Fear and Trembling

Craig Hazen does a good job of reviewing the movie Religious here . Here’s a sample: Maher is pitching this film as mavericky—telling the truth about religion that everyone else is afraid to address. But Religulous is nothing more than filthy, nudie, druggie, and obtusey. There is little to laugh at and nothing to learn…

I “took the plunge” this week and went to see the new Batman movie . I was not disappointed. The action was a bit over the top, but that is to be expected these days. Heath Ledger’s Joker was the best villain I have seen on the screen since Darth Vader. Something about the smeared make-up brought out the “best” (do you say “worst” for a villain?) in the character. I never thought of Batman as a Christ Figure before this film. I am torn between not revealing the end of the movie and explaining what I mean. I’ll leave it at this: Jesus Christ took all of our sin and shame upon himself on the cross. He was the only One big enough to handle that shame, and He took our shame from us as He paid the penalty for all of our sin . Batman gets the chance to do essentially the same thing for another character in the film. Other interesting reviews of the Batman movie can be found here , here , here , and here .

I’ve seen several reviews of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. I saw the movies this week and last, and I wanted to put in my two cents. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a good movie. It was actually my favorite of the Indiana Jones series. The main reason was the image of the hero and heroine. Indiana Jones is a grey-haired, glasses wearing main character who is past his physical prime. The heroine from the first movie in the series returns. She is a wrinkled, slightly overweight, but singularly passionate character. These two are refreshing in the days of Hollywood’s plastic-surgery-enhanced Barbie-doll-look-alikes. The action stretched believability at several points (see review here ), but it didn’t take away from the characterization that made the movie stand out. Prince Caspian let me down. There was nothing wrong with the movie, but many of the best scenes from the book were stripped of their distinctly C...

I finally had the chance to see Ironman this weekend. I really enjoyed this movie. The script interjected just enough humor, and the action shots were not overplayed. I began reading Ironman comics while in grade school, and I had high hopes that the movie would catapult the character back into fame. (I have many Ironman comics, and I’ll be headed to e-bay soon.) There has been much discussion of whether Robert Downey, Jr. could pull off the character of Tony Stark. Downey is a person who has struggled with alcoholism, drug abuse and bipolar disorder; and many were apprehensive about his credibility as the armored Avenger . Downey seems to have overcome his addictions and condition. I pray that is true, and that his new fame will not be a stumbling block. Either way, his recent recovery is commendable, and I think makes him the perfect choice for the character of Tony Stark, Ironman’s alter ego . Stark has always been a thoroughly human character whose alcohol abuse, womanizing and gen...

I had the opportunity last night to see the new movie “Expelled” with Ben Stein (see here for information). I did not enjoy the movie. The documentary is not meant to be enjoyed. This movie outlines a problem facing scientists who speak up for the set of theories referred to as “Intelligent Design” (ID). The interviews tell several scientists’ stories, and their stories were devastating to me. I have always thought of science as the unbiased search for truth based on observation and deduction. (For an article on ID that shows some evidence of the treatment the movement gets from mainstream scientists, go here .) I knew that some of the books I have read by leading atheists showed considerable bias against theism (see the search labels Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins on the sidebar), but it seems even the mainstream scientific establishment is not immune. If the ID theory is wrong, why is it attacked in this fashion? It can’t be the only theory out there that is disagre...

I was snookered into watching a movie this last week. What I mean is I went to a movie with a ground of friends which was billed as an action adventure movie. It was much more like a horror movie instead. “I Am Legend” with Will Smith was not what I expected. It truly was a horror film. But there is one thing I have always liked about horror films: there is always a bad guy. Not just bad, but evil. Horror movies assume some standard of good or right behavior in order to make the villains look bad. From Jason to Freddie Kruger, we always know who the bad guys are when we watch horror. It was no different in “I Am Legend.” The villains were the “dark ones,” people who had been transformed into rabid, wild beings by a virus. They behaved in terrible ways, showing no regard for those not infected with the virus, the world around them, or even for themselves. Will Smith’s character makes a telling comment into his tape recorder at one point in the movie (pardon me for an inexact qu...

At a late show tonight I finally had the chance to see the movie “Amazing Grace” at a theater in Nashville, TN. I had been to busy to see it while it played in my home town. I related my regard for William Wilberforce, the main character of this movie, in an earlier post. He’s one of my heroes, and he has been for a long time. It is a good movie. The scenes of the Sessions of the English Parliament show a vision of their bold-spirited debates. The determination Wilberforce showed in the face of personal illness, fickle public opinion, and betrayal of friends shines through in this movie portrayal. The acting is strong, but not overdone. The cinematography supports the mood and message of this film. I have to agree with the review I read a few months back. The best line in the movie comes from the character of John Newton: “There are only two things I can remember: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great savior.” Amen!

I am reading a good book called Flags of our Fathers . Clint Eastwood and company made a movie out of it. I had the chance to see that movie last week while on the road. I first heard of this book when John Piper quoted from it extensively in Don't Waste Your Life . It's the personal biographies of the five men whose photo was taken while raising an American Flag on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima during World War II. Interwoven are the stories of many of the U. S. Marines who invaded this island, the first piece of native Japanese soil to fall to the advancing Americans in the pacific. Very inspiring, but might not be popular world-wide. It is a real story of real human beings who did something heroic. Like President Reagan said, "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." Piper draws the book into a Christian worldview. In the above mentioned book, he says: The greatest cause in the...

I am looking forward to seeing "Amazing Grace" at our local theatre when it plays. It is part of the story of William Wilberforce, one of my favorite historical figures and my favorite politician of all time to date (Ronald Reagan is a very close second). Wilberforce was a key figure in the abolition of the slave trade in the British colonies. He was also instrumental in the changes to the charter of The British East India Company in 1813 which allowed missionaries to enter India (e. g. William Carey). It also shows John Newton, the author of the hymn “Amazing Grace,” and some of his critical interactions with Wilberforce. Newton was one of the first Anglican priests to allow blacks, even slaves, into his parish as communicant members. I'll go back to Wilberforce. His book Practical Christianity is a must read for all of those in our time who would promote "deeds not creeds." One of the most prominent leaders of the Evangelical church today has said, "I’m l...