We watched Megamind this last weekend. It is a very funny computer animated movie about a super villain who accidentally kills his rival. He soon discovers he has no purpose in life and decides to create a new nemesis. But it doesn't work out too well. The guy he chooses turns out to be a selfish guy, eventually turning evil and tries to destroy the city. Well, Megamind couldn't have that and he becomes the hero and even gets the girl.
It was hilarious; I laughed all through it, but I think the movie is dangerous. The "good" guys are not all that likable and turn out to be not that "good". The "bad" guy is very likable and not really all that "bad." I believe this is a real case of calling evil good and good evil. Yes, none of us are perfect, but that is not my point. This is especially confusing for young children who see the world in black and white anyway. It is intentionally blurring the lines between good/bad and right/wrong.
I think we are going to continue to see increasing examples of this type of blurring what is good and what is bad.
Your perspective is valid but I saw it a little differently.
ReplyDeleteI too laughed all the way through it, but I saw it more as an example of how people's hearts can change and people can make choices about the direction their lives are taking. After all, he was raised to be evil, but in the end he broke from his training and chose to be good. Thankfully, people do that in real life all the time.
Not that you're wrong, just a different perspective. :)
OOH, good one. And we see people all the time who are raised to be good and then choose bad. We are told in scripture that we will see more of this as time goes on. (Although in real life the good guys who then choose bad will be likable to begin with, unlike in this story. That will make it hard for us to watch and still remain faithful.) I love how we can learn multiple lessons from the same stories.
ReplyDeleteFlora,
ReplyDeletewe had a similar experience with "Despicable Me." The bad guy/hero NEVER had a change of heart! He was still "despicable," he just happened to now like kids, too.
In these last days, can we really afford to expose our small children to teachings that go counter to the Core Principles that we are trying to instill in them? I am NOT willing to take that risk. A movie is just fluff, entertainment, and no matter how "great" the world thinks it is, that doesn't make it worth spending precious time on.
We have only so much time to teach our children, and when flashy, funny, entertaining movies express ideas counter to boring old mom and dad, who will kids listen to?
Okay, I'm done. I know you're a wise mother, and you should follow your instincts on this one. :-) Love ya!