Carlo Carrasco’s Movie Review: Sound of Freedom (2023)

Welcome back, readers and movie enthusiasts! Chances are you must have heard about the controversy and debates over Sound of Freedom, a movie about the child trafficking which was made years ago but only got released this year after overcoming many hurdles. The film starring Jim Caviezel as real-life hero Tim Ballard and directed by Alejandro Monteverde, was released at a time when wokeness in Hollywood got so feverish a lot of movies were no longer interesting for me.

In case you missed the news, the low budget Sound of Freedom performed beyond expectations in the American box office and has since been making waves gradually in cinemas around the world. The film opened officially here in the Philippines on September 20 and I finally saw it in the local theater.

With regards to the controversy about Sound of Freedom, I urge you to reject the Leftists’ constant ranting against it and make the effort to see it yourselves. If you take into account the conceptualization of the movie, it is almost a decade old now and efforts to write the script happened years before QAnon even started (for context, watch Midnight’s Edge video by clicking here). Blatant accusations of QAnon conspiracy theory against this film are simply false and officially denied by Tim Ballard. Communist-filled Hollywood (Commiewood) and the woke mob are simply lying to stop people from seeing the movie.

With those details laid down, here is my review of Sound of Freedom.

The official movie poster.

Early story

The story begins in Honduras when a pretty lady visits the home of a father who has one young daughter and one young son, and convinces him to have them audition into modeling. The audition happened in a different location (filled with the man’s two kids and many others) and as the father was not allowed to be present, he was asked to return in the evening. By the time he returned, the place was empty and the children were kidnapped. They secretly shipped to another country.

In America, Tim Ballard and his time successfully apprehended a man for possessing and distributing child pornography. Tim’s teammate points out to him that although they have arrested many child predators, they could not even save a single child from exploitation and abuse…

Quality

I will start first by saying that this movie was not made to entertain viewers but to emphasize the real-life problems of child trafficking, kidnapping, the abuse of minors, sex trafficking and why slavery today still has many millions of victims (including minors).

This movie closely examines the struggles that come with fighting the syndicates (that kidnapped children and sell them) and the customers (who paid to illegally acquire children for their wicked desires) as told through the eyes of Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) who is clearly feeling the heavy stress of his US Homeland Security job (which takes a lot of strength, sacrifice and sheer will to do). Ballard himself has many kids with his faithful and supportive wife (Mira Sorvino) and therefore he can easily relate with the parents whose children got kidnapped and sold in other countries.

Caviezel is mostly subtle with expressing Ballard’s emotions as well as his verbal expressions with the other people he interacted with. This is not to say that Caviezel’s act is wooden, rather he is straightforward with portraying a man who feels disturbed by the collective stress of his duty (but still far away from the breaking low-point). Even though he is getting worn down, Ballard’s sheer determination to save a specific kidnapped-and-abused daughter for a Honduras-based father is nicely captured by Caviezel.

The efforts of fighting the criminals who pounced on children involves a lot of hurdles to overcome. I’m not just talking about Homeland Security agents taking down people in America who engaged in child pornography but also going after the very criminals overseas who kidnapped children, shipped them from one nation to another and sell them as “models” to pedophiles. As such, Ballard’s efforts involves spending time overseas (away from his family), making local connections and secretly working his way into different locations where the risks of getting killed are high.

Again, this tale is not about entertaining viewers as it works on emphasizing to them how extremely difficult it is to bring down the criminals in real-life. The good news is that this film is nicely directed by Monteverde whose cinematic style is simplistic and yet engaging to watch. There is a clear subtle approach on showing what little violence the film has. As for scenes of child abuse, there is nothing graphic to see (left ambiguous) nor was there anything intense about them. While I am certain that some parts of the story involved liberties in order to establish a functional cinematic narrative, this movie strives hard with realism while also avoiding becoming preachy with its message (expressed in subtle fashion) about human trafficking, child slavery and the business involving pedophiles and kidnappers.

Conclusion

Sound of Freedom was clearly made to inform the world that children are still being kidnapped, used for illegal transactions, transported around the world and sold to the predators. This real-world problem continues to happen somewhere every single day and there are simply not enough law enforcers who could fight the criminals and rescue the kidnapped minors. Nor do the law enforcers have the resources to stage major rescue operations while facing off with armed criminals and their bodyguards.

While it is told through Tim Ballard, this movie is not about him and his profession. It is about the extreme difficulties that law enforcers – both domestic and overseas – have to go through to save the very young victims. The story was told with consistent realism and subtlety which make it very believable to watch. Jim Caviezel is indeed a solid performer and his portrayal of Tim Ballard will easily remind you that true heroes are the ones who bravely face tremendous odds to achieve their goals (for good) while still maintaining their sanity no matter how hopeless the situations appeared.

Sound of Freedom is a cinematic call to action to make others aware about the ongoing menaces of sex trafficking, kidnapping, abuse of minors and the cartels (demonic people) that profited from their evil trade. Like Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, this film was made for reflective viewing and not for amusement. Indeed, God’s children are not for sale and this is the truth that the bashers of this movie do not want you to realize. There is also the biblical truth to the popular quote from the film. Read the holy scripture below…

To put things politically, you must be wondering why the Satanic Left – Democrats, Communists, socialists, Marxists, liberals, the SJWs and the woke extremists – keep on bashing and hating Sound of Freedom. Here is why…because the Leftists are themselves pro-crime (example: “Defund the police.”) and they have made efforts to weaken law enforcement which emboldened the criminals such as robbers, murderers, kidnappers, smugglers, rapists, terrorists, molesters, illegal immigrants and, of course, the pedophiles. The Leftists are clearly wicked and they are lots of them present not only in government but also in showbiz, the mainstream media and other sectors of societies. The Leftists care less about the children and nuclear family, and this is why they want more drag queens and homosexuals to go after the children without law enforcers blocking them. The Leftists are okay with children getting kidnapped, abused and raped. In short, those in the Left are okay with being evil and doing what Satan wants.

I saw Sound of Freedom at the local cinema.

The Leftists are very afraid of Sound of Freedom and remember that it is the one notable movie that almost never got released. That being said, you must watch the movie whenever you have chance to do so.

Overall, Sound of Freedom (2023) is recommended!

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Muntinlupa LGU declared a drug-free workplace

Police arrest wanted man for lasciviousness in Las Piñas City

Almost 8,000 young students receive supplies from Muntinlupa City Government

Foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines approaching 4 million

Two men arrested after getting caught in the act of cutting and removing aerial cable wires in Las Piñas City

Better than Streaming: Watch out for the newest cinematic Godzilla from Japan

Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs from around the world! If you are an enthusiast of giant monster movies and if you have gotten tired with what Hollywood has been releasing, there is a brand new Godzilla (Gojira in Japanese) movie from Japan’s Toho which will be released in cinemas before the year ends…Godzilla Minus One (Japanese title: Gojira Mainasu Wan).

The official movie poster for the Japanese market.

This newest Toho Godzilla film directed by Takashi Yamazaki (also a special effects expert) will be released in Japan in a gradual manner: as the closing feature film of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival on November 1, 2023, and then in cinemas around the nation on November 3, 2023. Godzilla Minus One will open in cinemas in the United States and Canada on December 1, 2023.

To get started about this new Japanese Godzilla movie, I encourage you to watch the official trailer (English subtitles included) below…

The way the details and visuals were presented in the movie trailer, the filmmakers showed Godzilla as a terrifying giant whose presence brings certain death and destruction to those near it. The trailer made Godzilla looking like it intends to kill people. What I find interesting about the core concept of this upcoming movie is that the iconic monster wreaks havoc in Japan a short time after the end of World War II. This emphasizes that Japan is economically weak and struggling to recover from the tremendous losses suffered from the said war. Also spotted were efforts by the filmmakers to replicate the look of post-WWII Japan.

If you know your world history, you should be aware of the facts that America dropped atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 which compelled Japan (then a major military force with the Axis powers) to surrender unconditionally. Putting that historical context into the realm of fantasy by Toho, Godzilla Minus One shows what would happen had the giant monster invaded Japan while it was still in a very weakened state.

This is a terrifying image of people running away from Godzilla whose steps were causing destruction.

Considering the post-World War II background, it is not yet clear to me if this movie will serve as a prequel to the original Gojira movie of 1954. What is clear is that the filmmakers are daringly making something new with Japan’s icon and their creative approach looks radically different from Toho’s previous Godzilla release in 2016 (note: read my retro review of Shin Godzilla).

Considering the many Godzilla movies released – including those from Hollywood studios – being original with telling a story about the monster is indeed very hard to do. That being said, I am interested to see how the post-World War II setting, the new story and characters, and the giant monster itself will be executed on-screen. If the trailer indicates anything, it looks like Godzilla Minus One could turn out as a dramatic disaster movie (than a monster movie) and could come close to what the 1954 original movie presented.

As of this writing, there are not too many international markets for cinematic releases listed in Godzilla Minus One‘s IMDB page. Being based here in the Philippines, I can only hope that the Japan-made movie will be released in local cinemas which could be a bit tricky given the fact that Shin Godzilla had a limited release here in 2016. I really want to watch this upcoming movie in the local cinema, especially IMAX, but that would depend on how the distribution here in the Philippines will be executed. At the same time, watching a Japanese-made Godzilla movie would be a nice break from the MonsterVerse Godzilla that has been around for years now. Honestly, I’m getting tired of Hollywood’s current version of Japan’s icon.

A very menacing Gojira image from Toho promoting Godzilla Minus One. If you look very closely, you can see some of the giant monster’s teeth red with blood.

If Godzilla Minus One does not get screened locally for some reason, its potential Blu-ray (and possibly 4K Blu-ray) release in the future would be the next option to watch it. Regardless, watch out for this new movie in cinemas in a few months’ time.

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Muntinlupa City Mayor and Congressman warn public about beauty pageant solicitation scam

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Digital wallet and online banking companies warned by COMELEC about vote-buying

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Las Piñas City’s tourism council continues work on forming Local Tourism Development Plant

Recently in the City of Las Piñas, a 3-day planning workshop for the establishment of the Local Tourism Development Plant (LTDP) was organized by the Las Piñas Tourism and Cultural Office, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Do you see the city becoming a major player in Philippine tourism over the next five years?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673