Years ago we went to the movies just about every week. During the summer, it was often hard to choose which blockbuster to see, especially if you loved action movies. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood, and Bruce Willis could always be counted on to entertain.
But in the last few years we’ve averaged about one trip to the theater per year. Between comic book movies, cartoons, remakes, sequels, and prequels, there are few choices for adults. No new ideas. Throw in Hollywood’s woke agenda that turns movies into lectures, and there’s not much out there. The Terminator is 75 years old and isn’t time traveling any longer. Rambo is 77 and stars in a streaming series. Dirty Harry is over 90. And sadly, Bruce Willis is suffering from a form of dementia.
So I was puzzled when I heard there would be a new “Indiana Jones” movie since Harrison Ford is 81. Apparently they had to “digitally de-age” Ford in this one. (Computerized face lift.) Considering the bad reviews and the fact that the last Indy movie was so bad, it was a hard pass. (The next one will star Ford at age 90, tentatively called “Indiana Jones and the Early Bird Special.”)
Then I heard about “Sound of Freedom,” an actual movie for adults. A true story about a brave federal agent named Tim Ballard who goes after pedophiles and child sex traffickers while saving abducted children. Sounded interesting, so we took a shot.
Turns out it was a terrific movie, one that will make you hold on a little tighter to your kids. The children in the movie have few lines but convey much with eyes that are deep pools of permanent hurt.
Interestingly, “Sound of Freedom’s” box office beat “Indiana Jones” on the Fourth of July.
I was about to add my own positive review online when I saw a bunch of negative ones from various liberal media outlets. One likened it to a conspiracy theory, another put it in the far-right category, linking it to QAnon.
Seriously? The media has a problem with a story about a heroic guy saving little children sold into sex slavery? Or was their problem with star Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ”? Apparently an actor who plays the Son of God makes him an enemy of the state.
My liberal friends don’t have any problem putting bad guys in jail, especially those who commit crimes against children. So what’s the media’s problem?
Perhaps a clue might be found in the passenger list of Jeffrey Epstein’s plane. You know, that sex offender who “committed suicide” in prison? Makes you wonder about a person who would accept a ride on a flight known as the “Lolita Express.” Then again, that nickname is pretty clear about what to expect along the way and at the destination. Many of those in power are on the list, and obviously if they got on the plane, they don’t have a problem with pedophiles.
By the way, “Sound of Freedom” was completed in 2018, but Disney owned the rights and shelved the film. You would think a company like Disney would promote a movie about a hero who rescues children sold into slavery. Apparently not. It's taken five years for another studio to acquire the rights and release it.
In 2014 CBS News aired a story called “Rescuing the Children” in which Tim Ballard was profiled and followed along on a sting to catch child traffickers. It was a very positive story.
But in our current climate, everything is political, so now a story that showed the good guys winning is now a negative. Even a movie that doesn’t have a hint of an agenda … other than saving children.
Randy Tatano is the author of more than 20 novels, writing political thrillers under the pen name Nick Harlow and romantic comedies as Nic Tatano. He spent 30 years working in television news as a local affiliate reporter and network field producer.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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