MovieChat Forums > Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) Discussion > AoU is a strong Christian Movie

AoU is a strong Christian Movie

posted 9 years ago by IronBallsM
71 replies | jump to latest

Yep. Good to know.

A Christian review for those that care.

http://www.movieguide.org/reviews/avengers-age-of-ultron.html

Very strong moral worldview with strong Christian, redemptive content where characters fight to defend humanity, some sacrifice their lives for others (sometimes in Christian symbolic ways), moral relativism is seen as wrong, and there’s an emphasis on teamwork, goodness, traditional values, and family, with many biblical allusions or references, with very strong patriotic content as the Avengers invite military veterans to their party, and Captain America is a clean-cut and admirable hero and leader, but many of the scriptural allusions are made by the villain who has a “god complex” and compares his demonic, genocidal plan to the biblical story of Noah, plus a reference to evolution; 10 obscenities (mostly a** and “h” and “d” words, plus one “s” word that’s rebuked) and one strong profanity; strong action violence.........

Summary:

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON pits the superhero Avengers team against Ultron, a robot with artificial intelligence who believes peace can only be achieved on Earth if humanity is eradicated. AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is a spectacular treat from beginning to end with a strong moral worldview and inspiring biblical allusions, but caution is advised for some action violence and brief foul language.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] IronBallsM 9 years ago

“There’s only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.”

In some of his other work like Buffy and Firefly, Whedon has exhibited Catholic sensibilities when it comes to portraying suffering, sacrifice and even grace. He may not want to admit it but deep down in his subconscious he knows there is a higher power and a purpose to life.

[–] DeviantHitman 9 years ago

The whole Christian rabbit reference too?

[–] FinxylX 9 years ago

That's awesome that you think you know Joss Whedon better than he knows himself.

[–] dalati 9 years ago

In some of his other work like Buffy and Firefly, Whedon has exhibited Catholic sensibilities when it comes to portraying suffering, sacrifice and even grace. He may not want to admit it but deep down in his subconscious he knows there is a higher power and a purpose to life.

Or he is just building on that narrative. You know, when a writer bases a book on some ideas found in Alice in Wonderland, he doesn't really believe that there is a hidden world at the other end of a rabbit hole - he just fancied the narrative.

And, while I'm thoroughly atheist, the whole narrative of the Bible is, I have to admit, quite fascinating.

- Anwar

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http://www.spittoon.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Charlie-Hebdo.jpg

[–] PecasinaDont 9 years ago

I'm sorry, but those concepts were around long before Christianity. Just ask the ancient Greeks, for one.

Who hurt you, vicious circle?

[–] Darthmauler_megaa 9 years ago

So? Doesn't mean you can't say a movie had Christian values.

“Hate speech is the modern term for heresy."--Ayaan Hirsi Ali

[–] PecasinaDont 9 years ago

Sure I can. I do what I want. lol

Who hurt you, vicious circle?

[–] Darthmauler_megaa 9 years ago

Um, never said otherwise. Am I in the right room? lol

“Hate speech is the modern term for heresy."--Ayaan Hirsi Ali

[–] PecasinaDont 9 years ago

Are you sure? ;)

Plus this whole idea of Christian values... meh. You can live your life morally without being a Christian. People have been doing it in one form or another since civilization began. While I do believe Cap in particular believes in God, I don't think this movie is an example of Christian values particularly. It's the simple good vrs bad, with all the shades of grey in between.

Who hurt you, vicious circle?

[–] Darthmauler_megaa 9 years ago

Pretty sure. ;)

Of course you can live a moral life without being a Christian. But there's nothing wrong with others wanting to take that particular path. Why is that a problem? If the OP had said Buddhism instead, would you care?

“Hate speech is the modern term for heresy."--Ayaan Hirsi Ali

[–] PecasinaDont 9 years ago

I'd care if he implied Whedon was clearly in denial of his Buddhist leanings, if Whedon said he was absolutely not a Buddhist.

Be what you are and live your life to the fullest, but don't assume everyone is on your particular path.

Who hurt you, vicious circle?

[–] Darthmauler_megaa 9 years ago

Granted. I'm not saying I agree with the OP on everything.

“Hate speech is the modern term for heresy."--Ayaan Hirsi Ali

[–] PecasinaDont 9 years ago

Cool. :)

Who hurt you, vicious circle?

[–] Darthmauler_megaa 9 years ago

:)

“Hate speech is the modern term for heresy."--Ayaan Hirsi Ali

[–] blackdoug 9 years ago

Praise be!

[–] mischava 8 years ago

Yes it does.

Those values or concepts originated long before Christianity so by defenition they cannot be christian. Christianity merely adopted them.

[–] McGrit 8 years ago

When the way and those values are taught by the Son of God Himself, they are learned from the Father. Thus, they ARE Christian values.

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man."

[–] The_paranoid_android 8 years ago

In some of his other work like Buffy and Firefly, Whedon has exhibited Catholic sensibilities when it comes to portraying suffering, sacrifice and even grace. He may not want to admit it but deep down in his subconscious he knows there is a higher power and a purpose to life.

Dude, I think it's just that Whedon likes to write characters who have their own beliefs, rather than parroting his own.

He's made it clear that he's an atheist, but he doesn't push that onto others nor does he make that mean that others are "wrong". It's just what they believe. Tolerance for others and their beliefs is the most important thing to learn in these days.

A thing isn't beautiful because it lasts.

..

[–] blackdoug 8 years ago

It's like Christmas but with more... ME.

[–] fliboy486 9 years ago

Don't be a dick. I'm an atheist, but I would be ignorant to try and say my values aren't Christian since I was raised in a Christian country.

I don't belive in God doesn't mean I don't see merit in Christian values.

Also a good filmmaker has characters that differ from their personal voice.

[–] Blackjack254 9 years ago

Apparently Ralph Vaughan Williams was an atheist, but he composed a hymn "All creatures of our God and King", and he composed a Fantasia based on a 14th Century hymn.

Maybe Whedon RESPECTS religion as opposed to attacking it.

How you can make the world a better place:
Don't shop at Wal-Mart.

[–] charliebad 9 years ago

This is Hollywood, right?!

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For every shadow, no matter how deep, is threatened by morning light.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] IronBallsM 9 years ago

People must feel that the natural world is important and valuable and beautiful and wonderful and an amazement and a pleasure.

[–] Darthmauler_megaa 9 years ago

That's really not necessary.

“Hate speech is the modern term for heresy."--Ayaan Hirsi Ali

[–] DarthJarJar 9 years ago

Caution for strong violence? Yeah you wouldn't want any small children exposed to violence have them read the Bible instead oh wait...

[–] SkySoar 9 years ago

You don't have to be a Christian to be able to have Biblical principles within it. However, I think it's wise just to stay away from the term "Christian movie" and just call it a "movie." I don't like labeling a movie by its faith, and that's coming from a Christian himself.

I prefer to find Godly allegory in any movie. A film doesn't need to talk about Jesus for his character to be there. I was personally fond of Hawkeye giving Wanda/Scarlet Witch a chance to fight with them even after she screwed up. That's Jesus right there.

You can find stuff like that in any movie.

[–] DeviantHitman 9 years ago

don't forget the Christian Rabbit reference

[–] ryan601 9 years ago

Alright, if you want to take this analogy and run with it. . .

Ultron sees all the negative aspects of humanity and believes that the only way to solve the "problem" is to eliminate them from the face of the earth (even going so far, as you pointed out, to reference the Noah fable). . .

. . . so doesn't that make Ultron, the villain of this story, an allegory for God?!

Doesn't exactly seem very "Christian" to make God the bad guy.

"If I wanted to watch a movie with no plot, acting, or character development, I'd just watch porn."

[–] SkySoar 9 years ago

Well, at the risk of turning this thread into religion fights. (I pretty please hope it won't turn into that).

You probably should go back and really read the Scriptures. Everything God did had a point to it, even if we can't understand it. Think about it...he probably sees things a lot differently than either of us. The reason he flooded the world was because he was sorrowful of how humanity turned out. He created man and out of love, he gave them free will. Guess how that turned out. So he chooses Noah and his family, probably the LAST righteous people on Earth and he asks him to build an ark with them and the animals. He decided to spare Noah. That's not really painting God into a bad guy.

Think about it. Think truly of how messed up humanity had become because of Adam & Eve's defiance of God to begin with. God didn't force them to defy them, they chose to defy him. It led to a lifestyle of constant defiance...and if you know half as much about as people as I believe you do, you'll know that if you love someone, you cannot force them to love you back. We're made to be people, not drones.

Everything in Scripture truly has a context to it. As a Christian, I get pissed at God regularly...but it doesn't mean he doesn't have my best interest at heart. But for the sake of the message boards, if you have any questions, just research more stuff on your own through gotquestions.org or something. This is a movie board and I've seen too many message boards degnerate into mindless religious debates that people refuse to end. There's a place for healthy discussion of this and won't ever be on IMDb probably. Not with all these trolls here anyway.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] 9 years ago

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[–] FinxylX 9 years ago

"but many of the scriptural allusions are made by the villain who has a “god complex” and compares his demonic, genocidal plan to the biblical story of Noah"

Seems to me that's an ANTI-Christian message. The murderous villian Ultron is going to commit the same crime that GOD did by wiping out humanity. God is no better than Ultron.

[–] 9 years ago

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