Subtle on the Mind ( a Review of X-Men: Apocalypse)

I am not an avid movie-goer. Matter of fact, I rarely watch movies until they've been out for a few years. I made an exception recently when I took advantage of a trial membership of HBO NOW and watched last year's X-Men: Apocalypse.

As soon as I started watching this film, I knew I'd have to blog about it. If you haven't seen the film, you might want to stop reading here. Also, if you are hostile to Christian beliefs, you really might want to stop reading here.

                                                           

I'm no film scholar nor am I great at analyzing movies, but this one was so loaded with spiritual themes that I felt overwhelmed. Since I am not good at analyzing films, let me just do some stream-of-consciousness bullet points for you:

• Egyptian symbolism was thick at the beginning. Also a lot of sly comparison to Christ/Christianity.
• The main bad-boy character is named Apocalypse (if that doesn't just smack you over the head) and he looks very demonic. His entrance into the movie is a resurrection of sorts. 
• The characters are split into 2 camps (good guys and bad guys) for the first half of the movie and each camp has a "leader". Apocalypse is, of course, the hero of the baddies.  Charles Xavier is over the good guys. (Though I will argue that it's silly to think of demon and demon-like characters as being good or bad. Demons are evil.)
• When I saw the development of the two highlighted characters (Apocalypse and Xavier), I thought of 2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
• It's hard not to immediately draw parallels to Christian themes (even though the movie is not Christian-friendly for those watching closely). Since most of the main characters possess special abilities and the two groups of them are at war with each other, they remind me of demons/fallen angels. I think that if we are meant to catch the angel comparison, we are supposed to identify characters as being either a "good" angel or a "bad" one. Apocalypse has a follower who is an actual "angel" (of a sort) - wings and all.     

Warren Kenneth Worthington III, originally known as Angel and later as Archangel, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and is a founding member of the X-Men. Wikipedia 

• Charles Xavier has the ability to 'be at one', if you will with every human and mutant. This makes him appear very God-like - or maybe I should say "Creator-like". Basically, he has this amazing "connection" to all. 
• Apocalypse has a lot of power (much as Satan does), but he wants Xavier's ability to connect with all humanity (mush as Satan would like to have the connection God has with his creation).
• There is the prodigal son figure (Magneto) who eventually comes back into the fold of the good guys. And, I guess, Apocalypse would see Magneto as a type of Judas figure.
• Of course, because of their special powers, we get to see characters doing a lot of flying around and hovering like warrior angels and demons.

Even the comic books, which have been around for a looong time,
have this running theme

                                    

I did enjoy watching the movie - as entertainment and with discernment - but couldn't help doing a lot of head shaking throughout. It's always amazing to me that Hollywood (or most of the entertainment industry) has such disdain for Christianity but will twist it for their movies. 

    There was one piece of dialogue (among many) that really stood out for me:

 Alex: Like "the four horsemen... of the Apocalypse?" He got that one from the Bible?

                                Moira: Or the Bible got it from him? 

Movie fans might not think that this is true, but there are messages in movies like this one. The message - or intention might be a better word - is to water down Christian basics and mix it in with New Age beliefs and other Luciferian ideals. Of course, they don't always openly bash Christian beliefs. I think the main intention is to glorify the humans-as-gods (mutants) hopes. 

                                                        

I have to think back to something I once read about Satan still using the lies he told in the Garden - the fourth lie, in this case: "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5)

Between society's fascination with aliens/ufos, ghosts, demons, angels, super powers, increasing our intelligence (transhumanism) and always trying to match God's  powers... I think there is an agenda to get us used to the idea of all of those pursuits. If we start thinking of the abnormal as a "new normal" or the outrageously unimaginable as ordinary, and ourselves with the possibility of being "'like God", then certain people in certain industries will have achieved their goals.

I bet that more than half the people who read this post will think that I'm making too much of nothing. Some might even accuse me of being overly critical and would suggest that I just learn to accept entertainment at face value. I'm sorry if any of you feel that way. As a person with a Christian worldview (entertainment view, social view, life and culture view, etc,), I see everything through this Christian eyes. Also, I would suggest that my critics should be just as critical of this and other movies. We are in a spiritual battle and entertainment is the easiest and most subtle way to condition us into acceptance of things not always for our good.

Remember this: ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is dangerous.

Finally, I want to share some links I ran across after I wrote this post. I wondered if many people were thinking about this movie in the same way that I was.

• From the main villain himself. He has quite a few interesting things to say. Pay attention to his resume.
• A review done by a pro, and
• another review that nailed most of my feelings
• This article makes a few statements that grated on my nerves.
• "Apocalypse views himself not as a mutant but as a god -- and, for all intents and purposes, he is potentially the God of the Old Testament." — Bryan Singer, director [source] (who I don't think I would personally like, by the way.)
• And still more from Mr. Singer.

So, the Bible comparisons were intentional.

Peace

--Free

**GOOD READ** Lord Foulgrin's Letters by Randy Alcorn

I picked this up along with Alcorn's "The Ishbane Conspiracy" at Title Wave, a new and used bookstore here in Anchorage.

Because I didn't realize the two books have somewhat connected story lines, I almost read them in the wrong order. After I read some Amazon reviews, I decided that "Lord Foulgrin's Letters" is the first to read if going in sequence.

Now a big spoiler alert for you - not here in this post, but on Amazon. One of the first reviews I saw gave away part of the story.

This is one of those stories that might lack in some flow, but will surely have the reader wanting to highlight and underline something every few pages. This is the compulsion I have with books my C.S. Lewis. I highly recommend this book for a group reading session.

The author picks up on the theme Lewis used in his "The Screwtape Letters" but with an American voice and modern setting. Richard Platt also borrowed the theme in "As One Devil to Another". What Alcorn does that I really liked (and found easier to follow), was he intermixed the narrative letters with a standard of characters exchanging dialogue.

The narrative letters follow the progress of demons who are troubling the lives of the Fletcher family. The reader gets to see this family interacting as the demons work to win their souls for Satan.

All my head-nodding and note-taking happens when the story mirrors things I've seen happen in my own life. We all face various temptations from moment to moment. This book is a reminder that temptations come from spiritual sources.

What I want most is to share this book with people who are not yet firm in their commitment to Christ. The story of the Fletchers is the story of (in some form or another) of the attacks humans are under in the war Lucifer has waged on us. He lost Heaven and he wants to keep every human he can away from it too.

I found myself continually nodding and thinking, "Yes. Exactly so!" Sometimes. I'd have to put the book down and pray a little bit for myself or others that I see going through things that were pointed out.

 Alcorn does a great job of reminding readers of the various weapons used in the spiritual battle we are in. He addresses how distractions and self-focus are used in many different ways. Even knowing what I do about spiritual warfare, I was still fortified by the reminders and encouragements.

After having read Lewis, Platt, and now Alcorn, I will never get tired of reading this kind of book. The battle is continual, so the encouragement and reminders will never be out of date as long as we live on this earth.

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13 HCSB)

Peace
--Free