Belize and Superman

Too many trips in too short at time!! Sheesh! Tomorrow morning I take off again, this time to Belize. We're doing a mission trip with an organization called Mission to Belize, led by Howard Storm. I'm really looking forward to this trip--not only to bless those we'll be serving, but also to be blessed by them. I'm praying that this will be a time of significant spiritual growth for, not only the high schoolers and other leaders, but also for me!

I wish I had time to write a full-fledged review of Superman Returns, but, alas, no such luck. I will, however, say that I loved the movie. It was just a little bit too long--and it took about an hour before it felt like something was really happening (there was a lot of exposition during that first hour)--but, all in all, it was a great movie!

It's clear to me now why Brandon Routh was cast as Superman. To me, he looks a little too young to be Superman (although, Entertainment Weekly says that he's the same age Christopher Reeve was in the original Superman), but he acts and sounds almost exactly like Christopher Reeve! It's actually really cool! You could practically close your eyes and imagine that it's Christopher Reeve.

The opening was pretty cool, too. They used the same zooming blue text as the original movies for the opening credits.

The part that I really wish I had more time to write about is the theme of Superman as Christ-figure. He's actually refered to as a "savior" several times. I think my favorite scene (at least, for the sake of theological thinking--and for use in a sermon!) is the one between Superman and Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) in the clouds. Superman takes Lois up into the clouds and mentions that she had written in her article called "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman" that people don't need a savior. Then he asks her to listen and tell him what she hears (from a mile above the city!). She says she hears nothing. Superman then tells her something like this: "I hear everything. All I hear is people crying out for a savior."

Wow!! That'll preach! I can't wait to get this on DVD and use it in a sermon!

After seeing the movie, I read the article about it in Entertainment Weekly (I didn't want to expose myself to any potential spoilers before the movie). In the article, Bryan Singer (who directed) says that he wanted to explore the biblical themes in this movie. Pretty cool!

Just another example that God is at work in all kinds of ways and through all kinds of people--not merely through the church!