Sight
Reviewed by Lorilee Craker
Sight is based on the true life story of Dr. Ming Wang, a Chinese immigrant who faced trauma and loss in his homeland but who eventually pioneered an eye surgery technique that has restored sight to millions around the world.
The movie flashes back and forth from the present, where Dr. Wang, played by Terry Chen, is an established eye surgeon in Nashville, Tenn., attempting to restore sight to an orphan girl from India, to the past and Wang’s upbringing in Hangzhou, China, where his dreams of following in the footsteps of his physician parents are interrupted by a brutal uprising.
Though some scenes are heavy-handed, the movie uses a light touch where faith is concerned. Chen is moving and persuasive as the gentle doctor, who proves that true success lies in helping others. (Rated PG-13, Angel Studios)
The Bamboo Pastors Podcast
Reviewed by Daniel Jung
Pastors Jalon Chan and Jon Mann joke that their podcast started unambitiously—they were simply going to rate the congregational lunches their respective churches served. Had they gone that route, I doubt they’d still be putting out new episodes almost four years later. Instead, their podcast “explores the joys and challenges of being English-speaking pastors in the Chinese church” and does so with intention, candor, and humor.
TBPP is a perfect example of the need for representation from what might have been considered a niche audience in the past. While they started the podcast as a fun way to rate meals, Jalon Chan and Jon Mann have been innovators in their own right, becoming unintentional trailblazers serving God’s people from their respective corners of the kingdom.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Reviewed by Sam Gutierrez
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is an animated action-adventure comedy based on Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. video games. The film is an origin story for brothers Mario and Luigi, Italian American plumbers who start their own plumbing business in Brooklyn, N.Y. Within the first 15 minutes, the brothers are sucked through a pipe into an alternative reality where there is a brewing conflict between the Mushroom Kingdom, ruled by Princess Peach, and the Koopa Kingdom, led by the dragon-like creature Bowser.
The film grossed $1.36 billion worldwide and broke multiple box office records, including the biggest worldwide opening weekend ever for an animated film. Although the film lacks any overt spiritual themes, the values of friendship, goodness, loyalty, and sacrifice are front and center. (Netflix; rated PG for action and mild violence)
The Lowdown
Lead Like the Real You: Amy Orr-Ewing pens a deeply personal and engaging collection of letters to women who lead in the workplace, classroom, church, and home, as well as to those who support them. This book empowers the next generation of Christian women who hope to change the world to live and lead well, knowing they are not alone. (Brazos Press, August)
Texas Families Adopt 77 Kids: Inspired by a true story, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot follows Donna and Reverend Martin as they ignite a fire in the hearts of their rural church to embrace kids in the foster system that nobody else will take. (PG-13, Angel Studios; in theaters July 4)
The Sixth Live-Action Star Wars Spinoff: The Acolyte will shed light on the Dark Side—specifically, on how its powers came to be. It takes place about 100 years before Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, carving out a brand-new timeline from the already enormous web of plots. (Disney+)
Maria: Maria von Trapp: You know her name and the iconic songs, but do you know her real story? This dramatic novel, based on the woman glamorized in The Sound of Music, brings Maria to life as never before. (Dell, July 30)
