Fish and Cherries Productions

Noah took me by complete surprise and wound up being better and more engaging than I was expecting, though not without its problems. I dare say that it’s one of the better biblical films to come out in modern cinema. This comes from the fact that, rather than shoving faith or biases down people’s throats like other films, this takes advantage of its biblical roots and makes the setting truly epic. The miracles are awe-inspiring, the wrath of God (referred to in the movie only as “The Creator”) is terrifying, and it even draws on its Old Testament roots by having fallen angels wander the earth in the form of rock monsters and small forms of what I can only be described as magic happening every day. Actually, as a bible movie, it actually comes off as very subversive, as a narration about the creation of everything in six days is juxtaposed against the Big Bang and the scientific formation of the Earth and landmasses with a huge implication that evolution actually happened. But the biggest shocker is when this movie turns around in the third act and takes an outright swipe at blind faith and claiming to follow the message of God when you don’t understand the true message! (Gee, that sound familiar, doesn’t it?) Like I said, though, it has its share of faults too. The movie has a bit of heavy-handedness by having all the wicked ones eat meat, some of the dialogue can be stilted coupled with some melodramatic acting, certain plot points can be predicted a mile away, the women in the film don’t get a lot of agency, and there are some standard plot holes that come with most early bible stories present (if Adam and Eve only had sons, who did they marry and where did they come from). It’s for these reasons that I don’t know if I see this becoming a biblical classic for the ages like Ben-Hur or even Monty Python’s Life of Brian, but I can definitely say that it’s worth watching. It definitely doesn’t deserve to be brushed aside for just being a Bible film and I would actually recommend it to religious and non-religious equally. And if you find yourself getting offended by this movie, then I would suggest that you take a step back and make sure you’re really understanding the plan.

Thor: The Dark World is an immensely funny, action-packed, and very strong entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The fight scenes were amazing, the dialogue was sharp and punchy, and Loki once again, stole the show right from under Thor’s feet. Admittedly, there are some awkward elements, like the Darcie and Ian scenes which feel like they belong in a different movie altogether and a few of the jokes did leave me less than amused. However, this barely detracts from a very intense story that culminates in an incredibly creative and epic final battle. This is my second favorite Marvel movie, right under The Avengers, possibly under the first Iron Man as well.

EDIT: Admittedly, after a little while has passed, some of the flaws because more apparent, but that still doesn’t make this a bad movie by any means.