Polar Express

LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf file
—Spiritual Connections

The popular 1986 Caldecott Medal Award winning story by Chris Van Allsburg has finally made it to the silver screen. Not only has it made it to the screen, it has chugged in with a velocity only those familiar with the story can understand. Robert Zemeckis again teams up with Tom Hanks to bring to the silver screen magic: not just magic in story, but magic in style.

It is likely that 2004 will go down in history as an innovative year in the style and technique of making movies. Along with Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Polar Express breaks new ground in technique that is simply awe-inspiring. It is the first thing you notice about this movie. The visuals have an impact from the opening credits up until the final credit sequences.

Robert Zemeckis has been thrilled by the story of The Polar Express, as have others, for almost 2 decades now. It was the magic of the story that helped inspire him to make something magical, and something magical is what he achieved. He was so impressed with the story that he wanted to maintain the visual effects that were contained in the books illustrations. Many of us have marveled at the current style of illustrations included in many contemporary works: visual, bright, and brilliant colors that are as pleasing to watch and view as it is for many to listen to a well-conducted and trained orchestra. Zemeckis was so impressed that he has made the effort to include every frame of artwork from the book somewhere in the visuals for the movie. For those loving the book, you will be inspired and blessed by the movie. That, in itself makes The Polar Express worth watching. Such intricate detail is something that Zemeckis is noted for, and this movie is far from a let down.

In regard to detail, there are several sequences in the movie that are among the best animation ever filmed. The sequence that has one of the passenger tickets flying through the air (obviously right out of Forrest Gump) must be among the best animation ever. For this one sequence alone, the movie justifies the price of a movie ticket.

In order to blend in the obvious animation, scenery, and detail that brings together all of these attributes with a live action shots, Zemeckis solicited the help of multi - Academy Award Winner for Visual Effects, Ken Ralston. How impressive is his work? I would say here, to start inscribing his name on the Award for 2004. The work is so visionary that he may eventually be considered for a lifetime achievement award for the same work. From this reviewer’s perspective, I was so impressed that I will be making a 4-hour drive in the next two weeks to view this marvel on the IMAX Screen in wonderful 3-D. The style called Performance Capture is unique and original and The Polar Express is the first full-length motion picture to use this technique and to be filmed in 3-D for IMAX purposes.

The story of The Polar Express is one that all of us have lived through on some level. What about Santa Claus? Is he real? What about Christmas? For those seeking deep spiritual truths of the real St. Nicholas or the story of the Christ Child, you won't find those in this story. But if you are looking for innocence and a reason to believe, not just in Christmas but in the “spirit of Christmas” that lives in each of us, you will be pleasantly surprised. While the story and formula are common, the journey that takes us from the opening credits to the closing credits makes this film all worthwhile. In addition, with a little searching you will find ample spiritual themes that will open up doors to discuss for the real intent behind Christmas.

Using a formula made popular by the classic The Wizard of Oz, we never really know throughout the film if the primary character is living the experience or just living in a dream. The knowledge of that is brought to our understanding at the conclusion of the film in a way that reminds all of us of the importance of bells, similar to It’s a Wonderful Life.

There are some fascinating spiritual scenarios in the film that are worthy of note. The process of faith (belief) is critical to the story itself. The character has to come to the task of deciding what to believe and what not to believe. His entire life will be influenced by his decision, and he will be forced to endure the results. Along the way, a character who provides the way to and from the North Pole I found to be like Jesus in many regards. He was the deliverer; he was the one that the boy had to answer to. After giving an invitation to get on the train, he did not force any child to make the decision, the decision was theirs to make. This character was sent to serve and help people. He is loving most of the time, but can be stern when need be. This character is all about serving, delivering and helping those that he was sent to serve and deliver.

Another character with spiritual components was the Hobo or Ghost. Like the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, this character is there to give insight to the boy, to answer questions, to help him along the journey to make the right decisions. When needing to be caught from the grips of death, the Spirit was there; when needing to have information on how to stop a runaway train, the Spirit was there to give advice to the boy. The boy has to respond and make his own decisions even here, but the Spirit knows how to relate.

Then there is the character of Santa Claus. He gives gifts and everyone is at the North Pole to worship and to serve him. He brings about wonderful scenes of praise and glory, while at the same time demanding reverence. There is even the “heavenly choir” filled with elves that resemble angels. A fun point of this is that the choir at one point is led by band mate and leader Steven Tyler from Aerosmith. This Santa Claus character has as his desire the need to give gifts specifically to humans. He sees all, he knows all, he even gives second chances when need be, but will ultimately make a judgment regarding each individual on the planet.

Each child along the journey has challenges and obstacles to overcome. There are ample illustrations of the roller coaster of life that many of us live on, and I couldn’t help --while watching this movie-- thinking of the song "People Get Ready", "There’s a Train a'Coming." The truth is, one of the things that make this story so brilliant is that it is an analogy of not just Santa Claus and Christmas but for the very reason that Christmas exists. The reason as best described in John 3:16; “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.”

I could go on and on about this movie. I actually saw it twice in two days and am glad I did, otherwise I might not have picked up on some of the spiritual themes that are there. From a soundtrack that I will buy, one of the best Christmas soundtracks with classic and original songs to new tunes that will become classics, this movie was a wonderful experience.

I must comment on a couple of things that I did have some issues with. I greatly admire the person of Tom Hanks, and he seems to make movies that I admire and like. That being said, I think he overextended himself in this movie. In some ways, him playing the parts of five characters was jus a distraction for me. I would have liked to see other actors bring their strengths to some of those parts. However, I imagine that that arrangement in itself has symbolic intent from the makers of this story. I have come to some conclusions as to that intent and it would be interesting to hear others give their thoughts on this issue.

I must also comment on the fact that this is Michael Jeter’s last movie. Jeter for years has been one of my favorite character actors. It is obvious that they had to use some voice-over work for Jeter’s voice, but that is okay. The time his character is on screen is a wonderful time. This is a movie that I am confident Michael Jeter would have been proud of.

This holiday season, we are all blessed as a moviegoing audience. We have two of the best to come around in some time in The Polar Express and The Incredibles. It is ironic that both are animated movies to some extent, although I would classify The Polar Express in its own category, other than animation. Both movies have tremendous spiritual significance and impact. Both come at a time of year when we have no better opportunity to talk to others about issues of faith and spirituality.

On a scale of 1 – 10, for the wonderful number of letters in “Christmas,” a very enjoyable 9.

LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf file
—Spiritual Connections

The Incredibles

LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections

One of the most powerful mediums in Hollywood recently has been animation. Starting awhile back, from Titan AE to The Iron Giant, animation has been used to tell powerful stories that are filled with spiritual and moral themes. We have seen the medium cross over from children to adults with these films and the likes of the Shrek films. Now, new from one of the founders in the style, is The Incredibles, and to say the least, this movie is simply INCREDIBLE!

I don’t recall the last time I have had so much fun at the movies as I did at my screening of The Incredibles. The concept blends computer animation and comic-book-hero scenarios to come up with a wonderful, thought-provoking story. The Incredibles takes on the political correctness of today and slams it through the door with the velocity that some of us have been yearning for, for quite some time.

Brad Bird has put out one of the year’s best in this life-affirming, family love-fest of a movie. From the direction to the story, almost everything about this movie is perfect. From the sound effects to the sound track, from the cinematography to the plot and subplot, The Incredibles is all that -and a box of popcorn along with a Diet Dr. Pepper, with a package of Red Twizzlers thrown in for good times. If going to the movies is about having fun, then The Incredibles has got to be one of the most uplifting “incredible” experiences you may experience this season.

Longtime television star and personality Craig T. Nelson gives voice to former superhero, Mr. Incredible. From his origins to his demise and back to his resurrected state, we see Mr. Incredible live on the screen like no other animated character in years. Even deeper and more real than Shrek, this family movie brings about everything that one could think of that makes the superhero scenario enjoyable. It doesn’t stop there though, from Holly Hunter to Samuel L. Jackson, you could say this story is star-powered.

As a kid I loved, and still do, animation and comic books. I was a weird kid though -while some were enjoying the exploits of the Road Runner and Porky Pig, I was enjoying the challenges and adventures of the likes of Johnny Quest. Now there was a character that had a program that was based on story, not just sight gags. The Incredibles pulls out the same formula to tell a story that may seem a little long for an animated film to some, but the rest of the audience was with me in wishing that we were watching the United Kingdom version that is some 6 minutes longer than the American release. All I can say is that I am hoping for the DVD release of the longer version, not to mention the sequels that are sure to follow.

The story starts out with the superheroes doing what most superheroes do: saving people and things. Along the way, Mr. Incredible saves an individual who was attempting suicide, but there was some property damage and also that individual sues Mr. Incredible for an injury he received. That opens up the door for all kinds of law suits, and the heroes just can’t keep up. As a result the court systems ban all superheroes from using their gifts and talents and force them into obscurity.

Now just in that paragraph is a huge sampling of issues that are addressed in this movie from a social perspective. There are these and more, but thankfully the movie instead focuses more on the love of family and the need for people to do what they are called to do in order to have fulfillment and purpose. For many, this is the concept that we are all gifted in some way, and we ought to be using those gifts to better society. Only when using those gifts, will we be fulfilled and will our families be fulfilled.

The journey along the way for Mr. Incredible and his superhero family is as fun as any journey I have taken in a long time. We don’t see Mr. Incredible as perfect, we see him as human, with all of the imperfections of other humans. We see him not giving full attention to those that love and admire him. We see him struggling with pride, working a job that does not satisfy his desires, and the tough job of finding appropriate time with his kids. We see him as only the shell of the man he used to be -except in this case, the shell he is now is a lot more of a shell than that of the man he used to be. It is as if all of these things blend together, and Mr. Incredible begins to discover his life again. Then we begin to see and understand that we too might have hope to rediscover the gifts that we have. This rediscovery is not without sacrifice, and sometimes embarrassment, though. The dreams we desire are no further away than the effort we put forth to obtain them, and we have to be willing to follow them no matter what others might think of us. It doesn’t take long for that lesson to reach his family, and in the family using their gifts together we see this family becoming what it truly needs to become. Their rediscovery becomes the salvation for not only the family, but for society.

There is all kinds of religious symbolism that one could derive from The Incredibles. From baptism scenes to scenes where we see Mr. Incredible stretched out like a crucified Christ, we see the importance of sacrifice, resurrection, rebirth, and salvation, all mixed in with a healthy dose of love and forgiveness. The themes so eloquently addressed in the Bible come to life in a way that opens doors for discussion with all ages.

The only small word of caution is that this animated story also has battle scenes, death, and tragedy. It is not a typical animated story, although I believe it to be appropriate for the whole family. I think children can do a much better job than we credit them with of distinguishing real violence from cartoon violence. I should mention that there is one scene near the end of the movie in which we see an Incredible do a shape-shift into a character who looks devil-like. I am not sure as to why this shape-shift was necessary, but that was one of the only questionable scenes in the movie (along with some minor language issues).

I don’t believe you will find many movies that will be as fun this season as The Incredibles. I am already planning to take my family to see it together this week -and that means paying twice for myself plus for my son and my wife. I won’t be complaining though, I’ll be having fun and “escaping” to the lessons taught in this wonderful movie, along with all of the reminders to use my gifts and not be afraid to be who I am.

On a scale of 1 – 10, decreased only for the one scene that I had some issue with, a fun-filled “Incredible” 9.

LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film pdf
—Spiritual Connections

Saw

LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections

On the surface, SAW is a movie many will consider a horror film. Deeper though, deeper in its intent, SAW is something that many great horror films represent: exploration into self and the realization that we all have weaknesses that we need to work on. While other movies do this, the total horror of the extreme consequences we face is shown in the darkest of ways through the films in the Horror genre.

SAW explores areas addressed numerous times in other horror films. From Silence of the Lambs to Nightmare on Elm Street, we are faced with a villain who seems larger than life, and has an obvious psychotic thread that desires to see those around him suffer. But the direction of James Wan takes twists and turns that are unique and thought-provoking. Building on the intensity, much like the recent hit Open Water, Wan does a decent job of character development. I say decent because the terror happens so suddenly into the opening sequences of the movie that we end up having numerous characters that we would like to know more about: characters like detective Tapp, played by Danny Glover, and others, like the man Jigsaw himself.

SAW is a movie that explores various areas: from friendship to loyalty, from family to dedication, and from life to death. All shown in contrasts and in ways that drive the nail home. While the characters we see on the frames of the film are fictional, the situations they face hit all too close to home for many of the viewers.

The movie opens with John, played by Tobin Bell, waking from a bathtub. He quickly finds out that he is chained to the plumbing pipes in the room. In the center of the room is a man lying in a pool of blood from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, and on the other side of the room is another individual, Dr. Gordon played by Cary Elwes. It doesn’t take long for the men to figure out what is going on. Using flashback sequences and storytelling techniques, Wan blends together quite nicely the story taking place, as well as the story of Jigsaw himself.

Jigsaw is a serial killer who has found unique ways of getting people either to kill others or to kill themselves, and he is never actually involved in the murder of anyone. He confronts each victim with life challenges. How important is their life and what are they willing to do to save their lives? This is a concept that forces us, as viewers, to ask ourselves the question of what would we do in those situations. While drastic, and somewhat over the top, the challenges that the victims face are only mirror images for the decisions we make in life.

“Life has its own hidden forces, which you can only discover by living.”
--Soren Kierkegaard

“What I really need is to come to terms with myself about what I am to do, not about what I am to know, except insomuch as knowledge must precede every act. It is a matter of understanding my destiny, of seeing what the Divinity actually wants me to do; what counts is to find a truth, which is true for me, to find that idea for which I will live and die.”
--Soren Kierkegaard

“At any innocent tea table we may easily hear a man say, --Life is not worth living.§ We regard it as we regard the statement that it is a fine day; nobody thinks that it can possibly have any serious effect on the man or on the world. And yet if that utterance were really believed, the world would stand on its head. Murderers would be given medals for saving men from life; firemen would be denounced for keeping men from death; poisons would be used as medicines; doctors would be called in when people were well.”
--G. K. CHESTERTON

“Remember my sorrow and how short life is.
Did you create men and women for nothing but this?
We'll see death soon enough. Everyone does.
And there's no back door out of hell.”
--Psalm 89:47-48 (Message Bible)

“Mere humans don't have what it takes;
when they die, their projects die with them”
--Psalm 146:4 (Message Bible)

The remainder of the story deals with Dr. Gordon and John trying to find ways to work together to not only save themselves but to save the lives of those that they love, who?they discover along the way?that Jigsaw has also taken into custody. The challenges of what one would do to save their loved ones comes into play here. How valuable are those that you come into contact with? What sacrifices would one be willing to make to save the life of a loved one? How far would one be willing to go at the expense of himself, herself, or another person to save the one they love? Are there alternatives that allow one to make decisions without someone else being affected? Can we go on knowing that we have regrets and may never have the chance to change our past actions? On and on, the viewer is forced to deal with these questions as the characters in the movie have to deal with them. What we find is that sometimes there seems to be little hope, and the reality of it is that the negative things that happen in life often have lifelong consequences.

“Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us.” -- Thomas L. Holdcroft

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” -- Winston Churchill

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”
-- Anonymous

As the story develops, we also see that decisions have been made at the expense of others. We see, for example, Dr. Gordon as a man who loves his family, at least loves them to a degree. He doesn’t really recognize the things around him that matter the most, nor does he see how his actions affect those that he loves, the job he performs, or the patients he is to care for. We see are confronted with the fact that real love requires sacrifice, oftentimes sacrifice of the things that are important to the person. Dr. Gordon doesn’t see this until it is almost too late, and even then there is damage that will last for an eternity. We see and are confronted again with our own realities, how little have we paid for the sake of love?

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
-- Mother Teresa

“To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.” -- Bertrand Russell

The reality of it is, that the images we see are disturbing and graphic. They go to the extreme to help drive home the points of the extreme. While we may never go through the horror as portrayed in this movie, the images we see are still reflections of the very feelings we have. The consequences of the decisions we make are just as real, people get hurt and sometimes we make decisions that have lasting negative consequences. Ultimately, there is life and death to pay as well. The decisions we make not only effects those issues for ourselves but those that we love. SAW does a good job of driving this point home, although it is a method and style that many will not enjoy.

On the surface, I really appreciated the attempts made in this movie. The issues addressed are valid and justifiable. I don't have an issue with style or graphic nature of the movie, but truth be told, I just didn't enjoy seeing this movie. I am still troubled as to why. Technically, it was pretty good, the music, cinematography, acting and everything else was pretty good. But I still didn't enjoy the movie. I still find myself asking why-- I think that is a part of what the film tries to do, it is not really a movie that the director intended us to walk away from feeling good about. We are to be troubled by the decisions we make and the life we live. I was left wanting there to be hope though, because, I believe hope exists, even for those of us who have made mistakes. There seemed to be a short order of this in the movie though and that was a letdown.

“Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.”
-- Will Rogers

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.”
-- Barbara Kingsolver

“When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.”
--Pauline R. Kezer

In closing, I am reluctant to recommend SAW. It certainly is not for everyone, and it is not a movie you are going to leave the theater feeling good about. It is different in many regards from The Grudge. I can't fully explain that, I think part of it is the graphic nature of the movie. While The Grudge addresses the same issues, in a much scarier way, it leaves a lot up to the imagination, and we have fun along the way. That concept of fun is something left entirely out of SAW. It is for that reason that my recommendation is reluctant.

On a scale of 1 - 10, a reminder for the letters in the word that would have prevented it all, love, a rather disappointing 4

LINKS
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections