Try Jesus.
Last Wednesday evening, Libby and I went and saw the new Superman movie. That Friday, urged to super speed by an impending power outage, we ducked into the Biola library and picked up Superman: The Movie and Superman II for our weekend enjoyment.
I liked Superman Returns and Superman II the best of the three. Superman I's plot didn't feel cohesive or compelling. It also seemed to bite off far too much for one movie. Not only does Kal-El forewarn Krypton of its coming peril, and sentence some of its citizens to eternal torment, Superman comes to earth and grows up in Smallville, he has to save California from falling off the face of the earth and fall in love with/ inspire love in Lois Lane. That would be an accomplishment for any superhero, even the mightiest, and it turns out Superman has to make the world spin backwards to do it (that makes time go backwards?).
I'm still not sure whether or not I like Superman II or Superman Returns best of the three that we viewed this weekend. Superman II was pretty exciting, and the characterization was pretty great. Superman Returns uses computer graphics to have Superman do some pretty breathtakingly awesome things. There are some goose-bump raising "Oh man!" moments in that movie, for certain. Oh yeah, I also liked the plot.
Ok, now back to my main point - how Jesus is better than Superman. Superman Returns gains interest from its compelling questioning. Superman leaves Metropolis (and earth) for five years to see his home planet of Krypton. I'm not sure how he got there, but he came back in a pointy meteorite/ Kryptonian space ship, same as before. In the meantime, Lois Lane writes a Pulitzer Prize winning piece entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." This is how she deals with the loss of the love of her life. Superman has to answer that question for all of us - why do we need a savior? Why can't we just take care of ourselves?
Throughout the movie (and the previous movies) Superman is parralleled explicitly to Jesus. He begins his ministry at the age of 30 in the first movie. His father sends him to earth to be a light in the darkness (Brando's voice is recycled in the new flick). Though Luthor's evil envelops him, the darkness does not overwhelm him. Superman Returns features Superman falling away from a meteorite - his arms spread in a cruciform pattern.
So, the question of "Why do we need a savior?" is tied into the very question that Christians are having to answer for the world all the time.
Singer, the director of the new movie, seems to answer it this way: we are all weak, and we need the help of others to overcome our own inadequacies. Where one is weak, another may be strong, and this will hold the whole system together in an ever progressing goodness. Superman himself needs help during the movie from mere mortals.
This is all a load of huey - because whatever flaw humanity has, we all seem to have our share in it (though unequal). Jesus does not. Therefore, our relationship to Jesus must be wholly and completely one sided. Whatever we bring to him he does not need, though it does not follow it would not please him.
Therefore, Jesus is more super than Superman - even though his physical body was as weak as ours.
Ok, now back to my main point - how Jesus is better than Superman. Superman Returns gains interest from its compelling questioning. Superman leaves Metropolis (and earth) for five years to see his home planet of Krypton. I'm not sure how he got there, but he came back in a pointy meteorite/ Kryptonian space ship, same as before. In the meantime, Lois Lane writes a Pulitzer Prize winning piece entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." This is how she deals with the loss of the love of her life. Superman has to answer that question for all of us - why do we need a savior? Why can't we just take care of ourselves?
Throughout the movie (and the previous movies) Superman is parralleled explicitly to Jesus. He begins his ministry at the age of 30 in the first movie. His father sends him to earth to be a light in the darkness (Brando's voice is recycled in the new flick). Though Luthor's evil envelops him, the darkness does not overwhelm him. Superman Returns features Superman falling away from a meteorite - his arms spread in a cruciform pattern.
So, the question of "Why do we need a savior?" is tied into the very question that Christians are having to answer for the world all the time.
Singer, the director of the new movie, seems to answer it this way: we are all weak, and we need the help of others to overcome our own inadequacies. Where one is weak, another may be strong, and this will hold the whole system together in an ever progressing goodness. Superman himself needs help during the movie from mere mortals.
This is all a load of huey - because whatever flaw humanity has, we all seem to have our share in it (though unequal). Jesus does not. Therefore, our relationship to Jesus must be wholly and completely one sided. Whatever we bring to him he does not need, though it does not follow it would not please him.
Therefore, Jesus is more super than Superman - even though his physical body was as weak as ours.
4 comments:
I love the part (in answer to the "why we need a savior") when he goes up with lois and says, "i can hear them all crying out for a savior". !! Yeah, I thought that was a good answer because even though people say they don't need one, their lives cry out for a savior.
I like the part where Lex says, "Krrrrryptonite!" because it makes no connotation to a savior or Jesus whatsoever.
huh. i don't remember that part of the movie. lol!
I had an impression of the movie being a modern parable about mankind's contemporary relationship with God and the problem of evil, embodied in Louis Lane's relationship with Superman. Of course, this isn't really Christian, since it entails a much too fallen notion of God's humanity. I.e. He left mankind on their own due to His own needs, He isn't one for strict moral standards, etc. However, it does fit the popular conception of God, e.g. in Dave Matthews' songs, that song about God being "one of us," etc.
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