Jon Monsarrat review: showing its age, boring, too religious

Rating: 2/10 (3 August 2002)

OK, I'll admit it. I'm an action movie buff. Mostly I like it when things blow up, and typically dramas bore me. But I do like a movie with a point to make, and an intellectual theme if there's not too much melodrama.
"It's a Wonderful Life" has a passable plot, but it's showing its age and pretty boring and feels longer than its 2 hours. The plot is a straight arrow without much in the way of clever twists. The attempts at comedy with Charlie the angel are truly awful.
Most disturbing is the religious theme. This isn't a movie about a person who happens to be very religious (such as The Big Kahuna, or Contact, both of which I enjoyed). Rather, this film makes the assumption that the viewing audience will be touched by Christian metaphors such as angels. You could get away with that in a mainstream film back in the white male Christian dominated society, but it doesn't work today.
Who should see this film:
-- film buffs who can't help themselves
-- religious types looking for a Christmas story
I believe that movie ratings should reflect a movie's impact on today, not back when it came out. So although "It's a Wonderful Life" may have been a classic way back when, I am forced to give it only a 2 out of 10.