I previously wrote a review of the new movie, Vanished: Left Behind Next Generation, read http://wp.me/p5FpqF-mx , after seeing it in the theater with my two teens. The kids enjoyed the movie so much that when it came out on Amazon, they asked to see it again for a family movie night. After watching the film a second time I felt like I needed to update my review.
If you did not read my prior review, ultimately it came down to the two teens enjoying the movie and me being unenthused. Teen thumbs up and a big so-so from Dad.
I realized after watching the movie for a second time that I was unfair in this assessment and missed out on a big part of what was good about the movie. Let me explain.
I was unfair in that my expectations for the movie interfered with my enjoyment of the movie. Yes, there were some parts that made me scratch my head plot wise, but overall it was just a straightforward enjoyable story line told in a way that was technically much better than many Christian movies. Having very little expectations going in the second time allowed me to appreciate the movie for what it is – an enjoyable teen thriller about the Rapture – and that is a good thing.
Watching the second time, I also realized my biggest mistake when assessing the first time around. Namely, I took for granted the two Christian teenagers with me that were almost giddy and giggling in the car ride home about the movie. They then excitedly told the rest of the family how great the movie was – a movie about teenagers dealing with the Rapture of the Church. The second time around and it was much of the same. Just pure enjoyment from young adults, a typically hard to please age group.
Yes, a movie about the Rapture that my small sample of young adults love and I was unenthused about it — it seems kind of silly of me as I think about it now. I always appreciate when God gives me further understanding of how dense I can be – it is not always about me He constantly has to remind me.
So second time around I liked the move much more than the first. Even more so because I enjoyed my children enjoying the movie, possibly more than I liked the movie itself.
Anyone else see it? What do you think?
It’s hard for me to find a reason to watch it. Let me explain – certain elements of Christian theology hold that the little sister who has been left behind is deserving of all of the plagues / punishments / judgements that are supposed to befall her, and once she’s been killed by the earthquakes, hail, etc. or tortured by those demon bugs or afflicted by something or other, she deserved to spend forever in Hell having all of that happen to her for ever. Were she just a little bit younger, she would have gotten a free pass. But I don’t want to believe in a God that wants that to happen to everyone, millions of people. Particularly ones whom he refuses to save because those elements of Christian theology says that God only saves the elect and nobody left behind will be elect or else they wouldn’t have been left behind.
Hi Jamie – I can see if you do not agree with the theology why you would not be interested in the movie. Thanks for the comment.
Isn’t it contradictory with the idea that God doesn’t want anyone to perish that he would structure the end of the world so that pretty much everyone perishes by his hand?
Well, I guess the first question is whether you are a universalist?
Isn’t God’s love universal or isn’t it?
Universal as in God so loved the world sure, but the verses continue and that is the part I was asking about. He that believes is saved, he that doesn’t is already condemned. So simple question really.
So God only loves those who believe in him, his love stops short of unbelievers.