Sunday, June 03, 2012
Men in Black III
In our instant access culture today, we want everything at our fingertips - and we want it now. The "Google phenomenon" allows us to know all we ever wanted to know about just about anything, and with our various devices and technology, we can connect to that information anytime, anywhere.
At first glance, the story and the experience of watching Men in Black III fits perfectly into that world. Like its predecessors, MIB3 is fast-paced, quick-witted, and is set in a secret government installation that, because of its work with locating and monitoring extraterrestrial life on earth, can get access to just about anything, anyone, and any place its agents need to find.
First glances, though, can be deceiving... and more often than not, because a "glance" goes by so quickly, those initial impressions lack the depth that lies within. What's called for, then, is patience.
For fans of this film series, it has taken a lot of patience since the first movie was released in 1997, the second five years later in 2002, and the third ten years after that in 2012.
In the story of the film itself, the passage of time is acknowledged as Agent J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) talk about the fact that they've been tracking aliens and intergalactic threats as MIB partners for the past 14 years. In our seemingly disposable and easily bored culture we live in, it's refreshing for a film (albeit a comedy) to feature people who have been consistently working in their field for as long as that.
But the real test of patience in the arc of these three films, it turns out, rests on Agent K.
Quick backstory of the movie: the latest alien bent on destroying earth, Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), has decided to go back in time from 2012 to 1969, so that he can stop a young Agent K from stopping him in his plans to invade the planet. In a singular moment in the present day, Boris' time travel plot seems to have worked, as the Animal's Boglodite species begins its destruction of the earth and there is no protection since Agent K supposedly died over forty years ago. It is up to Agent J to save the day.
In short order, Agent J travels back in time and meets up with the younger incarnation of his partner K (played here by Josh Brolin). Together they work at stopping Boris before he can alter history.
Under all this quick-witted action, though, is the relationship between Agents J and K. In present day, J has always been annoyed by K's reluctance to engage with him on a personal or even conversational level. Above and beyond the extraterrestrial menace they must stop, J is most interested in discovering why his partner is so closed-off to him.
"I promised the secrets of the universe, nothing more," Agent K tells J in the present day, indicating (we eventually come to find out) that his silence is based on not revealing secrets that go beyond the facts and intricacies of space and time... or what we of faith might call the secrets of the Kingdom of God.
Because of this (and I won't reveal more for fear of spoiling the movie), Agent K has had to patiently wait over 40 years to reveal those other secrets, and Agent J has come to learn the patience he has rarely had in his work at MIB. Good things come to those to wait.
Patience can be difficult for all of us, especially in our postmodern culture where, even though we are living longer and have more time available to us due to the conveniences of technology than previous generations had, we want to know everything - and we want to know it all right now. Because we can quickly access when Men in Black III will be playing at our local theatre on our mobile devices, we think every aspect of our lives should be so accessible and quick.
It would do us well to learn the art of patience. As St. James says in his letter, "Let your patience be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:4), indicating that the more we learn to wait, the more we will ultimately know - quite opposite of conventional wisdom today.
Agent K could have revealed his inner secrets to J over 14 years ago when they first started working together, but it wouldn't have had the impact necessary when the time was right for J to know those secrets. We, too, must trust that God knows the plans he has for us (cf. Jeremiah 29:11).
The journey is just as critical as the destination, and if we rush down the road towards the end of the line, we miss all the opportunities along the way. "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You, too, must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because of the coming of the Lord is at hand." (James 5:7-8)
What is it that we are anxious about? Which of God's secrets do we want to know right now? Perhaps where we will go next? Who we will meet? What our purpose or direction in life might be? When we try to rush those answers, we can find ourselves in a situation later when we wish we could go back in time like Agent J and change things. More often than not, we might tell our younger selves to be patient and to put aside our anxieties, because good things will come to those who wait.
We need a bit more patience in our lives. The next Men in Black movie might not come out for another 20 years or more. Maybe never. We may never know, but what is required is patience and trust.
Let us trust in God that the road upon which we walk is worth the destination. Let us not pester God and others in our lives, as J pestered K all those years, to reveal the secrets of the universe (and beyond) to us right here and now. Let us, instead, be patient - and in our patience, as St. James says, we will truly be perfect and complete.
Friday, May 11, 2012
The Avengers
The Avengers brings together a unique collection of characters, assembled from Marvel Studios' superhero films over the past few years: Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), The Incredible Hulk/Bruce Banner (in this version, Mark Ruffalo), with newcomers Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner).
This motley crew is brought together by the secret government agency known as "S.H.I.E.L.D." to defend the planet earth from an alien invasion brought on by the Asgardian Loki (Tom Hiddleson), who also happens to be the brother of Thor.
Because the threat is so severe, no one superhero would be able to contain the invasion; in response, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., assembles the team from across the world.
At first, things don't go so smoothly. Each of the players of the Avengers collective thinks they have it within them to single-handedly take on Loki and his alien army. And when they do encounter one another, their personalities clash and verbal and physical fights ensue, further adding to the tension. With the Avengers at each other's throats and with every superhero lacking all the skills necessary, they face failure early.
Tony Stark finds Steve Rogers to be a naive boyscout, while Rogers thinks Stark is anything but noble. Natasha has unresolved emotional feelings for Barton, but Hawkeye has unfortunately been brainwashed by Loki to work against the Avengers. Thor thinks all humans are incapable of any effective defense, and they all find him a bit over the top. Everyone fears the unpredictable ferocity of the Hulk, yet Dr. Banner just wants to keep everything calm and cool so "the other guy" doesn't emerge from within himself.
These tensions mirror any situation where we are forced to interact or work alongside people we don't know or don't consider friends or friendly. From classrooms to workplaces, neighborhoods to churches, commuter trains to movie theaters, there are so many times when we must rub elbows with strangers and get along with less-than-desirable working partners in order to accomplish a task.
Our initial reaction might look very much like an early meeting of the Avengers. We bicker and fight, or talk about the others behind their backs. We form loose alliances with little emotional foundation, and back out when the going gets tough.
Yet for some reason, we were called to come together. For the Avengers, it was an extraterrestrial threat. For us, it might be because it's our job or a class. It might be because we all want to see the Avengers movie in IMAX 3-D and we are stuck for 45 minutes in a line that stretches out the door with fanboys and families on all sides of us. No matter the reason, sometimes in our lives, God puts us in uncomfortable or awkward situations with people we don't normally know, like, or care for.
"When two or more are gathered together," Jesus said (Matt. 18:20), "there I am in the midst of them." God is present wherever community occurs, whether that be a loving family, old friends, or... amongst complete strangers and co-workers with irreconcilable differences.
What we must do, then, is put aside our individuality, our wants, and our righteousness, and humble ourselves in service to the greater good - and to one another. God brings us together because we each possess gifts, but alone those gifts can only take us so far. Captain America's shield can deflect any weapon or force, but he can't fly like Iron Man into the skies. Hawkeye's archery has pinpoint accuracy, but he lacks the brute force of the Hulk. So when we come together, we must be aware of our strengths, our weaknesses, and how we can all work as one team. God brings us together because the combination of His people can be greater than anything we can do alone, isolated, and separate.
From the twelve tribes of Israel and the mixed assembly of men and women who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the College of Cardinals and the people of New York City after 9/11, people have come together over the centuries for a greater cause than themselves. They haven't always known or liked each other, but they got the job done.
Sadly, in our nation today, we find more solace in being around like-minded people of our religious, political, racial, economic, or social perspective than "crossing the aisle" to network with those who differ from us or have different skills, experiences, or political and religious understanding. When we choose the route of surrounding ourselves with only those we like or know, we end up looking like our superheroes in the first half of the Avengers movie: sloppy, irritable, ineffective, and incredibly defenseless in the face of trial, temptation, and evil.
Before his death, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for the disciples, who were themselves a motley crew of first-century Galileans: "...that they may all be one as we are one: as the Father is in me and I am in him and in you..." (John 17:21) By this passage, we know that Christ rejects divisiveness, especially among those who are brought together for a common cause.
In our jobs, let us pray that we can work together with colleagues and supervisors to do the job well. In our classrooms, let us pray that we will come together to learn as fellow students on the academic journey with us. In our neighborhoods, let us pray that we will break down the walls of silence and ignorance and come together around the place we call home. In our churches, let us pray that we will not be so divisive and angry at other believers, and that we can pray as one, sing as one, and love as one. Finally, in our society, our nation, and our world, let us pray that the political, economic, social, racial, and national boundaries may be softened so that we can come together in peace more often.
We love watching the Avengers when they put aside their differences, when they honor and respect each other, when they extinguish their selfish pride, and when they work as one in service to the greater cause. In the same way, God loves watching us when we do the same with all those He so lovingly created.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Mirror, Mirror

Just as the evil queen (Julia Roberts) asks, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?,” we too might try to throw ourselves into the role of the charming prince (in this case, Armie Hammer) or the beautiful Snow White (Lily Collins) – but we find the connection just isn’t there in every scene.
Sometimes the mirror reminds us we’re just plain Dopey.
That's not to insult us. Consider the seven dwarfs here, modeled after the traditional "Disney" seven. Amongst all the fantastical characters in this film, it was the collection of dwarfs that truly caught my attention. It might have also had to do with the fact that, among their number, we could find the some of the best acting in the movie. But I digress.
Mirror, Mirror took some liberties with the naming of the seven, but the characteristics are still the same. These are the ones who might reflect us more than the inhabitants of the castle. These are the ones whose lives are more akin to middle class movie-goers than the story of the aloof Charming or the bitter Queen.
In fact, we might say that it all depends on the day as to which dwarf we're more connected to as we watch the film.
Some days we’re content with the happenings of our day like Happy/Chuckles (Ronald Lee Clark), while other days we’re overwhelmed, lethargic, or tempted to procrastinate like Sleepy/ Grub (Joe Gnoffo). Sometimes we get angry like Grumpy/Burtcher (Martin Klebba), while at other times, we’re ready to take charge like Doc/Grimm (Danny Woodburn).
Seeing how the seven dwarfs interact with one another and the critical role that they play in the story gives us a chance to put a cinematic mirror up to ourselves.
We can get frustrated when we find ourselves more aligned to these supposedly "minor" characters, but we shouldn’t. In these stories, everyone serves a purpose, even Dopey. In fact, with this timeless tale, the story would be flattened without these seven men. In fact, we should be happy (no pun intended) to be counted among their number.
In almost a similar cadence to the queen with her mirror, the disciples also asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Mt. 18:1) Jesus’ answer shocked them as it continues to shock us today: “Whoever humbles themselves like a child is the greatest in the kingdom.” (Mt. 18:4) This echoes another of Jesus’ proclamations; “Blessed are the poor in spirit…the meek…they who are persecuted…” (Mt. 5:3,5,10)
So when we feel humbled like Dopey or Grumpy (or any of the others, in whatever name we choose to give them), Jesus says, “blessed are you!” Even if we fall short of reflecting the hero or heroine of the fairy tale in our lives, God is still there with us and loves us just as much as princes and princesses and queens.
And that is no fantasy.
Monday, April 09, 2012
Titanic 3D

Friday, March 30, 2012
The Hunger Games

Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Descendants

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Artist

"Be not hasty in your utterance... let your words be few." Eccl. 5:1
The Artist is a unique movie in that almost all it unfolds on screen without dialogue. This is a story of a silent film star struggling with the advent of sound in the movies - which we get to experience through the lens of a virtually silent film.
Without words or sounds to rely on, it is essential to observe the expressions and actions of the characters to truly understand what's going on in this movie.
Since "talkies" became the primary cinematic form in the late 1920s, audiences for decades have been able to sit back and listen - but The Artist takes us back in time, challenging the very way we experience the movies. We are forced, then, to pay close attention to the looks on characters' faces, the way that they move and the emotion that they convey. And in these observations, we learn a valuable lesson: it's not our words, but our actions that matter most.
Whether in the movie theatre or in our everyday life, we too often lean on our words. We say a lot and talk endlessly with each other about a multitude of things - but what do we actually do?
As we step into the world of The Artist, silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is at the top of his game. His vivid expressions, winning smile, and playful interactions with his loyal dog make him popular with audiences, even though no one hears him utter a single word. And while the "talkies" begin to cut into Valentin's share of the market, he remains committed to letting his actions speak for themselves.
But no matter how firmly Valentin stands his ground, the new era of movie-making is here to stay when dialogue and words will be the foundation upon which films are now made.
Regardless of whether or not the viewer sees this stubbornness as the right course of action, the fact that we, the audience, must still take this journey without sound reminds us how important a person's actions really are.
As the author of Ecclesiastes says, "Be not hasty in your utterance... let your words be few." (Eccl. 5:1) Fools, the biblical author says, rely on their empty words - but the wise don't necessarily jump into every conversation that comes their way. How often do we follow sage advice like this?
Take one look at blogs and social media - and we see how much talking is going on out there. Take another look at the 24-hour news cycle - and we hear how much endless babble takes place. On a more personal note, we also take a look at the discussions at the office and the conversations with our friends and family - and start to realize how, sometimes, we talk in circles without much being done.
On a global level, especially in an election year, public officials promise a whole lot, debate over the most trivial topics, and give too many long speeches - but when the going gets tough (and especially if no one is looking), inaction rules the day. Keeping the status quo is easier than taking risks and following through with real action.
And as each year moves onto the next, we make promises and resolutions to ourselves. We plan for it, we script it out, and we talk to others about it... but temptation and distractions can quickly overwhelm us and the actions that could have affected change in our lives slowly get tossed to the side.
Our world is littered with words. We sometimes fool ourselves by putting all our hopes and dreams on those words. Even in our faith lives, words rule the day. The epistle writer James saw how dangerous this trend could be, even in his own day. He exhorted his readers to put aside his letter and get up off their seats, saying, "What good is it, my friends, if someone SAYS he has faith but does not DO good works?... Faith of itself, if it is not active through works, is simply dead." (James 2:14,17)
Watching The Artist reminds us that we need to go back to how we act and less on what we say. This film will go on to grab awards from Hollywood for the simple reason that it gave us a chance to see what actions, expressions, and body language can do to tell a story.
In our own lives, we will be rewarded by God and those we serve for our own actions - for they tell our story more loudly than a mountain of words could ever do.
When we find ourselves saying, writing, or debating more than taking solid action towards the Gospel, it is time to refocus. When we spend more time discussing our faith and less time serving the less fortunate and marginalized, it is time to refocus. When we tell everyone how much we've been hurt, but spend little time forgiving those who hurt us, it is time to refocus.
As Jesus said, "by your fruits, you will be known" (Mt. 7:16) It is not the speeches we gave, the conversations we had, or the righteousness we felt as we penned a blog entry or facebook post that will define us. In fact, sometimes they can bring us down. Instead, it is the things we do for one another, the actions we take to back up our words, and the impact we made on this world that will ultimately be the epithet that we can courageously claim.
And if we are to use words, let them be words that empower, inspire, encourage, and showcase our Christlike compassion - and never to belittle, hate, insult, or spiral into an endless cycle of nonsense. Let our words be few - and let them be the best words we can use - and furthermore, let them be words that will find a response in the actions we take to fulfill them.


