The acting is superb, which is astonishing, given the lack of setting and props they had to deal with.  All the characters hark back to yesteryear, but are infused with just the right amount of modern-day sensibility.  They take their roles seriously, resisting the urge to throw us a conspiratorial wink. Law’s combination of swagger and underlying vulnerability brings to mind Humphrey Bogart.  He’s the classic hero – a handsome RAF fighter pilot who isn’t afraid to die for the cause. Paltrow, as the determined newspaper reporter, has all the spunk of Katherine Hepburn, while wearing Bogey’s angled hat (more than a hint of postmodern girrrl power here), and their banter is straight from “African Queen.”  It’s somewhat of a struggle to buy into Franky’s command (a nod to feminism that doesn’t quite work), but Jolie handles her role well, too.  

The message of the film is classic good vs. evil, with overtones of the Cold War (despite it’s pre-WWII setting) and strong patriotic flavor.  You truly feel as if you’re back in the 1940s, fearing a German invasion.  And, just as they did back then, heroes who were willing to sacrifice everything saved the lives of millions.  The film thus serves as a testament to bravery, honor and devotion – and to Christian love.  All’s certainly well that ends well.

Younger children will be frightened by the warlike violence, but adolescents will enjoy it tremendously.  And adults – especially the older generation – will feel like they’ve stepped back in time.  In this case, that’s a very good thing.

OBJECTIONABLE CONTENT

• Drugs/Alcohol Content:    None.
• Language/Profanity:  Five mild obscenities and four mild profanities.
• Sexual Content/Nudity:  Several references to boyfriend “running/fooling around” on girlfriend, implying relational infidelity, but no sexuality.
• Violence:  Multiple shots of  battle violence e.g. fighter pilots firing rounds and missiles and dropping bombs; fictional “monster” characters attacking cities and humans; multiple conceptual threats to life e.g. heroes trapped in room of dynamite ready to explode or warding off villains; police officers and other heroes fire guns at attacking enemies; characters engage in hand-to-hand combat.