 33 speed. ... Everyone was stoned.”
Broadway diva's latest 'bomb'
Madonna famously dreamed of blowing up the White House after Donald Trump’s stunning 2016 electoral victory. She made that shocking statement during a Women’s March rally at the dawn of Trump 1.0.
She quickly backpedaled, suggesting she didn’t actually mean it. The press took the comments “out of context.”
Sure, Jan.
Still, back in 2017, the left still had a dollop of common sense and a sense of shame. Boy, have the times changed since then.
Broadway legend Patti LuPone just doubled down on Madonna’s line of thinking. And, chances are, she won’t apologize — or be asked to do anything of the kind.
LuPone spoke to the New Yorker magazine for a fawning profile, and this part of the feature seemed to sneak past the editors as something cute, not horrifying.
"She’s even angrier at the rest of the country. She told me, more than once, that the Trumpified Kennedy Center 'should get blown up,'" the profile reads.
When they go low, we Google detonation devices.
Sweeney, take me away!
We don’t deserve Sydney Sweeney.
Not only is the comely star eager to flaunt her curves sans apology, but she’s also come up with a product that speaks to her tongue-wagging admirers.
Introducing Sydney's Bathwater Bliss. The new soap product, according to manufacturer Dr. Squatch, features a “touch” of the starlet’s bathwater.
“When your fans start asking for your bathwater, you can either ignore it or turn it into a bar of Dr. Squatch soap,” Sweeney said in a release. “It’s weird in the best way, and I love that we created something that’s not just unforgettable; it actually smells incredible and delivers like every other Dr. Squatch product I love.”
Not too long ago, Sweeney's fellow starlet Rachel Zegler told half the country they should “never know peace.”
This feels like a slight improvement on Hollywood’s PR front, no?
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