http://cinemagogue.com redefining entertainment Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:21:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 engaging and exploring the connection between film, narrative, spirituality, creativity and Creator, images and imaging God. Pastor James Harleman clean Pastor James Harleman jh@marshill.com jh@marshill.com (Pastor James Harleman) ...redefining "entertainment" religion, tv, film, spirituality, Mars Hill Church, movie reviews, Christianity, Christian Movie Reviews +http://cinemagogue.com/rss.png http://cinemagogue.com http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/27/a-few-reasons-why-life-goes-haywire/ http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/27/a-few-reasons-why-life-goes-haywire/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:12:26 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=5198 It's no secret that Steven Soderbergh essentially just built a movie around MMA fighter Gina Carano because he caught one of her fights. While the backdrop of Haywire is seemingly a web of international intrigue, it's actually pretty simple, and the director seems less interested in making a film so much as toying with action movie conventions, improvising like a jazz musician. It's appropriate that the score employs various jazz tunes set during the non-fighting sequences (which have no music, and no enhanced fisticuff effects) and the music, like the movie, has moments that gel and moments that don't. While not a great film, it's intriguing to watch Soderbergh riff, see the surprisingly all-star cast that surrounds Carano (Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, Michael Douglas) and realize that she stands her own in screen presence and acting chops. I'm certain we'll see more from her. As a black ops soldier seeking payback after being betrayed and set up, Carano plays Mallory, a woman so enigmatic she's effectively a force of nature (albeit very human and fallible in Soderbergh's steady hands). It's hard to glean a lot from her stiff-lipped character in the narrative, but as we see a string of men get their comeuppance at the hands of this relentless woman, I realized there are very human reasons why they fall under her strong will, which make it intriguing as a character study less of Mallory and more of the men who misjudge her. "You shouldn't think of her as being a woman. That would be your first mistake."]]> http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/27/a-few-reasons-why-life-goes-haywire/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/25/underworld-awakens-but-not-much-else/ http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/25/underworld-awakens-but-not-much-else/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:45:41 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=5168 "This is a new war. And it’s only beginning." In a film that tonally hits closer to the first Resident Evil film than it's Underworld predecessors, Awakening serves up non-stop action and holds true to the quote above; it is undeniably fun to watch, but there isn't much plot to chew on as it merely establishes the landscape and effectively leaves us with a cliffhanger for more. We've covered the previous entries in our reviews for Underworld, Evolution, and Rise of the Lycans with the moody, provocative themes explored in the original trilogy. This fourth film introduces a new season for our protagonist, new storyline and locale in the same way a new creative team might take over a comic book or television series; it's the same character (Selene) operating in a new environment with a tweaked style. In comparison with the other films, it succeeds as an entry of equal caliber (unlike the fourth Resident Evil) but has so much action and establishing to do it doesn't offer much in the way of plot. Although video games now offer far more complex storylines, this one follows the classic first-person shooter scenario, even with a "boss fight" at the end, not unlike last year's Battle: Los Angeles.]]> http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/25/underworld-awakens-but-not-much-else/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/23/this-week-at-cinemagogue-kate-liam-going-haywire/ http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/23/this-week-at-cinemagogue-kate-liam-going-haywire/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:35:23 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=5143 You could choose between a leather-clad vampire or an MMA fighter to see women overturning evil government plots with guns, fists, teeth and plenty of action last weekend. This week, we'll feature reviews of both Underworld: Awakening (Tuesday) and Haywire (Thursday). This weekend, however, belongs entirely to Liam Neeson as he goes all Wolverine with travel-size bottles, taking on wolves and snow and, well, I guess nature itself in The Grey. Whether he’s wielding a lightsaber, ripping up Paris, training Batman or leading the A-Team, we just can’t seem to get enough of Liam Neeson kicking ass and taking names...]]> http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/23/this-week-at-cinemagogue-kate-liam-going-haywire/feed/ 1 You could choose between a leather-clad vampire or an MMA fighter to see women overturning evil government plots with guns, fists, teeth and plenty of action last weekend. This week, we'll feature reviews of both Underworld: Awakening (Tuesday) and Ha... You could choose between a leather-clad vampire or an MMA fighter to see women overturning evil government plots with guns, fists, teeth and plenty of action last weekend. This week, we'll feature reviews of both Underworld: Awakening (Tuesday) and Haywire (Thursday). This weekend, however, belongs entirely to Liam Neeson as he goes all Wolverine with travel-size bottles, taking on wolves and snow and, well, I guess nature itself in The Grey. Whether he’s wielding a lightsaber, ripping up Paris, training Batman or leading the A-Team, we just can’t seem to get enough of Liam Neeson kicking ass and taking names... Pastor James Harleman clean http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/20/the-underworld-rises/ http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/20/the-underworld-rises/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:52:22 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=5098 Viktor: I gave you your life. Lucian: You gave me chains. Viktor: I thought you would have learned by now after all these years; you cannot have one without the other. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans may be the least liked installment of the series. Some cite the absence of Kate Beckinsale as Selene, while some might point to the change of director (first-time director Patrick Tatopoulos, best know for his F/X work on movies like Independence Day). Since the others aren't exactly high art, I disagree; they all reside on the same popcorn playing field. Michael Sheen reprising his role as Lucian, and Bill Nighy back as Viktor, make up for the absent Beckinsale, and Rhona Mitra adequately plays Sonja, Viktor's daughter... whose appearance would later inspire the vampire elder to sire Selene to fill the void of her loss. The two look enough alike to make this prequel work, bringing the Underworld story full circle in a medieval tale that echoes the most classic narratives of being set free by a miraculous hero. Resonance of biblical proportion abounds, from Moses to Jesus, as the enslaved Lucian rises up to liberate his people from slavery.]]> http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/20/the-underworld-rises/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/18/the-underworld-evolves/ http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/18/the-underworld-evolves/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:30:10 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=5058 "Viktor was not the savior I had been led to believe. He had betrayed us all... My only hope now is to awaken Markus, our last remaining elder, and expose the truth..."  As we review the second film in the Underworld series, Evolution, it stands among the tightest of sequels in that, like Back to the Future II or The Two Towers, it doesn't just extend a franchise but picks up seconds after the first film's cliffhanger ending. It expands the theme of life, truth, and purpose being upended by stark revelations: that the leaders and fathers of this world have lied and manipulated our protagonists and pointed them in the wrong direction. Although Selene believes her "only hope" is that of another Vampire leader, it turns out Marcus holds his own deeper layers of deception and is an even worse kind of evil than Viktor.

Sibling Rivalry & Consequences

The biblical story of twins Jacob and Esau tells us of two sons jealous for birthright and dominance, one a slimmer boy who whispers deceit into his family's ears, and the other a hairy boy who is more rash and brusque. This true narrative finds an echo in the fictional narrative of Underworld: Evolution, as the deceptive Marcus and bestial William are revealed to be the immortal sons who became the first Vampire and first Lycan, their attitudes and behaviors have wreaking generational conflict and curse. Marcus now seeks to reunite with his brother, and his plan is to create "a new race created in the image of their maker. Their new God. Me."]]> http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/18/the-underworld-evolves/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/17/enter-the-underworld-review/ http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/17/enter-the-underworld-review/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:43:18 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=5006 "I am a Death Dealer, sworn to destroy those known as the Lycans. Our war has waged for centuries, unseen by human eyes. But all that is about to change." The first Underworld film introduces us to Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a determined vampire warrior committed to her cause in light of the tragedy she understands took her family from her as a child. Her clan of vampires, however, has grown increasingly influenced by political machinations and decadence and she believes they've lost focus, sharp instincts and their sense of urgency. Like Worf on Star Trek who seemed to be the only real Klingon in his day, Selene seems to be one of the few who is actually dedicated to their mission. Her mentor, Viktor, resides in a century-long slumber so she has no one to turn to when she discovers a major werewolf pack and the potential return of the beasts' long-believed dead leader, Lucien. A human named Michael is drawn into the conflict, the ignorant character who realizes a war has been going on under his feet and is forced onto the Lycans' side with a seemingly decisive bite. Selene finds herself protecting Michael and, piece by piece, everything she believed in is turned on its head. She realizes vampires within her midst have sold out their own people, enemies she believed were animals were actually the originally wronged parties, and the now-wakened Viktor, her surrogate father, has kept the gravest of secrets from her...]]> http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/17/enter-the-underworld-review/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/16/underworld-tour-2012/ http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/16/underworld-tour-2012/#comments Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:19:25 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=4971 In a post-Matrix 2003, characters in leather and longcoats shot and fought it out in a subway with slow-motion intensity. While these cinematic battles weren't uncommon after the Wachowski brothers had Neo set a visual trend in 1999, Underworld added a new wrinkle... as we found out the black-clad goth characters were actually vampires and werewolves caught in a centuries-old feud. (To be fair, Blade the vampire hunter actually preceded The Matrix by a year in setting some of this "leaping-leather" visual style, so although Keanu Reeves mainstreamed the action eye-candy, a vampire movie actually established the look and even bullet-time. The first Underworld film continued Wesley Snipes' toothy style (and expanded on it) by adding a gothic backdrop and a hairy love story. Also, 2003 positioned this story of Lycans versus Vamps--with a "forbidden romance" in the middle--two full years before a little-known book about Edward and Bella would rock the world, "eclipse" book sales and bore us with roll-eye cinema.

Team Victor or Team Lucien, anyone?

Now it's 2012, and vampires are everywhere in books, film and television. It's not surprising, then to see that the death-dealing Vampire Seline is back for Underworld: Awakening...]]> http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/16/underworld-tour-2012/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/13/a-new-hope/ http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/13/a-new-hope/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:16:39 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=4797 Star Worship? So… after all this cinemusing on Star Wars and Theology, does this mean we should start worshipping Luke Skywalker?  Of course not—no more than we should erect a lion statue and worship Aslan from C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia.  Certain images and circumstances cross-referenced in Star Wars are simply analogous to the truth found in Christ.  Furthermore, Lucas may not deserve the same kudos for his work that, say, Lewis or Tolkein might—the latter two men were believers who either purposely or inherently (and both beautifully) entwined Christian theism into their work.  Lucas didn’t set out to promote Christianity; he’s far more concerned with merchandising action figures and Jar Jar Binks (“Mee-sah muy-muy stupid”). However, no matter what their motivations are down at the Skywalker Ranch, God’s dabbling fingers are still evident in the Star Wars films; intentional or not, George’s narrative portrays the Jedi and Sith as flawed, and threads of true faith are manifest within the story’s context.  This is the phantom message of Star Wars, and the Believer’s task is to use it as a springboard when dialoguing with other Star Wars junkies like me (still in recovery...)]]> http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/13/a-new-hope/feed/ 0 http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/12/star-wars-the-problem-of-evil/ http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/12/star-wars-the-problem-of-evil/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:15:27 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=4795 Darth Vader: God’s Tool? We've spent a week's worth of posts forcing the Star Wars narrative to reveal its secrets, and Redemption by the Son is perhaps Star Wars most powerful message (and will always be the climax to the trilogy, or sextet, whichever you prefer).  It is curious, however, to see new elements emerging from the prequels.  In Episode 1, we find out that Anakin Skywalker is created by mysterious, symbiotic organisms; he has a destiny, and Mace Windu mentions a prophecy of a “chosen one”, who will bring balance to the force.  However, we know that in the following two prequels Anakin falls, embraces the dark side, becomes Darth Vader, and crushes the Jedi Council.  He nearly destroys their order, while effectively only Ben and Yoda will survive.   Without the original trilogy to shine some light on the story, these prequels will look pretty bleak.]]> http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/12/star-wars-the-problem-of-evil/feed/ 3 http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/10/star-wars-the-skywalker-legacy/ http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/10/star-wars-the-skywalker-legacy/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:45:06 +0000 James http://cinemagogue.com/?p=4792 Fallen Man, Son of Man Continuing our series on the Star Wars Saga (just arrived? Start here). In Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, Anakin appears innocent enough-- not a bad bone in his body.  We even discover that he is “divinely created”.   Still, we know from subsequent movies that he will be tempted and fall from grace to embrace the dark side.  Skywalker will serve the Emperor, his Lord and ruler,shackled to him like a dog.   “I must obey my master”.  The Emperor—perhaps better known to the discerning Christian as a representation of Sin Incarnate—takes Anakin under his wing. (Notice in The Phantom Menace, the first “Sith” apprentice we see is Darth Maul—who looks a lot like Satan, “sin’s” first apprentice.)   Under “Sin’s” tutelage, Anakin, like the biblical Adam in the garden of Eden, becomes corrupt of mind, spirit, and body, literally masked by the face of death itself.  By himself, Anakin is now helpless to reverse his condition.  (All have sinned, and fallen short… if you will.)  Little Anakin is now Darth Vader, his innocence lost.  He has become much like you and I… trapped in bondage to a wrinkled, lecherous old master call the sin nature.]]> http://cinemagogue.com/2012/01/10/star-wars-the-skywalker-legacy/feed/ 0