MOV DOC 004 – Edge of Tomorrow

Text Box: MOV DOC 004 — Major Cage & Sergeant Rita Vrataski, played by Emily Blunt.

Click on title for downloadable document.

Image result for movie edge of tomorrow — This is a depiction of an Alpha, part of the nervous system of the Omega.

Tom Cruise stars in this Sci-fi movie about an alien invasion and the ability of an American Army Major to reset time when he dies. As my wife said, its plot is something of a Groundhog Day meets Aliens. And it is much too involved & complicated to try to sum up in this review. Therefore, I am assuming that everyone reading this review either has seen the movie or plans to see it, and I will simply give the themes by writing this. Also, I will avoid giving away too much of the plot of the movie so those who have not seen it can enjoy it.

September 23, 2017September 23, 2017

Clash of the Titans – 2d post

Clash of the Titans – Arminian Theology Undercut

One aspect of this movie that completely undercuts it theologically is the idea that men’s prayers fuel the gods. Maybe men can fuel demons, but God is totally self-sufficient, aseity as the theologians call it. It means His Self alone is all He needs. This aspect of the true Creator God is one reason man should fall on his face before Him and acknowledge their utter and complete dependence upon Him. Another reason is man’s uncleanness, which the movie (and the ancient mythologies) does not deal with at all.

At the end of it all and despite all his attempts to avoid it, Perseus becomes like “them,” i.e., the gods. He uses their power, and he ends up defending one god, Zeus, from another god, Hades. It’s like being on the side of the “white” witches against the “black” witches. You merely end up defending witchcraft, which represents a rebellion against the sovereign God’s order. Likewise, Perseus, as Zeus aptly put it at the end, will end up being worshipped as a god.

So, what about Christian denominations that teach that man is capable of reaching God? They often teach that the Calvinistic doctrine of the sovereign and gracious choice of God in saving individuals is wrong? Do they not accomplish a similar futility, while claiming to teach Christianity? Teaching humanism instead of the true faith?

September 7, 2017April 26, 2021

Clash of the Titans

Yes, I know it’s a movie about ancient gods, but for some reason, among all the legends of those ancient gods, it has endured within the Christian world. There’s a reason for that. Other than the fact that it’s a great adventure story, it displays, in quirky, confused, and disjointed ways, mixed with error, the gospel. It’s as if the desire throughout history of man for release, for liberty, for meaning, is tracking the purpose of God, which is to bring that liberty to man through a man. But not just any man. The movie demonstrates how it must be some other kind of man, “born to kill the Kracken.”

Notice how the Titans are more like demonic powers. And the bible tells that the heathen worshipped devils, not mere stone images. The rising of man Continue reading “Clash of the Titans”

September 5, 2017September 3, 2017

Robin Hood with Russell Crowe

I found this movie fascinating. It tried to give the historical and political underpinnings for the real person, if he was real, Robin Hood. I liked it, even though it rarely referred to the Christian faith of the parties who pressured King John into signing the Magna Carta. In fact, the only one relying upon God was King John, who referred to the divine right of kings. Thus, the movie shows the skewed view, no, the ignorance of the modern world: That the only Christian influence upon history was in favor of tyrannical kings, while freedom was something invented by humans, not instilled in humans by the gospel.

Continue reading “Robin Hood with Russell Crowe”

September 2, 2017September 3, 2017

Rambo

It can be easy to forget that Rambo was not just an action movie; it was a movie about the psychological issues a Vietnam vet was going through. It was not a pro-Vietnam War movie; it was a pro-Vietnam Vet movie. Only Rambo was such a good warrior and was such a psychologically damaged vet that he was practically autistic, or like an idiot savant, only in weapons and warfare instead of with numbers, like the character in Rainman. The last sequel was the resolution for Rambo, who saw something of himself in the mercenaries hired by the missionaries and whom he was transporting into the jungle of Burma.

Continue reading “Rambo”

August 26, 2017September 1, 2017

Dawn of the Dead

Yes, Dawn of the Dead also demonstrates the bible. Question: Does Satan have the power to raise the dead? No. So, how do the dead have the power to rise from the dead and eat and kill people? Only God can raise the dead. OK, so the movie actually combines two things – the evil of murder, cannibalism, and mindless mania with the power of the Good God to raise the dead. That is why the living dead seem to have such power – the movie has combined two opposite things, giving evil a power it does not have. It glorifies God in a backhanded way. But giving evil and death the power that only God has, the movie gave to Satan a power only God has. Fear is the normal response to the power of God exercised in an awesome way. Combine that legitimate fear with the fear of murderous monsters, and you mix hell and heaven. This is not a legitimate theme for inspiring understanding of the gospel; however, even this movie cannot deny the awesome unrelenting power of resurrection, even when it is perversely applied.

In Dawn of the Dead, there is a scene in which the attacking, murderous dead are doused with gasoline and lit. A more fitting view of hell has rarely been portrayed. The love of the family above that which is righteous is portrayed in the black man who hid from the others the fact that she was infected. She becomes a walking dead, tied to the bed, has her baby, who then becomes walking dead. The father defends his wife and infected baby from an uninfected person, thus becoming a murderer because he loved his family more than what is good. The family made into an idol and placed before God becomes the family from hell.

August 24, 2017April 20, 2021

Avatar – Double Entendres

The movie has many double entendres. For example, the destruction of “home tree” shows a couple of the multiple trunks toppling. It brings to mind the falling of the twin towers. Combined with the Colonel’s comment just before the final battle about fighting terror with terror could be a comment on the GWOT, Global War on Terror.

Do you get the sense that there’s something of a reflection of the War in Iraq as you see the military, hired mercenaries, trying to take the valuable asset (read “Oil”) from the natives (read “innocent Iraqis”)? Continue reading “Avatar – Double Entendres”

August 12, 2017April 20, 2021

Avatar – Cool Scenes

I’m not sure that the cool scenes in this movie have anything to do with the bible, except maybe in the principle that excellence in artistry is one way we glorify our Creator. But I have to comment on them because they are just that – cool, and I have to justify my comment that it is a great movie. The technology of the movie has been commented upon by critics ad infinitum and is the first thing that captures the viewer’s attention. Continue reading “Avatar – Cool Scenes”

August 10, 2017April 20, 2021

Avatar – The Technological Ambiguities

Cameron, the Director, is attacking modern Western Civilization to a large extent in this movie. (See the special on the DVD, “Message from Pandora,” where Cameron and a few of the actors go to aid the native activists in a South American country to prevent development of land.) Yet, he himself has profited from modern technology by making the movie. Which is it, James? Is technology bad or good? Good for your pocket but not for the corporation attempting to make a profit on Pandora. Continue reading “Avatar – The Technological Ambiguities”

August 7, 2017April 20, 2021

Avatar & The Uniform Code of Military Justice

I have to put post this because of my military background. As Jake explains upon his arrival on Pandora, the military on Pandora are simply mercenaries defending the corporate entity that is on the planet to mine unobtainium. However, they are also there to defend Humans, whom we can correlate with Americans. They are still defending Americans, if there is an America at this time in the future. Also, the Colonel’s attitude is a carryover from his days of actual military duty. It’s clear that he has merged the two worlds in his mind; he is on Pandora not just because he loves war but because he believes in defending Americans/Humans. His comment to Jake when they square off at the end – “What’s it like to betray your own race?” – shows that he identifies Humans as a particular group to whom you should be loyal. Is this interplanetary racism on his part? Is there such a thing? Continue reading “Avatar & The Uniform Code of Military Justice”