Just like half the population of the world (I’m not sure that’s an exaggeration), I went to see Iron Man 3 this past week. You can find out what I thought over at Aleteia. You know, it’s hard to believe ol’ shell head and his fellow Avengers are among the biggest box office draws in the world right now, especially when you consider the quality of the first efforts to bring The Marvel Super Heroes to life back in the 1960s. Anybody remember these intros for the big four…
Yeah, so definitely not up there with the original 1960s Spider-Man theme, but then again, what is? Still, if you consider that each piece is only about 20 seconds long, you have to admit they pack a lot of information in there. Take Iron Man for instance…
Tony Stark makes you feel
He’s a cool exec with a heart of steel.
As Iron Man, all jets ablaze,
He’s fighting and smiting with repulsor rays!
Amazing armor! That’s Iron Man!
A blazing power! That’s Iron Man!
In twenty seconds and six lines you get the basic concept of the character. Not too shabby. It makes me wonder if there’s a way to do that for Christianity. Not the music part, mind you, we get enough bad tunes at mass as it is (oh what, like I’m the first person to ever say it). But is there a way to communicate the fundamentals of the faith in a sound byte?
Well, there’s always the words spoken at the presentation of the Eucharist during mass…
Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.
Or maybe the ubiquitous John 3:16…
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
I don’t know. Any ideas out there on how to explain Christianity in only a handful of words? How about if you’re trying to include an explanation of the Church as well? Let me know what you think. Music optional.
6 comments:
What is attractive I think about most of the superhero movies (NOT including the Spiderman movies and comics. I'm sorry. He's depressing. I KNOW people like that) are the fact that they are defenders of justice and good. Not things we hear about a lot in America any more. People YEARN for good and for justice, while at the same time despising it. As Peter Wimsey in one of Dorothy Sayers novels mentions, "Detective stories contain a dream of justice. They project a vision of a world in which wrongs are righted, and villains are betrayed by clues that they did not know they were leaving. A world in which murderers are caught and hanged, and innocent victims are avenged, and future murder is deterred. Detective stories keep alive a view of the world which ought to be true. Of course people read them for fun, for diversion... But underneath they feed a hunger for justice, and heaven help us if ordinary people cease to feel that."
One day I'm going to have to do some posts on comic books. My preadolescent days were spent in a somewhat rough churchless household, so comics served not only as my escape, but also as my introduction to basic morality. Based on what I've seen on the stands lately, however, those days are gone. But as you say, the movie adaptations are doing a pretty good job though.
+JMJ+
Yes, I remember these! Well, sort of . . . I recently managed "to forget" the openings for Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor, in the sense that I no longer have those earworms wriggling around when I watch the new movies. (Of those three, Hulk was the hardest to shake.) But boy, is the Captain America theme persistent!
I guess they sort of half way acknowledged the Captain America one in the new movie during the song and dance number, but still, it would have been a nice Easter egg if they had thrown the original in during the end credits or something.
Now there's a blast from the past - I have never forgotten those.
I've only seen the first Iron Man *, and The Avengers; I'll have to look into getting the set, along with the other Marvel movies. * I've always appreciated the melodic references to the 60s Iron Man theme in that movie.
Whatever happened to Prince Namor? (And was it just a coincidence that Friday's superhero was fish-related?)
Namor's theme is on YouTube as well, I just didn't include it because he hasn't shown up in the movies. Maybe they're not too sure what kind of audience a guy in nothing but a green speedo would bring in :)
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