Plugged In

Plugged In is a publication from Focus on the Family that aims to illuminate the realm of popular entertainment while providing families with the necessary resources to understand, navigate, and influence the culture around them. Through our reviews, articles, and discussions, we strive to inspire thoughtful reflection, spiritual development, and adherence to the message of Colossians 2:8, which advises against being misled by empty philosophies that rely on human traditions instead of Christ. Each month, over a million visitors turn to Plugged In for comprehensive insights into the content of popular movies, videos, TV shows, songs, and games. While entertainment industry ratings offer some information, we delve deeper, exploring specific themes and their significance. Our award-winning website also features news updates and blogs to keep our audience informed.

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Movie Monday: ‘Thunderbolts*’ Lands Another Box-Office Punch

3 days ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

New name, same old results. Last Monday, Thunderbolts* kinda-sorta changed its name to The New Avengers thus explaining the original name’s asterisk and generating a whole new swathe of publicity in one fell swoop. But at Plugged In, we’re sticking with Thunderbolts*. So it’s only fitting that the movie’s performance also looks awfully familiar. Thunderbolts* once again won the weekend’s box-office crown.
Episode 285: Of Handmaids’ Tales and Hunger Games: The Downside of Dystopian Dramas

1 week ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

We love it when things go bad. Or, at least, we love it in our entertainment. The Last of Us is one of Max’s most acclaimed dramas. Ditto The Handmaid’s Tale over on Hulu. Sunrise on the Reaping—the latest book in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games saga—sold more than 1.5 million copies in its first week. Some psychologists will tell you that dystopian stories can help us process our own fears and gloomy futures in a safe space.
Three Surprisingly Christian Themes Found in ‘Thunderbolts*’

1 week ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

“The worst enemy you can meet will always be yourself,” philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote. And so it is in Thunderbolts*. Sure, the film (now called The New Avengers, if one takes Marvel’s publicity stunt at its word) has plenty of other ne’er-do-wells. Embattled CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is plotting and scheming. A titanic bad guy is said to be as strong as all the Avengers rolled into one. Even our heroes have been villains a time or two. But how did they become villains?
Movie Monday: ‘Thunderbolts*’ Strikes Paydirt

1 week ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

Are the Thunderbolts heroes? To Marvel and Disney, they sure are. For decades, the Marvel Cinematic Universe felt invulnerable. Practically every film would fly into theaters, bask in audience applause and collect enough money to buy half of Denmark. But the franchise has looked almost human lately: Sure, it still reliably lands its films at the top of our Movie Monday countdown, but fans have lamented their quality. The MCU was beginning to look a little soft.
Episode 284: Thunderbolts and What Makes a Hero. Plus, the Rise of AI Agents.

2 weeks ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

Ever since the release of Iron Man way back in 2008, a Marvel movie has always heralded the beginning of the summer blockbuster season. But this year’s Marvel entry is a little different. Thunderbolts* brings together a lot of characters who’ve spent time as villains. John Walker was a failed Captain America who tangled with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in, well, Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Ava Starr, a.k.a. Ghost, was a baddie in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Want Lunch? Call My AI Agent.

3 weeks ago | pluggedin.com | Bob Hoose

What if you could hand over a list of tasks to an AI personal assistant and have it take care of all the details? You know, you could just say: Order the weekly groceries (only forget the bananas this week). And book me a flight for, uh, next Thursday to Seattle; morning preferably. Have them deliver my drycleaning sometime this afternoon. Oh, and check my schedule for a good time to meet with Dave, next week.
Episode 282: The Best Christian Movie Ever (?). Plus, 'Journey to You'

4 weeks ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

We’ve been on quite the trek, the last several weeks. Way back in mid-March, Plugged In compiled a list of 64 faith-based movies (based on Box Office Mojo), seeded them into a March Madness-style bracket and asked you, the Plugged In audience, to pick your favorites. Well, you probably know which one was ultimately selected as the best of the best. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe barely broke a sweat in its early-round competitions.
Episode 281: The King of Kings. Plus, Are Teens Turning Off Tech?

1 month ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

I’m an English lit geek, and one of my all-time favorite authors is Charles Dickens. The Stephen King of his day, Dickens was the Victorian age’s most popular writer, cranking out bestsellers with alarming rapidity. And more than 150 years after his death, he’s still selling books. Most of his works have never been out of print. But one of his books, The Life of Our Lord, was never meant to be published at all.
Surfing Alone: The Unintended Isolation of Our Tech-Obsessed Era

1 month ago | pluggedin.com | Adam Holz

I think most parents would like to believe that we understand our kids. That we “get” them and recognize the forces shaping their lives. They may think we don’t, as lots of rolled eyes would sarcastically imply. But—speaking for me as a dad, at least—I like to believe I’m not as clueless as my three teens may sometimes think I am. But sometimes I have a moment of realization that things really are different.
6 Techy Doodads for Parents to Keep an Eye On

1 month ago | pluggedin.com | Bob Hoose

Each year the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) presents a showcase of all sorts of new wiz-bang electronics, computer hardware and software innovations. This year it was hosted in Las Vegas at a convention center that encompassed some 2.9 million square feet of displays, showcased over 4,500 presenters and was a short-term second home for some 141,000 attendees with durable walking shoes.