Sorry for the long delay between posting...school will do that to you...
Genre: Science Fiction
Runtime: 2 hrs 12 min
Rating: G
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei
Synopsis: Captain Kirk reassembles his old crew on the newly refit Starship Enterprise and is sent out to investigate a mysterious cloud-like entity.
Sometimes it's just fun to go back and watch classic science fiction, especially the original Star Trek (series or movies), especially when it's been over a decade since I last saw this one.
Although the graphics and special effects are very classic 1979, and the movie is a little slow in progressing (according to modern standards, not my own) this movie is still a good watch and a classic in the science fiction genre.
I think what I've always loved about Star Trek is their willingness to work with subjects that are not necessarily popular at the time. (The episode dealing with the half white-half black aliens comes to mind). But what is perhaps more profound, especially in this movie, is the search for "more."
This particular move opens with a blue-cloud entity attacking and destroying several ships. It then cuts to Spock sitting in the wilderness of Vulcan seeking to remove all emotions from his mind. Even though the entire Star Trek crew is reunited, I want to focus on Spock and this entity - who is later called V-GER - and their quests.
Spock makes a comment to Kirk and Bones that he could sense the entity, it's supreme logic and that it was searching. He claimed that this entity might have the answers to his own dilemma with emotions. However, after doing a mind-meld with V-GER, Spock comes to a startling realization: logic isn't everything. "I should have known." He says. Then he grasps Kirk's hand and says "This, this simple feeling is beyond V-GER's comprehension. No feeling. No hope. And Jim, no answers. It's asking questions. Is this all that I am? Is there nothing more?"
It comes to light that V-GER is seeking out "the creator" to answer his many questions. He will "join with the creator."
What is perhaps the most profound part of this movie is the turn Spock's personal journey takes as he begins to understand V-GER:
"It only knows that it needs. But like so many of us, it does not know what."
"As I was when I came aboard, so is V-GER now. Empty, incomplete and searching. Logic and knowledge are not enough."
"Each of us at some time in our lives turns to someone - a father, a brother, a god - and asks: Why am I here? What was I meant to be? V-GER hopes to touch his creator to find his answers."
Spock sought out logic, reason, and knowledge to "fulfill" his life, but in his contact with an entity that personified these virtues that he sought, he discovered that there is a greater need within every being - a need for purpose. And so often that purpose can only be found in something greater than ourselves. As Christians we believe that our purpose comes from God - our Creator - and only through "joining" with our Creator - becoming new creatures - can we truly find and fulfill that purpose.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The King's Speech
Genre: Drama and Biopic
Runtime: 1 hr 51 min
Rating: R for some language
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce
Synopsis: George VI, also known as Bertie, reluctantly takes the throne of England when his brother, Edward, abdicates in 1936. The unprepared king turns to a radical speech therapist, Lionel Logue, to help overcome his nervous stutter and the two forge a friendship.
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with this movie, not only is it well done, but I had no idea about this part of British history. All in all I enjoyed this movie thoroughly.
It took me several hours of "chewing" on this movie to decided what "spiritual truth" it spoke to. I've often found, that movies based on true stories are either very easy to read Christianly or they are nearly impossible, there is no middle ground. This one was very much the same.
After much thought and replaying the movie in my mind I have come to the very distinct decision that the character of Lional Logue (Geoffrey Rush) is a Christ figure. From the very first moment that we meet Lionel, he tells you that he is unorthodox and that if he is going to accept you as a patient that you have to follow his rules. Bertie (Colin Firth) is at first reluctant. He's already seen a number of people for his stutter and not a single one has been helpful. But finally, he decides that he'll work with Lionel, but only on his terms. So the two begin to work together and moderate progress is made. However, there are often setbacks as George attempts to carry out his role as the Duke of York.
Finally, after the death of his father, King George V, Bertie begins to open up to Lionel about personal matters, and here we see him finally start to make some real progress. It isn't until Bertie accepts the friendship that has been growing, that he is finally able to fully trust Lionel and allow him to help.
And here is the moment that we see Lionel as a Christ figure. We are all born with an impediment - we call it sin. This impediment inevitably becomes a problem and we seek help. However, when we first seek help, we often want that help on our terms instead of on His, but like Lionel, Christ is willing to work with us where we are, waiting for us to make the choice to open up. When we finally do open up to him and allow him fully into our lives and into our trust, then the transformation begins.
WARNING: mild language. For those of you who are offended by cursing or any other form of vulgar language, be aware that this movie is rated R because of the language. About halfway through the movie, Lionel tells Bertie to curse in order to loosen up. From that point on there are a couple of scenes where Bertie's nerves are frayed and he curses in order to calm himself (sounds a bit like Turrets). Other than that, I would highly recommend this movie.
Runtime: 1 hr 51 min
Rating: R for some language
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce
Synopsis: George VI, also known as Bertie, reluctantly takes the throne of England when his brother, Edward, abdicates in 1936. The unprepared king turns to a radical speech therapist, Lionel Logue, to help overcome his nervous stutter and the two forge a friendship.
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with this movie, not only is it well done, but I had no idea about this part of British history. All in all I enjoyed this movie thoroughly.
It took me several hours of "chewing" on this movie to decided what "spiritual truth" it spoke to. I've often found, that movies based on true stories are either very easy to read Christianly or they are nearly impossible, there is no middle ground. This one was very much the same.
After much thought and replaying the movie in my mind I have come to the very distinct decision that the character of Lional Logue (Geoffrey Rush) is a Christ figure. From the very first moment that we meet Lionel, he tells you that he is unorthodox and that if he is going to accept you as a patient that you have to follow his rules. Bertie (Colin Firth) is at first reluctant. He's already seen a number of people for his stutter and not a single one has been helpful. But finally, he decides that he'll work with Lionel, but only on his terms. So the two begin to work together and moderate progress is made. However, there are often setbacks as George attempts to carry out his role as the Duke of York.
Finally, after the death of his father, King George V, Bertie begins to open up to Lionel about personal matters, and here we see him finally start to make some real progress. It isn't until Bertie accepts the friendship that has been growing, that he is finally able to fully trust Lionel and allow him to help.
And here is the moment that we see Lionel as a Christ figure. We are all born with an impediment - we call it sin. This impediment inevitably becomes a problem and we seek help. However, when we first seek help, we often want that help on our terms instead of on His, but like Lionel, Christ is willing to work with us where we are, waiting for us to make the choice to open up. When we finally do open up to him and allow him fully into our lives and into our trust, then the transformation begins.
WARNING: mild language. For those of you who are offended by cursing or any other form of vulgar language, be aware that this movie is rated R because of the language. About halfway through the movie, Lionel tells Bertie to curse in order to loosen up. From that point on there are a couple of scenes where Bertie's nerves are frayed and he curses in order to calm himself (sounds a bit like Turrets). Other than that, I would highly recommend this movie.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
City of Angels
Genre: Drama, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, & Remake
Runtime: 1 hr. 57 min
Rating: PG 13 for sexuality including language, and some nudity
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan, Dennis Franz, Andre Brauer
Synopsis: An angel comes to earth and falls in love with the woman he's assigned to watch over.
Excuse me for complaining about the terrible synopsis offered online...I think I might need to find another website that offers better synopses then Yahoo! movies. But let's move on...
This movie starts out by showing the writer's/director's/producer's view of what an "angel" is and does. In this case, it's all about watching, occasional helping, and leading the dead into the afterlife. Now I could probably go on for pages talking about how much I disagreed with the theology of this movie, but that's not really the point of this blog, so I'll leave it alone.
I will admit however, that for the first hour to hour and a half I was seriously wondering if I would have anything to say about the movie that wasn't ranting against the theology of it...and then it struck me.
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!
Seth (Cage) is one of hundreds, if not thousands, of angels that live and "work" in Los Angeles. Every morning and every evening they go to the same beach and listen to the sun rise and set. The rest of their time is spent listening to people's thoughts, helping, and guiding the dead. Many shots show the angels standing passively above the city on high rises.
One key scene near the beginning of the movie, shows Seth and a fellow angel sitting on a freeway sign comparing notes on what the souls they've guided have said was the best thing about life. Seth asks his companion if he's ever wanted to know what it felt like to be human.
Not far into the movie, Seth meets Maggie (Ryan) a cardiac surgeon trying desperately to save a man's life - Seth is there to collect the man's soul. And so begins the journey of Seth and Maggie. Along the way, this angel who doesn't know what it is to experience any of the five senses, falls in love with Maggie AND finds out that it is possible for an angel to become human by "falling" to earth.
It was at this moment that the epiphany hit me. It takes most of the movie to get there, but Seth is a type of Christ figure. Christ left heaven, discarded his eternal body, and endured the pain of humanity because he LOVED us.
Runtime: 1 hr. 57 min
Rating: PG 13 for sexuality including language, and some nudity
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Meg Ryan, Dennis Franz, Andre Brauer
Synopsis: An angel comes to earth and falls in love with the woman he's assigned to watch over.
Excuse me for complaining about the terrible synopsis offered online...I think I might need to find another website that offers better synopses then Yahoo! movies. But let's move on...
This movie starts out by showing the writer's/director's/producer's view of what an "angel" is and does. In this case, it's all about watching, occasional helping, and leading the dead into the afterlife. Now I could probably go on for pages talking about how much I disagreed with the theology of this movie, but that's not really the point of this blog, so I'll leave it alone.
I will admit however, that for the first hour to hour and a half I was seriously wondering if I would have anything to say about the movie that wasn't ranting against the theology of it...and then it struck me.
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!
Seth (Cage) is one of hundreds, if not thousands, of angels that live and "work" in Los Angeles. Every morning and every evening they go to the same beach and listen to the sun rise and set. The rest of their time is spent listening to people's thoughts, helping, and guiding the dead. Many shots show the angels standing passively above the city on high rises.
One key scene near the beginning of the movie, shows Seth and a fellow angel sitting on a freeway sign comparing notes on what the souls they've guided have said was the best thing about life. Seth asks his companion if he's ever wanted to know what it felt like to be human.
Not far into the movie, Seth meets Maggie (Ryan) a cardiac surgeon trying desperately to save a man's life - Seth is there to collect the man's soul. And so begins the journey of Seth and Maggie. Along the way, this angel who doesn't know what it is to experience any of the five senses, falls in love with Maggie AND finds out that it is possible for an angel to become human by "falling" to earth.
It was at this moment that the epiphany hit me. It takes most of the movie to get there, but Seth is a type of Christ figure. Christ left heaven, discarded his eternal body, and endured the pain of humanity because he LOVED us.
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