I’ve loved superheroes since before I could read, but I really got into comics in the early 90s, when I learned that the heroes have aged and some have passed on their identities. Former Kid Flash Wally West became the Flash, and the first Robin Dick Grayson became Nightwing and Tim Drake was now the…
Tag: Living Lutheran
Living Lutheran: “What Incredibles 2 teaches about heroism”
There’s been a lot written about the Randian undertones in Brad Bird’s movies, particularly The Incredibles. The sequel Incredibles 2 is a bit more blurry in its messaging, but one thing is clear: the movie worries that everyday people too quickly live vicariously through famous or “great” people. From Screenslaver’s monologue to Mr. Incredible’s storyline…
The Avengers and a Demand for Grace
I know this is a weird statement, given the team’s name, but all four of the Avengers movies have a surprising central theme: forgiveness. In each case, characters who are used to doing things by themselves find themselves putting up with other big egos. The central tension in these movies isn’t so much their battles…
2017 in Film: Breaking the Rod of the Oppressor
For Living Lutheran, I wrote about what I saw as the prominent trend in 2017 movies: a focus on those who are dejected, powerless, and (financially, politically) weak. The films that resonated most with critics and audiences were about the monstrosity of systematic racism (Get Out), the poor outside of Disneyland (The Florida Project), the…
