I’ve seen the new comic-book action film Constantine, which opens on February 18.
When it opens, I’ll have a full review in Christianity Today Magazine and at the CT Movies site.
I’ll also share with you what kind of answers I received when I asked the stars and the filmmakers whether or not the Christian traditions and terminology that they use in the film have any personal relevance for them.
I spoke with Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia Leboef, Djimon Hounsou, Francis Lawrence, rock star Gavin Rossdale (of Bush), and the screenwriters Kevin Bodbin and Frank Capello.
The answers were many and varied. Some of them were quite intriguing. So stay tuned….
But too bad that John Constantine is an English bloke with blonde hair.
So by “after school special” do you mean good or bad? I hope it means freaking awesome, ‘cuz that trailer looks sweet.
Rob
http://www.ElectroLund.com
“good or bad”?
Neither. I mean, there is a hundred times more bizarre and freaky demon-induced hysteria in this film than in “The Exorcist.”
As for whether it’s good or bad … my review’s coming. Until opening day, I’m restraining myself.
I’ll be anticipating your review. It’s one of those cases where I said that if it got good enough reviews, I’d check it out. An interview I read with the director intrigued me more than the trailer did. Plus, I’ve always been a big Alan Moore fan, even if he has divorced himself from any adaptations of his comics.
I still have a strong appreciation for the theological allegories of the Narnia books since I read them as an adult in my first year of seminary – over the Christmas break – between two semesters of systematic theology. Though specific in his systematic, the books are built on a coherent theology that allowed me to “place” abstract theological constructs on the “actual” events of Narnia. From Creation (Magician’s Nephew) to Eschatology (the Last Battle) from Salvation (the stone table) to Sanctification (the ripping of the dragon’s scales from Eustace by Aslan’s nail), the story may be written for children but it is a gold-mine for adults.
Denny
Oh, I completely agree, Denny. In fact, one of the distinguishing characteristics of Lewis’s storytelling genius was that he could make something *feel* like it was for children, and yet, because of the depth of his vision, it could speak volumes to readers advanced in years. More often than not, when the Narnia stories are read as bedtime tales, it’s the *parents* who get choked up with emotion and realization while reading them out loud.
I haven’t seen HHGTTG (or however you want to abbreviate it) yet, but I’m noticing an interesting trend among this recent spat of SF/F films made into movies. Beginning with LOTR, we had a lot of Tolkien fans bemoaning how much the movies were not the books. I’ve seen the same with HHGTTG. And I’m expecting the same with Narnia. I think a close analysis of the comments might reveal something about how people respond to diff’t representations of texts that they feel very close to. This, of course, could be taken even further when one looks at Biblical movies. Yet another idea for an essay for which I might never have time. Sigh.