NovelSisters

watching, reading, and writing stories

May 10

Civil War

by lydiamhill

Official poster shows the Avengers team factions which led by Iron Man and Captain America, confronting each other by looking each other, with the film's slogan above them, and the film's title, credits, and release date below them.

Image Source

I’ve been joking with all my friends that I’m going to spoil the Civil War for them, then I say “Lee Surrenders and Lincoln dies.” But of course they aren’t talking about the American Civil War, they’re talking about Marvel’s latest movie: Captain America: Civil War. I will try not to give away any big spoilers, but in case you don’t want to see anything about the movie, just go watch it for yourself.

So, first impressions after the movie: wow a lot happened. This movie is over 2 hours long and there are so many characters now in this Marvel Universe, that it can be a bit hard to keep track of them all. I have to admit, I got a little lost with the villain in this movie. He didn’t have red skin, or a metal arm, so I didn’t always realize it was the same guy when he kept popping up in different places. But I think that was part of the point: villains aren’t always trying to take over the world. Sometimes, they’re just normal people who are reacting to their situation in the wrong way. One of the main themes in this film is revenge, which makes sense, I mean we are dealing with the Avengers here. But so many characters are dealing with the loss of someone they really cared about. Tony Stark’s parents and more specifically his mom, were killed when he was younger, one of Steve Rodger’s last friends Peggy Carter dies, a new character loses his father in a terrorist attack, and even our villain has lost his family.

But how the characters respond to this loss is varied. In Cap’s case, Peggy merely died in her sleep. She was old, it was her time. There’s nothing he could do. So he deals with her death in the best way. He goes to her funeral and moves on.

Tony seems to have moved on from his mother’s death, but this is because he doesn’t know who is responsible. He has nowhere to place blame, so he tries to just deal with the sense of loss with technology and recreating how he would have said goodbye to his mom. However, when he discovers who is responsible, he immediately thinks that person should pay, and tries to kill them.

Our villain has lost his entire family and blames the Avenger’s team for their role in it. Though it was not intentional, and the Avengers were trying to save lives, he still holds them responsible and decides to seek revenge by breaking up their team.

And our last character who is dealing with loss, or at least the last one I’m going to look at is the Black Panther. When he first loses his father, he reacts the same way as the villain and Tony: he wants revenge. He tries to kill the person who he blames for the attack, even though we eventually find out that person was framed. As he continues to seek the real cause of his father’s death, he eventually finds the villain. But instead of killing him, as he had unsuccessfully tired to do to the original suspect, Black Panther comes to a realization. Seeking revenge is not the answer, killing this person will not make everything better.

I love this message, especially as a Christian. I couldn’t help thinking of the Bible verse: “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the LORD.” (Romans 12:19) Seeking revenge is consuming and hurtful, not only to others, but to yourself. Jesus teaches us to instead forgive our enemies.

So anyway, this movie was fun, it had plenty of witty dialogue and cool action scenes. The characters were believable and enjoyable to watch. So I hope you enjoy watching this movie as well.

Christian Life Movies

Leave a comment »
Apr 25

The Jungle Book and Community

by lydiamhill

Image Source

I was hanging out with some girlfriends this past Saturday and one of them mentioned seeing a movie. I suggested the Jungle Book, since I thought the remake looked interesting and I’d heard some good things about it. The suggestion was met with exclamations of “Yes!” So a few hours later I went with 3 close friends to the mall to see this remake of a childhood classic.

In many ways this movie holds true to the original animated Disney movie. Most of the characters are the same and they even have updated versions of the classic songs “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You.” However, there are some noticeable changes, most of which I enjoy. For example, we get a lot more screen time and character development with Mowgli’s wolf family, especially his mother. This was sorely lacking in the original movie, and I appreciated seeing the pack or family mentality woven into the film.

The movie also has a darker tone than the original. There is a lot more action, fear, and a more developed villain. Sher Khan doesn’t just hunt Mowgli, he is the one who killed his father. And he even kills the wolf leader because they don’t hand Mowgli over to him. And Kaa isn’t a bumbling snake that easily loses his prey, instead she is a cleaver seductress that would have killed Mowgli if Baloo hadn’t shown up.

Mowgli is also shown to be a very unique and likable character. He realizes he is not like the other creatures around him and develops his own solutions or “tricks” to problems, such as making a scoop to collect water. He gets in trouble for these “tricks” at first, but later it is seen to be his strength. He also is very aware of other’s needs and wants to help. When he sees how his staying with the wolves is causing a conflict, he decides to leave, and when he sees a baby elephant stuck in the mud, he helps it out.

I also love how Sher Khan is defeated in this film. Instead of Mowgli tying a burning stick to his tail, all of the animals of the jungle pitch in to help Mowgli. Ultimately Mowgli is the one who has to trick the tiger into his death, but I really loved seeing all of the other creatures taking part in the action. It reinforced the importance of the pack, or community. I especially enjoyed this because I love the message for us as well.

If we try to face our problems on our own, it’s hard and we probably won’t make it. But when we look out for each other and care for each other, we can overcome huge things. I’ve seen this firsthand with how my city has gone through disastrous flooding over and over again. If we just let our neighbors deal with their own issues and don’t offer to help, the whole community suffers. But when we come together to bless each other, it strengthens everyone.

We all need friendship and community to get through life’s personal or communal tragedies. And this movie does a good job of showing that. At the end of the film, I expected Mowgli to go back to live in the man village, just as he does in the old movie. But he doesn’t, instead he stays with his real community, his jungle friends who he’s helped and who have helped him. They really have become his family.

So I hope you take the time to go see this film, I really enjoyed it and I think you will too.

Life Movies

Leave a comment »
Apr 11

God’s Not Dead 2 Review

by lydiamhill

Image Source

Yesterday I went to the theater with my good friend and we saw God’s Not Dead 2. This is the sequel to God’s Not Dead. I wasn’t sure exactly what this film would be covering and I was pleasantly surprised to see some of the previous film’s characters appear again in this movie. Though the main story line is new and there are several new characters in the film, it was enjoyable to see how people’s lives had continued since the previous story. Therefore I would suggest seeing the first movie before watching this one, though I think you could enjoy it either way.

Whereas the first movie is centered on a college campus and one student standing up to his professor about the existence of God, this film instead focuses on a high school teacher who answers a question about Jesus in her classroom and then faces the school board and a jury to decide if her action was in line with the law. The story, though fictionalized, reflects several real court cases around the United States and at the end of the film, these cases are referenced.

I don’t want to spoil the whole film for those that want to see it for themselves, but I’ll say that I enjoyed it. I really liked seeing the old familiar characters still growing in their new faith or applying the lessons they had learned from the previous film. It reminded me that real life isn’t like a Hollywood movie where everything works out in the end and there are no problems once the credits roll. These recurring characters have to explore their new found faith, decide what they really believe and if they will hold to their decision despite the consequences. However, I don’t think the “God’s Not Dead” tagline worked as well in this film. The prosecutor claiming that this court decision would prove that God was dead, didn’t seem to make much sense. And everyone claiming that God’s Not Dead near the end of the film, though fun to watch, didn’t seem very realistic either. I know this tagline comes because it is a sequel to the first film, but I just don’t think it fit in as well with this plot.

One last tidbit in case you are planning on seeing this movie: there is an end credit scene. I was lucky enough to stay till the end of the film so I did see it, but everyone else in the theater had left, so if you do go see this movie, stick around till the very end.

Christian Life Movies

Leave a comment »
Apr 5

Miracles From Heaven Review

by lydiamhill

Image Source

So I saw this movie last week and since I couldn’t think of any other topic to write about this week, I thought I’d review it. This is another in a long line of Christian based films that have come out in recent years. It is nice to have high quality films in theaters that have faith based messages and compelling stories. This particular movie is based on a true story of a girl in Texas with a horrible stomach issue that was slowly killing her. In the course of the film she undergoes several tests, treatments, and a lot of pain. She gets to the point of not wanting to live anymore and her family takes her home for the time she has left with them. And then she has an accident and falls inside a dead tree. Miraculously she does not have any serious injuries from the fall and is also cured from her disease.

It is a heart wrenching story and I admit I cried several times during the film. I have had family members and friends go through horrible heath problems and it’s so hard to feel like there is nothing you can do about it. But what I really loved about this film, is that is shows not only the big miracle of this girl being healed, but it also showed the little miracles or ways that love was shown throughout the film: A friend taking care of the remaining kids while the parents rushed off to the hospital, or a waitress taking off work so she can show the mother and daughter around her hometown and lift their spirits. All those little moments of caring for someone else more than yourself, was a little miracle, a little reminder that God cared.

And what excites me about this, is that we all can be a part of God’s miracles, of His work in this world. We can show love in those little ways by encouraging a friend, praying with them and for them, bringing over a hot meal, or even crying with them over what’s happened. God’s miracles are all around us and He wants to use us to do them. He invites us to be a part of what He’s doing. So I’d like to encourage you today to say “Yes!” to Him and obey when He asks you to do something. It may be as simple as opening the door for someone, or smiling and saying thank you to the cashier. It could be buying someone a meal or watching someone’s kids so they can have a night out. Whatever it may be, God can use your little acts of obedience and love to do amazing things that affect eternity.

Christian Life Movies

Leave a comment »
Mar 4

Zootopia and Discrimination

by lydiamhill

Well, I got to see Zootopia today and boy was that a great movie. I love any movie with an animated world and a good story. And Disney has done a phenomenal job with this one. Not only were the characters well developed, likable, and the story intricate, believable, and entertaining, but this movie strikes a cord with our own current reality. Just as in Zootopia, we cannot help but look at people’s appearances, whether it’s their height, weight, skin color, how they dress, or whatever. We stereotype and discriminate based on people’s appearances. Until we actually stop and get to know someone for who they are, it’s hard to move past these first observations.

Zootopia is able to deal with these adult themes and issues of discrimination and prejudice by creating an animal world that mimics our own. Instead of “white” and “black” or “wealthy” and “poor” we get “predator” and “prey.” But just as in our own world, what you look like on the outside is not what makes you who you are. The villain could be a predator or could just as easily be prey. It isn’t just what you look like, or how you’re treated that defines you, it’s what you do, what you say, how you react, and how you live.

Our heroine Judy Hopps doesn’t give up, even when everyone around her says she can’t be a cop. She doesn’t let other’s discrimination keep her from being who she is. But even though she tries her best to be unbiased towards others and even does noble things like stepping in to make sure a fox gets fair treatment, her own prejudices are still evident. Seeing a person and not just outward appearances is something that she, like everyone, has to learn throughout her life.

I love how this movie takes complicated issues like stereotyping and discrimination and deals with them. There are plenty of surprises in this movie, and several jokes where Disney pokes fun at itself. (Hint: keep a look out for Frozen references). So I highly suggest checking out Zootopia, it’s a great movie for the whole family.

I’ll leave you with some fun photos from the cardboard set up they had at the theater:

Life Movies

Leave a comment »
Jan 25

The Martian

by lydiamhill

So I’ve been wanting to see The Martian movie for a long time. But I never made it the theater and then it was in that weird in between stage where you can’t see it in theaters and you can’t rent it either. But this past weekend my family finally rented it through iTunes and we all sat down to watch the almost 2 and a half hour movie. I’d heard good things about this movie and know it’s also getting some attention at the upcoming Oscars, so I was expecting a good movie, but I didn’t know how good. Now after seeing it, I may just have to read the book it was based off of by Andy Weir.

When watching this Space Drama, it’s hard not to think of other space related movies, such as the more recent Interstellar, and older classics like Apollo 13. And while Apollo 13 will always have a special place in my heart and is enjoyable because of it’s basis on a true story, I have to admit that The Martian took things to a whole ‘nother level. It’s like the awesome visuals of Interstellar were combined with the compelling story of Apollo 13 and then given steroids.

The basic plot of The Martian is that someone is lost in space, more specifically on Mars, and a whole team of people have to work together to get him home alive. Not to mention, he has to figure out a lot of things on his own. But it’s amazing to see all of the inventiveness, creativity and humor of the stranded Mark Watney. I also was excited every time I saw another celebrity actor show up in the cast. It just brought a high standard to the whole film.

And although there are many things to praise about this movie, such as the beautiful scenery, music, and well written plot that balances drama with humor perfectly so we don’t get tired of either; I feel like my favorite part of this movie was seeing Matt Damon talking to himself throughout his time alone in space. I was a little worried that I would see similar things to Castaway or other films where someone is alone and they go a little crazy. But time and time again, our hero Mark finds a way to laugh at his situation and just go for it. It brings a sense of hope to the awful situation he is in and inspires the audience to do the same.

So, in conclusion, I loved this movie. It does have a bit of language that you might want to watch out for, and the opening storm scene is a bit intense, but otherwise I think it’s enjoyable. So go see it before it wins some Oscars, because based on what I saw, it’s winning something.

Books Movies

2 Comments »
Jan 11

Star Wars Episode 7

by lydiamhill

Image Source: 

Well the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, came out and I finally got around to watching it. I grew up with the other films and have enjoyed the story over the years, though my family only ever owned 1 out of the 6 movies. But I was looking forward to this newest episode in the saga. And now I can say, it was not disappointing. This newest film did a great job of setting up a new plot while still connecting to the familiar stories we’ve already seen. I especially liked the new characters we are introduced to in this film, such as Finn and Rey. They are funny, relatable, and genuine and I’m looking forward to seeing how their stories continue.

The one thing I heard multiple times before I could see the movie was that it was basically A New Hope all over again. And I have to admit there are a lot of parallels between these two movies. To name just a few they both share a desert planet for an opening setting, the giving of important information to a droid for safe keeping, and the sacrifice of a mentor. After watching A New Hope again, I spotted even more similarities. I guess some people were disappointed by that, and maybe thought it made the film too predictable. However, I think that even though there are a ton of parallels between this new movie and A New Hope, that isn’t a bad thing. It’s a way of connecting with the old films, and there are still enough new things to keep me interested. It doesn’t feel like a remake of A New Hope, but more like the beginning of a new story in the same universe.

So if you liked the original Star Wars trilogy and you’re alright with a lot of similarities to A New Hope, you will probably like this film.

Movies

Leave a comment »
Nov 30

The Mockingjay Part 2

by lydiamhill

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2: "We March Together" Trailer Released

As you know if you’ve been following my blog for long, I’ve blogged about the Hunger Games before.  I’ve seen all of the other movies and read the books. So this past weekend I went to see the latest Hunger Games movie.  And just in case you haven’t seen it, be aware that this blog post will have some spoilers in it. I found it interesting that before I got a chance to see the movie, several people in my life were complaining about this newest film. Some said they were disappointed, or didn’t like the ending. But I wanted to reserve judgement till I had actually seen the movie for myself.

So yesterday I settled into my movie chair with a good friend and we watching the 2 hour and 17 minute movie. And I couldn’t see why people were complaining. There were intense battle sequences, fairly good acting, and great music. I even laughed at a few of the lines. I thought the movie did an excellent job of bringing the book to life. If followed the story line almost perfectly as did the previous films. It seemed on par with all of the other Hunger Games movies. What was there to complain about?

And then it hit me, the people I’d heard complaining about the movie had not read the books, or at least not to my knowledge. Suddenly it all made sense. When I first read the books, I loved the first one, was still interested by the second, and was kind of frustrated with the third. I didn’t like that so many of the characters died and yeah I just didn’t like the story. But that’s how it was written. So when I went to see the movie I expected Finnick and Prim to die, I knew Coin was also a villain and I enjoyed seeing everything play out. Plus I got to see my extra favorite ending scene with Peeta and Katniss hanging out with their kids. By the way Peeta makes an awesome dad.

So yeah, I got what I expected. But if someone was watching the films and didn’t know how it was going to end, I can totally see why they were disappointed. I was too, just with the book. I can’t blame the movie, because it wasn’t the movie’s fault, it all came from the book. So in any case, if you’ve enjoyed the Hunger Games movies, you’ll probably enjoy this one too. But if you don’t know the ending, be prepared for some sadness coming your way because it’s not all happily ever after.

Books Movies

4 Comments »
Nov 2

Bridge of Spies and Worry

by lydiamhill

Bridge of Spies

A couple weeks ago I got to watch the Bridge of Spies with my family. It was a very well done movie and if you like dramas, or historical films, you’d love this one. Tom Hanks always does a fantastic job in his movies and this one is no exception. I loved the story and the characters, but the one thing that stuck out to me from the whole movie was a line that Rudolf Abel says several times. He is a Soviet sent to America to serve his country. In his eyes he has done nothing wrong. But he gets caught up in all of the drama of the Cold War and is accused of being a spy and even threatened with death. Then he is sentenced to jail and later offered as an exchange for an American prisoner. But in all of the tough circumstances he constantly maintains a calm attitude. Throughout the movie other characters ask him, “Aren’t you worried?” and he responds calmly, “Would it help?”

And does it? I know I’ve spent a lot of my time worrying about little things that don’t even matter, and does it make a difference at all? No, not really. Worry accomplishes nothing, it helps no one. And even though I know this, I often still do it. So how do we stop it?

Well while I was in Mozambique, I shared a Bible story with the children about this exact thing. After acting out a skit with a fellow team member where she was really worried, I read them these verses:

“Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!” -Luke 12:22-28 NIV

After sharing these verses, I prayed with the actor, and told the kids that instead of worrying, we could be thankful. Then the whole team helped the children make flowers out of pipe cleaners and construction paper. And I told them that they could write things they were thankful for on the flower petals to remind them not to worry and that God could take care of them.

IMG_3030 IMG_3033

And I think that’s the real issue with worry. Worry comes when we think we are in control and we can change our circumstance by doing something. So we get ourselves all worked up thinking about all the things we can do, to make sure it goes the right way (our way). We try to predict what could go wrong and how to fix it. We might even try to make sure everyone is happy. But in the end we only wear ourselves out and often no matter how much we planned or worried or stressed, it still doesn’t come together the way we hoped.

I think the reason that Rudolf Abel was not worried, was that he knew and accepted that he was not in control. He didn’t stress about his circumstances because he knew he couldn’t change them. And I think when we do the same thing with God and accept that He is the one in control, not us, then it’s a lot easier to relax and stop worrying. Because ultimately God is in control and what He has planned is good. It may not be what we expect or want, but it is good. And I think that’s one of the big things I learned from going to Mozambique. I didn’t try to be in control while I was on the trip. I just held my plans loosely and laughed when they got changed. I didn’t worry about what I would say in front of a large group, or how a Bible lesson would come together, I simply trusted God and did my best. And it was so freeing.

So I want to encourage you today. You don’t have to worry either, God is in control of your life and He has the best plan. So trust Him, and if you’re still having trouble with worry, ask someone to pray with you.

Christian Life Movies Mozambique Stories

2 Comments »
Sep 29

Captive or War Room

by lydiamhill

Image Source: http://theyoungfolks.com/review/jons-movie-review-captive/64320
Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvBUfx9_kRoGexuOLr3iKtg

So my friend wanted to hang out with me one last time before I head to Mozambique and we decided to go see the new movie Captive.

Here’s a preview if your interested:

But recently I also went to the theaters to see War Room.

Here’s a preview if your interested:

So now that I’ve seen them both, I thought I’d compare the two.

While both of these movies are Christian based and have compelling stories, they are very different in how they communicate their message. On the one hand, War Room tells a fictional story of a marriage that is falling apart and how prayer is the real answer to the couple’s problems. And on the other hand we have Captive telling us the true story of Ashley Smith’s being held hostage and finding that her life and her captor’s life both have purpose.

Although both films have Christian elements, War Room has a clearer Christian message. Captive is more of a thriller movie with God having a purpose for your life woven into the story. It is also much darker than War Room due to its story involving drugs, murder, and violence. Though War Room also deals with hard issues such as divorce, unfaithfulness, and fraud, it has several comedic moments, especially with the character Clara making odd comments or observations. She has a way of making the audience laugh or smile.

So although both of these movies were well made, had good messages, and were enjoyable to watch, I think I enjoyed War Room a bit more. This is partly due to my enjoyment of comedies over dramas, but in any case I would highly recommend both of these movies. So if you’re looking for something to go see, check out War Room or Captive.

I will be offline till mid October because of the mission trip, so look for a new post around October 20th.

Christian Life Movies

Leave a comment »
«Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.