Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Movie Review: The Last Mimzy

We took the Youth Group to the movies on Sunday. Originally, we were hoping to see Bridge to Terabithia, since the Young Adult Class has just finished reading and discussing it. But... it was no longer playing at the theater, so we had to find another movie to watch that was appropriate for Jr. & Sr. High School students.

The result: we watched The Last Mimzy. Now, I should warn you that if you have not yet seen the movie, and you don't want any hints as to what happens... you may want to skip the following paragraphs. (Consider this to be your "Spoiler Warning".)

Two seemingly ordinary children (a brother and sister) find an odd-shaped box floating in the ocean while on vacation. After bringing it ashore, it opens and they find a strange glowing rectangle of glass (or something) that seems to "hum" in an other-worldly sort of way. They decide to keep their discovery a secret and take the box and its contents inside. Eventually, the girl discovers other objects inside the box (that seem to reveal themselves only to her), and the adventure truly begins.

"Mimzy", as it turns out, is the name of an adorable stuffed bunny that the girl finds in the box. The girl and rabbit communicate with one another, and the children find themselves learning about another world (or, perhaps their own). They also seem to suddenly discover fantastic abilities and scientific knowledge. The government catches wind of the strange goings-on, and the plot, as they say, thickens...

Now, I'm not going to completely ruin the movie for those of you who have not yet seen it, but I will say this: Mimzy is no ordinary stuffed toy, Emma (the girl) is no ordinary girl, and you may never look at a picture of Lewis Carrol's real-life young friend Alice in the same way ever again. I really don't want to spoil the ending, since I do think that this movie is worth seeing. Still, I do want to mention a few of the thoughts that I had as I pondered the movie after seeing it.

I found that this movie has some very interesting Christological implications that are worth exploring. I found myself wondering how particular characters could be compared to Christ -- especially in terms of the salvific work of Christ. How did God reach into our time from out of God's timelessness (eternity) -- and how is that similar to how Mimzy comes to the children? What was so special about Christ (or the girl, Emma) that was so different from everyone else? How does Christ (or the girl, Emma) bring about a "new creation"?

As the movie ended, a verse from Isaiah immediately came to mind: "...and a little child shall lead them" (Isaiah 11:6). As this season of Lent draws to a close, let us all remember that the man who was nailed to the tree was once a baby in a manger. A little child named Jesus came to lead us into hope... so let us enter into this Easter season with hope and joy in our hearts.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I watched this movie tonight with my girlfriend and found the entire thing so inherently against God's plan that the Holy Spirit within me revoked it. It is full of occult references, palm reading, mysticism, organic life, belief that DNA controls our thoughts and emotions, and suggested that that only cure for the future lies within Mankind's pure form. I apologize if I am coming off strong - but I don't feel this movie has nay christen merit whatsoever!

Anonymous said...

Intended or not, this movie was chock full of anti-Christian, anti-biblical messages, subtle though they were. Throughout the movie there is eastern mysticism, talk about aliens, how people are harming the earth, and subtle references to the occult and 'magic'. One of the main characters (little girl) speaks to a stuffed bunny rabbit through telepathy. She and her brother also used telekineses to move objects. The really offensive part comes at the end when we find out that the little girl’s mission is the salvation of humanity by sending her 'pure' genes to the future via some type of vortex to the future. A scene is shown where a young male and female shed their alien like suits and can live freely again without them because of the restoration that came through this 'innocent' child. As they walk out into the 'light' we see a silhouette of two naked bodies (reminiscent of Adam and Eve). They are in effect, the new Ad am and Eve, the new beginning of mankind.

The young girl (the savior) is also referred to as 'The mother of us all.' So, instead of all being sinners, we have a pure little girl. Instead of Salvation through the true savior, the MAN Christ Jesus, we have salvation through a young GIRL; and instead of the true Adam and Eve, made in the image of God, we have the New Age Adam and Eve, made in the image of a human being. The whole movie smacks of Godless, humanistic, mystical, magical, New Agism. I felt like I was watching spiritual pornography.