One
of the best examples of this I have seen is David’s review of Superman back in
1998. That review cab be seen at an archived page of the original Hollywood
Jesus at: http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/superman.htm.
With the viewing of Superman, Man of Steel, I found myself recalling that
review. Most of the points David mentions in his original review, which turned heads,
are still present in the new movie. There are a few points of interest I want
to point out specifically related to Superman, Man of Steel, but before doing
so, go back in time and see what David picked up on in his original review in
1998.
Many
know the story of Superman but few have likely thought of the spiritual imagery
throughout the story. A powerful being from another planet is sent to earth to
take on human form to be raised as a human; he is seemingly all powerful and
has an immense love for the human species. He has as some would point out a
sacrificial love where he is willing to offer himself up for the salvation of all
people. He is raised by Jonathan (Joseph) and Martha (Mary) (Again see David’s
original review.) Kent. They are fully aware of his powers and origins but raise
him with integrity and morals. As Clark grows up he recognizes some things his
earthly parents don’t understand. He has an ongoing relationship with his
father, now a spirit of sorts who keeps him informed and reminded of his
purpose. Clark has a dark and deceitful enemy who would destroy all of
humanity, even the son of his nemesis, Jorel, Kalel (Clark Kent’s original
name) father. One of the things we see is the value Clark has for people of
faith, including a pastor of a church where we see continual shots of either a
cross or Jesus as a Shepherd in a conversation between the two. We also see
times where Clark looks to the cross or a church for answers to questions he is
facing. Clark has rugged experiences of working as a fisherman, a builder and
other vocations, while rescuing people. We see a drastic change in his life
after a scene that resembles a baptism; he offers himself up for the salvation
of others, seemingly cast into the sea where he takes on the position of a
crucified savior. He emerges with a new purpose to discover himself.
If
Man of Steel is lacking in any area it is in character development. What we do learn about the characters is
largely via flashback sequences; as a result we lose the impact of seeing the
characters develop. The special effects, sound and costuming is incredible. I
saw the film in 3-D and recommend people not waste their money for 3-D as there
just isn’t enough to justify the extra cost.
While
in many ways the story is lacking I suspect there will be those who appreciate
the strong spiritual emphasis in the film as much as I did. In some ways this
is more obvious than in past Superman films. There are times Henry Cavill looks
more like Jesus than Clark Kent, beard and all. I suspect this was done with
intent in presenting the savior of the world. Amy Adams does a good job as Lois
Lane and Michael Shannon does a very nice job as General Zod. I especially liked
Russell Crowe as Kalel’s (Clark Kent’s) Kriptonian father and Kevin Costner as
Jonathan Kent. Diane Lane as Martha Kent has not gotten the press, but she was
spectacular. The casting was near perfect and I would like to see Cavill back
as Superman in other films, even a Justice League film. I would also like to
see a little better story though.
While
Superman, Man of Steel is far from perfect, it is a near perfect character
(Clark Kent/Superman) that can be used to point people towards the person of Jesus;
the one many believe to be the real savior of the world. The associations and similarities
may be far more intended than some would admit but for more on that point, see
that 1998 review by David Bruce.
I
am giving a higher than expected score for this film which may surprise many,
it is due to the enjoyment I had, despite the lack of story. On a scale of 1 –
10, for the number that kind of resembles an S for Superman, especially if
doubled, I give an enjoyable, entertaining 8.
The following is a clip from ABC featuring the cast of Man of Steel speaking about the film. To see it click on the trailer, if the trailer doesn't appear, click on the following link:
Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid
Click here to visit the web page The Virtual Pew
Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter
Mike Furches on Faceboook.
Click here to visit Mosaic Church where Mike is Pastor
The Keystone Kid/Virtual Pew Message Boards
Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.
Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.
Click to subscribe to my blog
Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.
Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.
Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information
The Virtual Pew
6441 N. Hydraulic
Park City Kansas, 67219
Email: mike@furches.org
Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew
Donations to The Virtual Pew
The Virtual Pew Blog
Personal Furches Web Site
Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page
Mike Furches MySpace Page
Mike Furches MySpace Blog
Hollywood Jesus
Reviews With Mike
The Virtual Pew Sermons
The Virtual Pew News
MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group
MySpace The Virtual Pew Group
The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page
To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed
