What are you looking forward to this year?

Personally, I see a particularly compelling slate of films that, from my perspective, create a fascinating landscape for exploration and conversation. We’ve already had Chronicle, The Grey, and The Hunger Games, all providing some intriguing looks at human nature, from depraved to animalistic and, finally, sacrificial. Coming up tomorrow is Wrath of the Titans, looking at relationships between flawed gods and their equally compromised and confused men.

A Hunger Games review will hit the site this weekend, although I’ll be in costume somewhere amidst rows of graphic novels at the Emerald City Comic Con. I thought it might be good to lay down a primer on the films coming up in the spring and summer. It’s one thing to read a spiritual review with meganarrative comparisons after seeing the film, but the real question is are we all developing a hunger to walk into the theater and engaging the films in a deeper way that stimulates our growth and ability to see God’s story? We’ll look at some of my favorites coming up in the ensuing months (follow the links below for the film trailers):

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…

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…

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…)

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.