IRON MAN
I hope everyone is having a good Monday so far.
Let's start today with a movie
Marvel turns 'Iron Man' into gold with $100M-plus debut
"Iron Man" was pure gold at the box office.
The Marvel Comics adaptation, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the guy in the metal suit, hauled in $100.7 million during its opening weekend and $104.2 million since debuting Thursday night, the second-best premiere ever for a nonsequel, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The film also scored overseas with $96.7 million in 57 countries where it began opening Wednesday, putting its worldwide total at $201 million.
Iron Man is a movie that many kids are going to want to see. Burger King is giving out Iron Man toys with their kid's meals and the commercials for the Iron Man movie are on all the time.
So is the movie suitable for a Christian family?
One Christian web-site that offers reviews of popular movies said this:
"There is nothing that should offend even the most sensitive church-goers."
They also reported:
Profanity: None
That sounds good and many Christians will go to the movie based on that review; however, the review is false.
Last night, my daughter and I decided to go see for ourselves. We attended the 8:35 showing and the theater was packed. We had our popcorn and coke and were ready to see some action.
As we watched the previews for upcoming films, I realized that in some cases the previews have more objectionable material than the movie you are about to see has.
Finally Iron Man began and the crowd was excited.
The main character of the movie is Tony Stark. He makes and sells weapons and he has made a lot of money. The movie spends some time developing his character and it can be summarized like this:
Rich
Arrogant
Drinks
Gambles
Sex with lots of women: The movie informs us of this through comments made by Tony Stark and other characters in the movie. None of the dialogue is overtly offensive but it gets the point across. Some of the comments probably will be missed by most kids.
But there is one scene all parents should be prepared for. Tony Stark has a conversation with a female reporter and then the scene changes quickly showing him and the reporter in bed. The scene is very quick maybe 4-5 seconds, but it is an intense make out session, and the next scene shows the female with a sheet barely covering her. There is no nudity, but it is implied. The point of the scene is to show that a one night stand is consistent with Tony Stark's character.
But everything is about to change for Tony Stark. He travels to Afghanistan to sell weapons to the United States military. On his way back with the military, their convoy is attacked, and Tony Stark is kidnapped. He soon realizes his weapons are also being used by the terrorist. Tony Stark suffers a major injury and a device has to be placed in his chest to keep him alive.
This is where the symbolism gets pretty neat.
Tony Stark in a sense receives a new heart and the man who saves him by giving him a new heart also dies to help set Tony Stark free.
In a touching scene the man who saved Tony Stark is dying, and Tony Stark says to him:
"You saved me!" The man responds, "Don't waste it." Then he dies.
Jesus Christ died to save us and give us a new life and create in us a new heart. The question is are we wasting this new life?
From that point in the move Tony Stark is a new man and now he does not care about his wealth and all the women. His concern now is to do what is right no matter the cost.
This is where he develops the famous Iron Man suit and the battle against evil ensues.
The action is fast paced and exciting. The special effects are amazing.
Rober Downey Jr who plays the part of Tony Stark did an excellent job.
There are 13 or 14 total obscenities used during the movie. Most of these are the improper use of hell, God, and Jesus.
There is much that could be discussed after seeing the movie. Consider the following: Some of these suggestions come from myself, while others come from Christianity Today.
One character describes Stark as a man who has everything and yet nothing. What does he mean? How is Stark's legacy relevant to Matthew 16:25-27?
This is an important principle in the movie. After showing all the women, money, and things that Tony Stark has, the movie tries to show us that he ultimately has nothing.
Jesus Christ died to set us free and in salvation we are given a new nature and a new life. What are you doing with it? Wasting it or using it for God's Glory?
Tony Stark starts off justifying the need for weapons to keep the peace in the world. Is there truth to what he's saying? Would America have been better off if it had never developed the atomic bomb? Are weapons ever justified, and if so, to what extent?
Iron Man never politicizes its story, but it does open up a moral discussion about America's present role as world superpower. When is the United States justified to take action in world affairs, and when must the country remain neutral? Does it all come down to saving lives, or is it more complicated?
We see Stark experience a change of heart, literally and figuratively. Why do you believe he changes his business philosophy and overall worldview? Is it because he faced his own mortality? Because he witnesses injustice firsthand? Something more? In what ways have experiences shaken your own personal convictions more than words?
As Iron Man, is Stark merely using violence to fight violence—"an eye for an eye"? Is he a vigilante enforcing justice by taking matters into his own hands, or is he justified in seeking redemption and righting his past wrongs?
Would you say Stark becomes a totally changed man after his experience? How has he changed for the better? If he's still a work in progress, in what ways does he still show a need for growth and responsibility?
Iron Man is an exciting movie that is extremly popular and people will be taking about it. It is not a clean movie and there are many things that are objectionable in the movie. If you decide to go, please take the time to discuss and talk about the things I suggested.
One last thing... if you go, don't leave when the credits begin. There is one more scene at the end of the credits that sets up Iron Man 2. This scene does contain the improper use of the word hell.
If you see the movie, please take some time to post your comments here on the blog so others can read them as well.
Let's start today with a movie
Marvel turns 'Iron Man' into gold with $100M-plus debut
"Iron Man" was pure gold at the box office.
The Marvel Comics adaptation, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the guy in the metal suit, hauled in $100.7 million during its opening weekend and $104.2 million since debuting Thursday night, the second-best premiere ever for a nonsequel, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The film also scored overseas with $96.7 million in 57 countries where it began opening Wednesday, putting its worldwide total at $201 million.
Iron Man is a movie that many kids are going to want to see. Burger King is giving out Iron Man toys with their kid's meals and the commercials for the Iron Man movie are on all the time.
So is the movie suitable for a Christian family?
One Christian web-site that offers reviews of popular movies said this:
"There is nothing that should offend even the most sensitive church-goers."
They also reported:
Profanity: None
That sounds good and many Christians will go to the movie based on that review; however, the review is false.
Last night, my daughter and I decided to go see for ourselves. We attended the 8:35 showing and the theater was packed. We had our popcorn and coke and were ready to see some action.
As we watched the previews for upcoming films, I realized that in some cases the previews have more objectionable material than the movie you are about to see has.
Finally Iron Man began and the crowd was excited.
The main character of the movie is Tony Stark. He makes and sells weapons and he has made a lot of money. The movie spends some time developing his character and it can be summarized like this:
Rich
Arrogant
Drinks
Gambles
Sex with lots of women: The movie informs us of this through comments made by Tony Stark and other characters in the movie. None of the dialogue is overtly offensive but it gets the point across. Some of the comments probably will be missed by most kids.
But there is one scene all parents should be prepared for. Tony Stark has a conversation with a female reporter and then the scene changes quickly showing him and the reporter in bed. The scene is very quick maybe 4-5 seconds, but it is an intense make out session, and the next scene shows the female with a sheet barely covering her. There is no nudity, but it is implied. The point of the scene is to show that a one night stand is consistent with Tony Stark's character.
But everything is about to change for Tony Stark. He travels to Afghanistan to sell weapons to the United States military. On his way back with the military, their convoy is attacked, and Tony Stark is kidnapped. He soon realizes his weapons are also being used by the terrorist. Tony Stark suffers a major injury and a device has to be placed in his chest to keep him alive.
This is where the symbolism gets pretty neat.
Tony Stark in a sense receives a new heart and the man who saves him by giving him a new heart also dies to help set Tony Stark free.
In a touching scene the man who saved Tony Stark is dying, and Tony Stark says to him:
"You saved me!" The man responds, "Don't waste it." Then he dies.
Jesus Christ died to save us and give us a new life and create in us a new heart. The question is are we wasting this new life?
From that point in the move Tony Stark is a new man and now he does not care about his wealth and all the women. His concern now is to do what is right no matter the cost.
This is where he develops the famous Iron Man suit and the battle against evil ensues.
The action is fast paced and exciting. The special effects are amazing.
Rober Downey Jr who plays the part of Tony Stark did an excellent job.
There are 13 or 14 total obscenities used during the movie. Most of these are the improper use of hell, God, and Jesus.
There is much that could be discussed after seeing the movie. Consider the following: Some of these suggestions come from myself, while others come from Christianity Today.
One character describes Stark as a man who has everything and yet nothing. What does he mean? How is Stark's legacy relevant to Matthew 16:25-27?
This is an important principle in the movie. After showing all the women, money, and things that Tony Stark has, the movie tries to show us that he ultimately has nothing.
Jesus Christ died to set us free and in salvation we are given a new nature and a new life. What are you doing with it? Wasting it or using it for God's Glory?
Tony Stark starts off justifying the need for weapons to keep the peace in the world. Is there truth to what he's saying? Would America have been better off if it had never developed the atomic bomb? Are weapons ever justified, and if so, to what extent?
Iron Man never politicizes its story, but it does open up a moral discussion about America's present role as world superpower. When is the United States justified to take action in world affairs, and when must the country remain neutral? Does it all come down to saving lives, or is it more complicated?
We see Stark experience a change of heart, literally and figuratively. Why do you believe he changes his business philosophy and overall worldview? Is it because he faced his own mortality? Because he witnesses injustice firsthand? Something more? In what ways have experiences shaken your own personal convictions more than words?
As Iron Man, is Stark merely using violence to fight violence—"an eye for an eye"? Is he a vigilante enforcing justice by taking matters into his own hands, or is he justified in seeking redemption and righting his past wrongs?
Would you say Stark becomes a totally changed man after his experience? How has he changed for the better? If he's still a work in progress, in what ways does he still show a need for growth and responsibility?
Iron Man is an exciting movie that is extremly popular and people will be taking about it. It is not a clean movie and there are many things that are objectionable in the movie. If you decide to go, please take the time to discuss and talk about the things I suggested.
One last thing... if you go, don't leave when the credits begin. There is one more scene at the end of the credits that sets up Iron Man 2. This scene does contain the improper use of the word hell.
If you see the movie, please take some time to post your comments here on the blog so others can read them as well.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home