This past weekend I saw J.J. Abrams’ new movie Super 8. I never watched Lost or Alias. My only real connection with Abrams is Star Trek, which I loved. I was excited for Super 8 since I saw the first trailers and got more excited as I realized it was an homage to Spielberg classics like E.T. and Close Encounters of a Third Kind. I actually only saw E.T. once when I was seven and thought it was boring; I didn’t feel the same way about Super 8.
I thought Super 8 was thoroughly entertaining and really enjoyed the relationships among the kids in the movie. There is definitely a lot of action in the movie, but it’s the relationships that are the strength of the movie. This isn’t really a review of Super 8 but just some thoughts on the movie from a Christian perspective. As always I’ll do my best to keep things spoiler-free but I loved when Kirk and Spock beamed in to save the day.
Forgiveness
One of the major themes of Super 8 is forgiveness. There’s a major conflict between two characters which ultimately leads to acceptance and forgiveness. Jesus taught a lot about forgiveness; he said that if we’re unwilling to forgive others then God wouldn’t be able to forgive us. Forgiveness really isn’t about the other person as much as it is about us. If we’re unable to forgive someone who has wronged us, then we’re going to be stuck and weighed down by that unforgiveness. If we’re able to forgive someone and let go, though, then it’s like a weight is lifted off both parties, enabling everybody to move forward with life.
Friendship
Another major theme throughout Super 8 is friendship. The movie is about a group of friends making a zombie movie on their summer vacation. Their friendship is tested, though, as a lot of conflict and trials are added to their lives. The friendships among the kids were believable and resembled a lot of my friendships growing up. Friendship isn’t just about the good times, though; friendships are really forged through the difficult times. That’s reflected in the movie and it’s hopefully something that is seen in our own lives. We have the opportunity to be true, authentic friends when our friends go through a difficult time. It’s not hard to watch sports or talk about video games; it is hard to sit with a friend who is suffering and just be present. And even though those times aren’t as fun, they are the moments in which friendships are deepened to entirely new levels.
Zombies
My fear of zombies has been well documented. Super 8 isn’t a zombie movie but it did feature some of the living dead. I know that my fear of zombies is pretty irrational but that doesn’t mean it’s not real to me. I’ve had thoughts about Zombie Jesus before, but I know those are ridiculous. What’s not as ridiculous, though, is the people who walked out of their graves after Jesus’ resurrection. Was that scene like the original “Thriller” video? Did they have decaying bodies or were they restored? The Gospel writers could have devoted a little more writing to something that amazing and miraculous. And even though they didn’t, that scene should definitely make it into every children’s picture Bible.
Super 8 was a great summer movie and beyond its Hollywood story actually had a lot to say about forgiveness and friendship. Obviously Jesus had a lot better things to say about forgiveness and friendship but Super 8 had more explosions.
What did you think about Super 8?
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