The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

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The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was not what I expected. I suppose in the back of my mind, I was envisioning Indiana Jones meets Ghost Ship. What I got was X-Men meets 007 in the year 1899. It was an odd mixture of past/present, comic/opera, technology/skill, reality/folklore and for that it gets at least ten points for originality. I didn’t absolutely love the movie, perhaps because it had too much range—it traveled over so much time and space, and connected too many unrelated events and characters. However, the themes were clear, the character development was good, and it was an enjoyable movie overall.

The overriding theme of the film (other than the dangers of world domination by an evil ruler) was that of character flaws. Each of the gentlemen (and the lady) had a flaw that the evil Fantom wished to duplicate and the character wished to eradicate. Hence we see that these unnatural occurrences are both a blessing and a curse to their bearers.

For Skinner, the invisibility allows him to stealthily perform his task as a “gentleman thief.� However, with the effect being irreversible, it makes it hard to carry on a normal life. The crew’s tendency to blame the ills of the endeavor on Skinner is a keen example of how easy it is to be misunderstood when you cannot be seen.

As a vampiress, Mina Harker has a degree of immortality, extraordinary strength, and an unusual ability to morph into a legion of bats. While this power has obviously transformed her character into a more formidable foe, it has stolen elements of life from her—namely her husband and her ability and desire to love again. She says to the young Sawyer, “You’re sweet, and young – neither of which I hold in high regard.�

Dorian Gray faces a similar conflict, the bitterness and cynicism of having lived too long. His immortality though effective in warfare seems to have driven him further into corruption, arrogance, and deception. In a moment of feigned honesty with Mina, he claims that he secretly wishes to face his character flaws and to undo his demons. However, we find out soon enough that his motives were elsewhere.

Allan Quartermain represents the good side of experience and time. His journeys provided more knowledge, skill, wisdom and self-assurance to his life. Yet the many losses of friends and the onset of old age have worn him out. Lacking any desire to get involved in another adventure, Quartermain agrees simply because the war has come home to Africa and he cannot escape it.

Sawyer, the American spy, has the opposite problem. His youth gives him a heart full of courage and adventure. However, the disadvantage of youth is a lack of experience, for which he needs the services and instruction of the experienced Quartermain.

Dr. Jekyl/ Mr. Hyde has the obvious advantage of great strength, but the conflict always rages within as to how best to control and manage that power. With the Hyde character’s passion for brutality, the Jekyl character must always work to keep him in check.

Captain Nemo’s extraordinary knack for invention gives him a strong military advantage. He rivals the adversary, the Fantom, in the arena of technology. However, his use of these same weapons for piracy in the past casts a dark shadow on his character. When he is discovered paying homage to his goddess, Mina asks if a man who worships the goddess of death can be trusted.

Interestingly, each character’s motive for joining the League is to return to a life that once was. The British agent, M, for Mystery, has promised them an opportunity to return to the state of contentment before their extraordinary powers/flaws entered their lives. However, as we see, that promise was a lie and an unattainable goal at best. It is an interesting reflection on man’s inability to remove his past flaws. Humanity’s only option is to move forward, either succumbing to weakness or using it for a greater good. Much like the characters in this film, the desire of most humans is to somehow improve life and return to a state of grace and peace we once knew. Fortunately, God seems to have the same goal. And His plan for our lives is to take the weaknesses of our past and use them to a greater good in the future. These dynamic individuals did learn to take their “extraordinary� characteristics to the next level and work together to defeat evil. They even left together at the end of the movie for more adventures, seeing themselves as a new team, a sort of new family they never expected.

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Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas

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Disclaimer: I love animated movies because they are always so well structured. The hero and the villain are always clearly defined, and the characters usually have an obvious change of heart, and the theme can rarely be missed. With this in mind, what sets apart one animated movie from another seems to be action and creativity. To keep the attention of children under age 10 for more than five minutes, something must always be happening. And admittedly, my favorite part of this movie was listening to the little boy in the row behind me laughing and giggling throughout the movie. I give it great marks for ingenuity, creativity, thematic development and an excellent series of action scenes.

Right up front, Sinbad is faced with his quest, to find out if he is a thief or a hero. Though the outward journey is an attempt to recover the Book of Peace from the evil goddess Eris, the inward journey is to recover the boy of his youth. Sinbad and his counterpart, Proteus, grew up best friends. But, the ten year separation and Sinbad’s thieving antics over the years have raised doubts in Proteus’ mind as to Sinbad’s character. The two meet again as Sinbad is trying to steal the Book of Peace from Proteus’s ship. Although Sinbad admits he did not know it was Proteus’ ship, he nonetheless chooses treasure over friendship. Only the attack of the sea monster, Cetus, forces Sinbad to abandon his plan and help his friend. Sinbad is offered another chance to do right by his friend when Proteus puts his neck on the line for him. However, Sinbad’s first choice is to go to Fiji to retire rather than making the noble quest to Tartarus, recover the Book of Peace and save Proteus’ life. Only because Proteus’ fiancé, Marina, stowed away on the ship is he again forced to make the right decision.

We get the impression throughout the movie that Sinbad wants to be a good guy, but his love of self continues to get in the way. Proteus rejects his father’s offer to escape the death penalty (under the assumption that Sinbad will not return with the book or to save his life) and thereby reinforces his belief that the caring boy of their youth remains within the heart of Sinbad. Eris tries desperately to convince Sinbad otherwise, telling him over and over that he has a black heart that cannot be changed. Marina represents the voice of Proteus (and later her own voice) as she affirms that Sinbad is indeed a worthwhile individual. Eventually, Sinbad begins to make caring, sacrificial choices of his own volition and the hero emerges.

One thing that stands out in my mind is that Sinbad is a man of second choices. Oftentimes, our first choices are selfish and even wrong. Yet, the power of encouraging words and friendship often produce the second choice. In his quest, it was the faith of those who saw something deeper within him that drove Sinbad to embrace the heroic. This calls to mind the importance of encouraging one another in our own lives. The power of words, to heal or to destroy, is remarkable. How many of us have been changed by the words or actions of just one person who believed in us? And how many times have we been defeated by those negative messages that come our way? It’s certainly worth considering.

Another thing that stands out to me is the value of a promise kept. Proteus’ promise to die for Sinbad if he did not return was kept (when he had the option to escape). Sinbad’s promise to return with The Book of Peace or to die was kept (although he had not retrieved the book). The goddess Eris was forced to keep her promise to Sinbad (the end of the movie which I won’t give away). Marina’s allegiance to Proteus during their engagement was kept in tact (when she declined a kiss from Sinbad and later returned to Proteus’ side despite her attraction to Sinbad). All of these situations prove that though the road may be treacherous, a promise can be kept. Things usually work out for the man or woman who chooses integrity….even if integrity was their second choice.

The last thing that stands out is the dynamics of faith and works in this film. Both Proteus and Marina believe in Sinbad, and both declare their faith in him. However, it would mean nothing if they weren’t forced to back it up with their actions. Proteus literally puts his life on the line and Marina sails off the edge of the world with Sinbad. In the spiritual debate of faith vs. works, this is a great illustration of how sometimes faith calls us to action. If we say we believe something and yet do nothing with it, do we really believe it? And what of action into faith? When Eris asks Sinbad to answer one question honestly in order to get the book back, she asks “If you do not get the book back, will you return and die?� He answers yes, but Eris knows he is lying. He does not get the book. It is only by returning to Syracuse to die that faith begins within him. Sometimes life is like that too. Often we are faced with a decision to act blindly, to choose right though it seems to have no positive outcome for us. But it is in those moments that faith is built. It is in stretching our necks under the axe that we see the power and triumph of a good God. And there, faith is born to face the next trial.

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How to Deal

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How to Deal was a movie chocked full of good advice on how to handle imperfect people and situations. I kept looking for an overriding theme, but I should have gotten a clue from the title. Perhaps it was too late in the evening. There is no panacea for how to accept the adversity that is thrown our way, but there are individual lessons along that way that will take us across bridges. These lessons keep us from bogging down in disappointment. They help us accept others for who they are at whatever stage in life they are living. And they allow us to take the next big risk we fear. Here are a few of the lessons I picked up on “how to deal� with life:

“Sometimes life is so perfect. It has to be, so you can put up with the bad stuff.�
–This was one of the opening lines in the film. It reflects the cyclical nature of life, and the fact that things never stay too bad or too good for too long. If you’re in a valley, there is only one direction to go—up. Likewise, if you’re on a hill, don’t get too comfortable. Things always change. The famous lines from Ecclesiastes 3 (There is a season for everything…) were turned into a song by the Bob Dylan, and became wildly popular because they were simply true.

“They are fighting because they love each other enough to care. That’s love.�
– Hallie and Scarlett represent two very different perspectives on love at the beginning of the movie. The two spy Hallie’s sister Ashley in a lovers quarrel with her new fiancé, Lewis. Hallie represents the reserved, probably fearful, person who would rather avoid a relationship than to be hurt by it. In this instance, she plays the skeptic, claiming people are under a strange spell that causes them to fight once they make a commitment. Scarlett replies that fighting means the relationship is valuable. As couples argue and communicate their needs to one another, they get to know each other better and the reconciliation inevitably brings them closer together. “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. The kisses of an enemy may be profuse, but faithful are the wounds of a friend.� Proverbs 27:5-6.

“What is normal?�
Hallie states that she used to think her family was perfect. Of course, all kids think their lives are normal until they are shown otherwise. As people grow older, they face the fact that normal is something that cannot be pinned down. It is by forsaking unrealistic ideals and accepting people as they really are (imperfect and at different stages in maturity), that life becomes manageable. On the other hand, it is always good encourage one another to become better, but always with love as a foundation. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.� Hebrews 10:24.

“You were too busy hating dad to listen.�
–Telling the truth--it’s a marvelous thing, especially when the response is sympathetic. Hallie tells her mother that the reason she doesn’t understand her is because she (the mother) had been too busy hating her (Hallie’s) dad to listen. Naturally the mother didn’t want to hear that, but her response was simply golden. She said, “I’m sorry this happened to you.� She made no excuses, she expressed compassion, and she kept the lines of communication open with her daughter. Hallie then responded by disclosing her true feelings, the underlying “why� of her new bad attitude. She expresses her hatred for what their father put them through by breaking up the family, but then follows it up by saying she also doesn’t hate him. The mom’s compassion reinforced their relationship rather than further breaking it down. “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.� Proverbs 24:26.

“Nobody’s perfect, but it doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth your while.�
–Wisdom from Grandma is always a welcome treat. Hallie discloses that her relationship with Macon is over after he deserts her in the hospital. The grandma replies, “First loves are never really over,� and follows it up with the idea that every relationship is worthwhile regardless of how it ends. With this kind of attitude, Hallie could potentially overcome the broken heart syndrome and begin to take risks again. This is the follower of Christ’s plight in a nutshell. Each person is to take adversity, learn from it, and become stronger and more loving after it is over. “…we rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.� Pain is a building block for wisdom, and the person who learns this early has an incredible advantage on the world. I also liked that these words came from Grandma. It is nice to see films giving the elderly their due as people who have lived long lives and seen more than most of us.

“Here’s to messy, out of order, beautiful moments…�
–Lewis makes a toast to Ashley (Hallie’s sister) after they repair their relationship problems. He says Ashley has shown him that life is worth embracing, with all of its imperfect moments. “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.� Rom. 15:1 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God.� Rom 15:7. “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification.� Rom. 14:19. .Errors, fights and making up are the “stuff� of life. They are what memories are made of. They are the stories you tell your grandchildren. They are indeed messy, out of order, beautiful moments.

“Love is about what you do, not the words you say.�
–Macon makes a sincere appeal to Hallie and says several great things about love. But, this line was my favorite. Talk is indeed cheap, at least when actions don’t back it up. Macon challenges Hallie to try again with him to rekindle the flame. They have both had fears and faults, but he is willing to do what it takes to make it work. The next step is ACTION. Christ placed incredible emphasis on the importance of reaching out in love in a tangible way (see Matt. 25:31-46). The Bible constantly urges people to reach out to those who need it and act according to faith. He even makes it personal by challenging his followers, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.�

There were many other lessons on “how to deal� with life in this film. I suppose I liked it primarily because it was realistic. Everything and everyone in the film had something right and something wrong with them. There were no perfect people and I think the film successfully advanced its message because of this. “Things happen and you just have to deal.� I recommend it to anyone seeking a few extra nuggets of wisdom.

Links
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
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