Top 5 Movies that Were Released in 2016

Happy New Year, everybody! Now that 2016 is officially over, I have decided to release a list of my five favorite movies that were released this year. Now, I have not seen every movie that came out this year (thank God) and I have yet to see a few that I wanted to see because I decided to wait for the home media releases of those films. So this list is only for movies that were released in 2016 that I actually watched in theaters. With that disclaimer out of the way, here are my top five favorite movies from 2016. (Side note: Read to the end for an important announcement.)

#5: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
I was really excited for this movie, but I left the theater feeling disappointed. This was due to the fact that I found the movie predictable. Half an hour into the movie, I knew exactly how the rest of the movie was going to go down. That's just bad storytelling. I should not walk away from a movie and feel like the movie didn't have more than one draft. To add insult to injury, we now know that there was enough alternate footage that the film could have been completely different. I only know a little bit of what could have been different, but from what I've heard, I'm not convinced the executives at Lucasfilm and Disney made the right decisions with regards to what to keep and what to leave out. There could have been so much more depth to this movie, but instead it was just a cookie cutter story that I could have written when I was ten. Enough about the story, though. Why is this in my top five? Because it was fun to watch. It was genuinely suspenseful, even though that suspense was building up to predictable results. The cast did a great job with their performances, and the action is some of the best to be found in a Star Wars movie. However, I cannot excuse the predictable storyline, and so this goes at the bottom of my list.


#4: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - The Ultimate Edition
I'll be more brief going forward because I have already reviewed the other four films on this list. I enjoyed the theatrical release of this film, but I had to watch it twice in order to understand what was going on. However, the Ultimate Edition - which added 30 minutes to the film's run time - was so much smoother in terms of flow and it resolved several plot holes that were present in the original version. Is this a perfect film? No, it isn't. Is it (for the most part) well-made? Yes, it is.


#3: Arrival
I was genuinely surprised by this film. I had seen a video on Youtube where someone was talking about that film and saying how excited they were about it, so I went and watched the trailer. I decided to give it a shot, and boy am I glad I did. While it is quite brainy and told in a non-linear fashion, it is quite original in its take on the popular "aliens come to Earth" story. Don't watch this one if you just want to passively watch a movie, but if you are willing to put your thinking cap on, this is one of the best movies to be released in 2016.


#2: Jason Bourne
I had finally gotten around to watching the first four Bourne films at the end of 2015, and I was really excited to see that a fifth was coming out the following year. I was even more excited for it when the first trailer dropped during the Super Bowl. And it did not disappoint. As I said in my review of the film, it is an interesting character study into why Jason Bourne is Jason Bourne. It had depth that none of the others had, and it is definitely my favorite film in the series.


#1: Captain America: Civil War
Not only is this my favorite film from last year, this is my favorite film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Russo Brothers had quite challenge when making this movie because they had to juggle a large returning cast and introduce several new characters. But they absolutely nailed it, topping what Joss Whedon managed to do with Avengers: Age of Ultron. The film hits all the right emotional beats, the pacing flows well, and the film looks amazing visually. I could go on, but suffice it to say that this film does the superhero vs. superhero story better than BvS, while also being a good thriller. And for that, it ranks at the top of my list.


Obviously, this is all based on personal preference. That being said, I would love to know what your favorite movies from 2016 were, so feel free to let me know on Twitter (tweet me @chadsmovies) or in the comments to this article.

Before you go, I have some good news, and I have some bad news. The bad news is that this will be my last post on this blog. For various reasons, I have decided that maintaining this blog is not the best use of my time, so I will be leaving the blog up so you can still see my old posts, but I will not be continuing to write posts on it. The good news is that I will still be releasing movie-related material on my Youtube channel. If that sounds like something you might be interested in, you can subscribe to my channel here. Thank you to all of you who have faithfully read this blog, and I look forward to seeing all of you over on Youtube.

The "Star Wars" Movies, Ranked

With the impending release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and since I did something similar for the Marvel movies back when Captain America: Civil War came out, I thought it would be appropriate to put out my list ranking all of the Star Wars films. In order to qualify for this list, the film must be a theatrically released, canon film in the Star Wars franchise. Therefore, to paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi, that little business of the Star Wars Holiday Special doesn't count (though if it did, it was most surely be on the bottom of the list). Also, please note that I do love all of the Star Wars movies (yes, including the prequels), so in a handful of cases, I have given the film its ranking simply because I enjoy watching just a little more than the film the preceded it on the list. Alright, now that we've established all of that, let's dive into the list.

#8: Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Despite a few hacks I discovered that make this film more watchable, this is still by far the weakest film in the franchise. The main problems are George Lucas's poor directing and the poor choices that were made with regards to how Anakin and Padme's love story was handled (for example, in post-production, some scenes that would have helped the storyline work better were cut for time, while scenes that didn't work as well were left in). I do still like some aspects of the film, such as the action scenes, the scene where Anakin is briefly reunited with his mother, and the storyline that sees Obi-Wan Kenobi trying to track down an assassin. Ultimately though, none of these elements are good enough to save this film from ranking at the bottom of this list.

#7: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

A lot of people forget about the existence of this film, and that's probably because it's basically a theatrically-release pilot for the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series that aired on Cartoon Network and Netflix. Despite its underwhelming storyline, the film is a fun ride and effectively introduces us to new characters like Ahsoka Tano and Asajj Ventress. Also, the animation is beautiful. Therefore, the film ranks at number seven.

#6: Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Or as many fans like to call it: "Help! Jar Jar Binks! Everybody run!" To which my reaction is: "Seriously? You're going to hate on a fun movie over the presence of one character?" Sure, he's basically just comic relief and does nothing useful for most of the movie, but the same could be said of C-3PO for a lot of his screen time in the original trilogy. The only real difference between the two is that Jar Jar is clumsier, has a weird voice that most people would call annoying, and is poorly animated. So, now we're deciding whether or not we like someone based on the sound of their voice and how they look? If you did that in real life to a real person, that would be called bullying. But since it's a fictional character it's OK, right? Wrong. People still get hurt. You can find a video of an interview with Ahmed Best (who played Jar Jar) in which he says that he feels bad because he feels like he single handedly ruined Star Wars for everybody. Wait, when did this article become a defense of Jar Jar? Anyway, despite its bad CGI (which can be forgiven given the time it was made and the sheer ambition of what Lucas was trying to do with CGI technology), the film is fun prologue to the rest of the saga films that does a good job of setting up the world, our hero (Anakin Skywalker) and our villain (Palpatine). It's a fun movie, so it ranks number six on this list. SIDE NOTE: Stop bashing Jar Jar. He doesn't deserve this much hate, and it hurts Ahmed Best's feelings.

#5: Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope

Yes, I did put the original Star Wars film right in the middle of the list. But hear me out. Despite all of the nostalgia we all feel for it, I think we can all admit that when you take all of the original trilogy films together, this is the weakest one of the bunch. The pacing is slower than the other films in the franchise, which isn't a bad thing all by itself. However, this film had to play it safe because there was no way to tell that Star Wars was going to become such a pop culture phenomenon when it first came out. Therefore, the film doesn't take a whole lot of risks and tries its darnedest to end in a way that satisfactorily finishes the story in case no sequels were picked up but that still sets up the possibility of sequels. The end result was a good film that just doesn't impress in the same way the other Star Wars films do. Therefore, I have put it at number five. Please don't kill me.

#4: Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens

My only problem with this film is that it tries so hard to disassociate itself from the prequel trilogy that it ends up being a remake of the original Star Wars film. However, it is still a fun movie and it does a good job of bringing Han Solo's storyline full circle for a satisfying conclusion. Plus, I think it does the original film's storyline better than the original film. Therefore, this film ranks just above the original for no other reason than that I like watching it a little more than the original.

#3: Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Now we're getting into the movies that were really hard for me to rank. Honestly, this film and the film I put in second place are tied for second. But, since I can't do that on this list, I had to pick one of them and this one drew the shorter straw. It's a great film, though, and deserves its status as one of the best Star Wars films in the galaxy.

#2: Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Basically, I love those Ewoks. In all seriousness, though, this is great movie that does a great job of bringing Anakin Skywalker's story to an emotional end.

#1: Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Yes, this one is a prequel, and no, it is not total crap. This film left the biggest impact on me emotionally of all of the Star Wars films. Anakin's descent into evil is heartbreaking to watch, and on my first viewing, I was literally shaking by the end just because of the emotional intensity of the film. However, despite this intensity, the film ends with a glimmer of hope that one day everything will be made right in the galaxy. In many ways, the film's ending reminds me of Genesis 3, where Adam and Eve plunge humanity into sin, and yet God promises a way of redemption. Besides the impact of the film's ending, the CGI is excellent in this film (most of the time), and the lightsaber duels toward the end have a level of suspense to them that no other Star Wars film has been able to pull off. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Star Wars has a lot of depth to it, and a lot of that depth comes from this installment, and so this films gets the top spot on this list. Again, please don't kill me.

The Ethics of "Ender's Game"

WARNING: This post contains spoilers for the movie Ender's Game.

Last week, I posted a review for the 2013 film adaptation of Ender's Game. After that post went live, I was asked to do a post discussing the ending of the film and what it says about ethics. Since this is a subject that I have spent some time thinking about, I thought I would write a short post that briefly shared my thoughts on the subject.

In the climax of Ender's Game, Ender and his fellow cadets take part in a simulated battle with the Formics, the alien race that attacked Earth years ago. At the end of the battle, they use a super weapon to wipe out the Formics' homeworld, thereby killing all of the alien queens controlling the alien soldiers. This is something Ender wouldn't do in real life, but in since this is a test in a simulated battle, he is willing to take this kind of action to pass the test.

Except it's not a test. Ender and his comrades were giving unknowingly giving orders to real human spaceships attacking the Formics' homeworld. Ender really did give the order to wipe out the Formics. Ender is furious that he was lied to and that he had been tricked into committing genocide. Colonel Graff tells him it doesn't matter because Earth is safe. The humans won. "No," Ender replies. "How we win matters."

This scene illustrates two different approaches to ethics. Graff represents the approach that says that ends justify the means. This is why he indicates over and over throughout the film that how the humans win doesn't matter so long as they win. This philosophy says that you can take whatever action necessary to complete your goal so long as that goal is something good. On the other hand, Ender represents an approach to ethics that says there is an objective right and wrong. This approach says that we must do what is objectively right when pursuing our goals, even when it isn't necessarily the easiest solution. This is the view of ethics taught in Scripture. We are to do what God tells us is right regardless of our circumstances.

That being said, there is still the problem of how the scenario at the end of Ender's Game should have been handled. How far should those in authority be willing to go in order to ensure the safety of their people? If a group poses a potential threat, what should be done about that threat? Is it ethical to enact a preemptive strike to eliminate the threat, or is it better to wait for an attack and then retaliate? I would like to posit that such ultimatums are irrelevant. This is because these ultimatums assume that all potential threats are in fact threats. As Ender points out, the Formics had made no action against Earth in years, even though they clearly could have tried. Labeling the Formics as a threat because they could potentially try to invade again is like saying that a dog with a history of biting people is going to bite you because it has the ability to.

However, this does not mean that we should ignore all potential threats either. Potential threats can still become threats. So what is the answer? Let's go back to the dog analogy. Obviously, the dog has a history of biting people, so it could theoretically decide to bite you too. However, it may also choose to continue to lie in the corner of the room. Are you going to get a gun and shoot it before it has a chance to bite you? Of course not. The dog is not at that moment a threatening presence. But are you going to wait for it to bite you and then kill it? You could, but why would you want to let it bite you? Ideally, it would be great to not get bitten by the dog at all. So what do you do? You keep an eye on the dog and be at the ready to defend yourself should the dog suddenly decide to attack you. This sounds a lot like the second option, but it is different. The second option waits for an attack to occur before a counterattack is made. This third option sees the attack coming so that the attack can be stopped before it does any harm.

Coming back to Ender's Game, it is clear that genocide was the wrong solution. Since the Formics had not attacked in years, it is theoretically possible that Graff tricked Ender into killing an entire race for no reason. Perhaps they never were in danger of a second Formic attack. This of course does not mean that it is impossible for a second attack to occur. But the Earth's leaders don't have to sit on their hands and wait for a second attack before taking action. They can monitor the Formics and prepare defenses to keep Earth safe should a second invasion come. In Ender's Game, the Earth's leaders do not take this course of action, and instead they cause a boy to do something that will haunt him for the rest of his life all in the name of security. It is those kinds of decisions that the film frowns upon, and Christian viewers should frown with it.

Don't miss this week's installment in my weekly movie review series. The review will be for Inception, and it will go live tomorrow (Tuesday).

Concerning Suicide Squad

This is a transcript of a conversation I had with my friend, Cody DeFount, in a Youtube video. You can find the video at the end of this article.

Me: "Hey, everyone! I'm here with my friend and fellow Youtuber Cody DeFount, and we're here to talk about the new movie - or relatively new at this point - Suicide Squad, which as we all know is about supervillains. And the question that we're specifically here to answer today is whether or not Christians should watch movies with those kinds of characters as the protagonists. Should Christians watch movies where they are being asked to root for villainous characters? So, Cody, what's your first impression of Suicide Squad based off of things you've read and trailers and such?"

Cody: "Yeah, so I haven't seen the movie, but I do think that first off that a Christian should be Suicide Squad - like I said I haven't seen it - but..."
discerning. That's kind of obvious. But I think when you watch it, you shouldn't just be enjoying it, obviously, you should be discerning; really evaluating the characters. And with

Me: "We were just reading on Plugged In Online from Focus on the Family about some of the characters."

Cody: "Yeah. You could see inner struggles within certain characters and regret."

Me: "Which is a good thing."

Cody: "But at the end the characters just continued on their troubled way."

Me: "Yeah."

Cody: "But you see a struggle for... inner contemplation or dialogue of the characters to kind of show human nature either through ambition or false motives, you know? They may struggle with that. That's my initial impression."

Me: "Yeah. I mean, it's interesting when you look at Suicide Squad because, like you said, you do have those conflicted characters, and you do get kind of a study into what makes these characters these characters and why they're bad. But on the other hand this movie is also asking us to root for these characters, and throughout the movie - I'm assuming based off of the trailers - that they are doing things that aren't necessarily moral. I mean, just between the trailers and the fact that they're villains, I'm assuming there would be actions on their part that probably aren't the most moral. You know, one of the catchphrases in the trailer was Harley Quinn saying 'We're bad guys, this is what we do.' So I think that's a big part, and one of the biggest concerns I have with that - despite the look into man's total depravity, which is an important aspect of our theology - I'm just not sure as far as being expected to root for those kinds of characters..."

Cody: "Yeah. And obviously I don't think we should, and I think you don't."

Me: "Yeah. One thing I think is helpful when discussing this kind of thing - as I was telling you before we started filming this - is to look at the standard set in Scripture. And one of the standards that we find in Scripture is in Paul's epistle to the Philippians in chapter four, verse eight, where it says, 'Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.' And it's a question that we need to ask about movies. Not necessarily, 'What's the movie rated?' Instead we need we need to think about that once we let it enter our minds, it doesn't go away. We may forget about it, but it's still there and it could rise back up to the surface at any time. And movies are powerful things. They have the ability to change the way we think about things. So, what do you think?"

Cody: "So, that verse - I really like that verse. It's just a good verse for anything as far as books or movies or..."

Me: "TV shows or music."

Cody: "Yeah. And so for a movie like The Dark Knight - it's another superhero movie - and Batman is a vigilante, and obviously that's against the law and none of us should go out and do that. But when I see, for instance, in the third one where he sacrifices his life..."

Me: "Spoiler alert!" (both of us laugh) "You all have probably already seen it, so never mind."

Cody: "I just won't say, but he... you know there's that verse that says, 'Greater love has no one than this, then he that lays down his life for his brother.' And when I see that I just... I want to do something like that - not to be noticed, but just to do that for someone. You know, we all strive to do good things, to love one another, to make a difference in people's lives. And so, that's what I think of when I think about such things. There's a lot of violence in superhero movies, and..."

Me: "One of the key things in making a hero relatable that I've learned just from learning about storytelling is that you have to make your characters flawed, but still relatable. So there is a point to which your character needs to have some kind of character flaw. But the question is do they overcome that flaw, or do they embrace it and say, 'This is who I am, this is what I'm going to do, and I don't care what anyone else thinks.'? I think how they handle that flaw is very telling for whether or not it's an edifying piece of entertainment. Yeah, so, any further thoughts on that?"

Cody: "Yeah, I guess in Suicide Squad it'll be more of they don't learn from... they probably continue on their way."

Me: "Yeah, like the Plugged In Online review said, you know, that it's commendable that they go to save the world, however - they didn't say this in the article, I just know this part from the plot synopsis - they're being coerced into doing it first of all. But they're also doing it - as Plugged In Online pointed out - so that they have a place to store their loot."

Cody: "Yeah, we see people doing good things, but really just for an ulterior motive."

Me: "Yeah, for the wrong reasons, for personal gain."

Cody: "Which... like when we read the Bible, we see characters who do vile things and have ulterior motives like the Pharisees, and we think, 'Oh, those bad people.' What we should actually be doing is realizing, 'Do I do that?' And we don't know."

Me: "And I think it's good when we see characters like that to self-evaluate, and think, 'Could this be me? Could I do that?' And if we see some of that sin in ourselves, we should repent of that and ask God for forgiveness. But I think there's also a difference between what the Bible does where it doesn't glorify sin - it shows it in a way that is very negative, and that's the point to convict you of that sin - whereas if you have something like Suicide Squad, or for another example, National Treasure where they're just doing these bad things and there's no call to repent of such behavior - it's in many ways glorifying that action. I was telling one of my roommates before you came here today that in National Treasure you have two characters, both of whom are seeking after this treasure and both of them, in order to do so, need the Declaration of Independence. So they're racing to get a hold of the Declaration of Independence and steal it, and my question is, watching that, 'What's the difference between the two characters? Why aren't we rooting for the character who's depicted as the villain and not the one who's depicted as the hero? What's the difference?' That's a movie that glorifies the sin, it doesn't depict it in a way that says, 'This is wrong.' You don't have one character trying to steal the Declaration of Independence and the other character saying, 'No, that's wrong, I can't let you do that.' Is that edifying? And to some extent, I think that that's a question that different Christians need to answer because for some Christians, I think it is a way for them to self-evaluate, to wonder, 'Do I see that sin in myself? Is this something that I need to repent of?' But on the other hand, if you're being asked to root for a character, you don't necessarily have to do it. But if you do what most people do when they watch a movie and just shut your brain off and stop evaluating what you see in front of you, you're prone to start rooting for those characters without thinking about it, and then before you know it, it's impacted your thinking. You know, I wrote a blog article recently - actually it wasn't recently, it was a couple months ago - about the X-Men movies, and how influential those movies were to people's thinking about tolerance and inclusion. And they didn't do it by telling, they did it by showing. And sometimes you start agreeing with them. I can't watch those movies without going, 'Yeah, you're right! Go!" and all of a sudden I'm like, "Wait a minute, that's not right. That's not what the Bible says,' or, 'That's not practical.' So that's my main concern with a movie like Suicide Squad, that people are prone to turn their brains off while watching movies and just kind of passively view them. And then on some level you start rooting for the characters, and then maybe in the real world you don't see that sin as sin, per se, because you become used to characters doing things like this."

Cody: "Hm. Yeah. I can see how that is."

Me: "So, what do you think? Should Christians go see Suicide Squad? Obviously, neither of us have seen it, so..."

Cody: "Yeah. I don't plan on seeing it any time soon."

Me: "Same here."

Cody: "That's hard. I think we should be discerning."

Me: "Yes, being discerning is very important. You should use the principles laid out in Philippians. If you don't think watching a movie like Suicide Squad is going to allow you to think about what is true, lovely, commendable, and worthy of praise, then you shouldn't go see it. But if it's going to cause you to think about, 'Wow, I'm such a sinner and I need to repent,' and it causes you to glorify God in that way, then maybe you should. Just be careful that you're not shutting brain off and subconsciously rooting for immoral behavior. Yeah, so I think that's the bottom line."

Cody: "I do too. That's good."

At this point, we concluded the video with typical Youtuber talk. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Special thanks to Cody for his contribution to this. Please take some time to check out our Youtube channels, and stay tuned on this blog because I am currently working on a review that I hope to have posted soon. Thanks again for your time.

Should Christians Watch Movies With Gay Characters?

With the recent announcement that the new Star Trek film will introduce the concept of Sulu being gay, Christian fans of the franchise are faced with a dilemma. Must they refuse to see the film on principle, or can they sit back and watch the film? There are several factors that must be considered when determining whether or not viewing a film with a homosexual character is appropriate. The purpose of the homosexuality within the film and the extent of what is depicted are important factors in deciding this issue, but they must also be examined with the teachings of Scripture in mind.

So what does Scripture say on this topic? Obviously, the Scriptures never say "Thou shalt not watch movies with homosexual characters in them." This does not mean that the Scriptures are not informative, however. Firstly, Leviticus 18:22 explicitly states that sexual relations between two men is an abomination to God. Since this statement in Leviticus is expanding on the commandment to not commit adultery, it is a part of the moral law. Therefore, the command not to have homosexual relations is still applicable. This is confirmed in Romans 1:26-27 when Paul describes homosexuality - whether between women or men - in a way that clearly denotes it as sinful. Why does that matter when it comes to watching a movie? Well because in Philippians 4:8 Paul tells us to think about "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable." True, this is not a command to not allow yourself to be exposed to sin in entertainment. This is where the purpose and the extent of the homosexual content comes into play.

There are two reasons a homosexual character might appear in a movie. The first is to depict homosexuality in a negative light; to show it as the sin that it is. The second is to depict it positively; to affirm such behavior as acceptable. If the former is the case, viewing the film in question is acceptable so long as the film does not present the viewer with explicit homosexual imagery (I'm counting kissing as such imagery, by the way). This is because the film in question caused the viewer to think of homosexuality as wrong (which is true) and did not present the viewer with images that when thought upon later would cause the viewer to be thinking thoughts that are not honorable, pure, lovely, or commendable. However, this scenario is rarely the case. Normally, films present homosexuality positively. Such content is meant to cause the viewer to see homosexuality as an acceptable way of life. Films with this kind of content are typically seeking to normalize homosexuality so that people become desensitized to such behavior. This may sound ridiculous, but history has taught us that films have the power to affect people's thinking (see my post about the X-Men movies to see an example of this). The way these films seek to affect people's thinking leads viewers to think thoughts that are not true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, or commendable. Sure, Christian viewers may still know consciously that homosexuality is wrong. However, they will gradually be brought to a point where they do not find it as repulsive as they once did because they have become used to it. This is bad because homosexuality is something that God has told us that He finds repulsive. If God finds it repulsive, should not His people also find it repulsive?

Therefore, given the Scripture's teachings about homosexuality and the things upon which we ought to meditate, it can be inferred that Christians should allow themselves to be exposed to films and television programs that are seeking to present homosexuality as normal and acceptable. Granted, there will be times when Christian viewers will accidentally come across this kind of content (though such an accident is most likely to occur when viewing television programs). However, with all of the websites from which viewers can access reviews of films and television programs, Christians should be able to easily determine if homosexual content is present before they view a film or television program. Sorry, fellow Christian Trekkies; Star Trek Beyond is not clear for launch.

Why Are Christian Films So Bad?

 Christian films are often associated with being cheesy and preachy. They aren't well received by secular audiences and even some Christians don't like them. I think that part of the problem is the expectations Christians have for Christian films. Because Christian filmmakers are trying to meet those expectations, the films suffer. To prove my point, here are some expectations that Christian filmmakers need to stop catering to if they don't want to alienate secular audiences.

The protagonist must be a believer and the antagonist must be an unbeliever
The only exception to this is if the film is about an unbeliever that becomes a believer before the film ends. This idea has led to one of the biggest criticisms that unbelievers have about Christian films, and for good reason. Meeting this expectation often causes Christian filmmakers to depict characters in an unrealistic or (in the case of the unbelieving characters) unloving manner. Yes, that's right, this is the source of the evil atheist stereotype in Christian films. Because unbelievers are almost always set up as antagonists in Christian films, they always come across as downright evil people out to silence Christians forever. However, this is not how it is in real life. There are a lot of unbelievers out there who are really nice people, they just don't believe in God. And while it's sad that they don't believe in God, that doesn't mean that they're out to get you because you believe in God. So depicting all unbelievers as really evil people on film is just wrong. Besides, there are other options for antagonists. Another believer could be the antagonist. The story could be about two Christians who are rivals for some reason. Maybe they both like the same girl or maybe they're running for office against each other. There are ways to make Christians antagonists without discrediting their Christianity. Furthermore, the hero of a Christian film can be an unbeliever who never becomes a believer in the film. Don't believe me? Look at the story of Samson in the book of Judges. An argument can be made that he was not a true believer, and yet the Bible takes the time to tell his story. Telling a story from Christian worldview about an unbeliever is not only possible, but could even make for a very interesting film. Bottom line is that the protagonist of a Christian film does not have to be a Christian and the antagonist does not have to be a non-Christian.

The film's message must be clearly stated
This is the reason Christian films often get called "preachy" or "on the nose." Because Christian filmmakers feel like they have to make their point really clear, they end up telling rather than showing their point. At this point, you might be saying, "But if Christian filmmakers don't clearly state their message, won't the movie fail to lead people to Christ?" Well, first of all, it's not the filmmaker's job to preach to the audience; that's a pastor's job. Second of all, some of the most ideologically influential films in film history did not state their point. Instead, they assumed their point when telling the story, causing them to demonstrate their point in a very natural way. Recently, I wrote an article about the X-Men film franchise and how those films have influenced the way Americans view discrimination. The X-Men movies didn't have this influence because a character explained why discrimination is bad. Instead, those films showed how discrimination is bad. Christian filmmakers need to start taking queues from movies like the X-Men movies and start being more subtle in the way they present their beliefs. If you assume your worldview when you tell a story, your audience will be forced to assume that same worldview in order to care about your characters (again, the X-Men films do this beautifully). When this happens, you can provoke change in the thinking of your audience. On the other hand, when you state your point, the people who disagree with you will immediately be alienated because they recognize that point as something they don't agree with. If Christians want their films to actually reach unbelievers, they need to stop clearly stating their point.

Christian films must be family-friendly
Now, I am not saying that it's alright for Christian filmmakers to put foul language and sexual content in their films. Doing so causes the actors to sin for the sake of other people's entertainment, which is obviously wrong. However, there are topics that Christians need to address, and many of those topics provide many story possibilities for filmmakers. Christian filmmakers should be able to tackle these stories and issues without having to water it down so that the film is appropriate for children. There are some topics that are too mature for young viewers, and when Christian filmmakers try to make films about these topics that are family-friendly, the end result is usually pretty corny. Christian filmmakers should be able to address certain topics in a way that impacts the audience, and sometimes that means releasing a movie that parents shouldn't let their kids see. And that's OK.

God and/or Jesus must be mentioned at least once in the film
I see Christians cry foul every time a Christian film doesn't mention God or Jesus once. The thing is, Christian films can glorify God without mentioning God. Just because a film calls itself a Christ honoring film doesn't mean that characters are going to talk about Jesus in the film. The Bible tells us that we honor God when we do what is pleasing to Him, and as long as a Christian film fits the standards of Philippians 4:8-9, they will honor God whether they mention Him or not. Still not convinced? Look at Jesus Himself. He told stories all the time to make his point. These stories honored God, and yet in many cases they did not make any mention of God whatsoever (see for example the parable of the Good Samaritan). If Jesus could tell stories without mentioning God, then Christian filmmakers should be granted the freedom to tell a good story that honors God without feeling pressured to mention God in their story. Now, I wholeheartedly believe that if the story legitimately calls for it, Christian filmmakers should not be afraid to talk about God in their films. However, if talking about God in their film does not contribute to the story, it's OK to not mention God at all.

These are just a few of the changes Christian filmmakers need to make in order to not alienate secular audiences, and if Christian audiences would be willing to give up these expectations, it will be a step in the right direction for the Christian film industry as a whole.

The X-Men Franchise - A Story about Tolerance

With the release of the latest installment in the X-Men franchise, X-Men: Apocalypse, hitting theaters this past weekend, I thought this would be a good time to look back at the franchise as a whole. After all, the X-Men franchise started our modern obsession with superhero films. And while the compelling stories and interesting characters definitely played a part in that, I think one of the biggest factors in the X-Men franchise's success is their timely message about tolerance. The installments that are among the franchise's best (2000's X-Men, its sequel X2: X-Men United, and 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past) deal with the simple question of how we should treat people who are different from us. Throughout these films, we see that the X-Men just want be treated like normal human beings, but the general population respond to them in fear because they are different.

At least, the films would like you to believe it's that simple. However, the films' villains raise valid points. The mutants have powers that turn them into potential threats for those who are not mutant. What they are proposing isn't discrimination, it's threat assessment. But the X-Men films would love to have you believe that it's discrimination for discrimination's sake. Characters argue about whether or not mutant children should be allowed to go to school with normal children. The films present this as the normal humans discriminating against mutants, when in reality we're seeing parents who are legitimately concerned about the safety of their non-mutant children.

Does this sound familiar? If it does, that's because the X-Men franchise have done more than pave the way for a successful superhero film industry. These films have also influenced our culture's thinking. They paved the way for homosexuality to become socially acceptable. And the transgender bathroom controversy playing out right now? We're having almost the exact same debate about that as the characters have in the X-Men films about whether or not mutants should get to go to the same schools as other mutants. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the X-Men films are pushing for these things to be made socially acceptable. What I am saying, is that because of the way these films present the debate over the mutants' place in the world, the culture has learned that it is wrong to discriminate between people because they are different. This has caused our culture to come to believe that homosexuals and transgender people should not be treated any differently from anyone else.

If this all seems like crazy talk to you, go back and watch the first X-Men movie again. This time, don't just sit back and passively observe what is going on. Instead, actively think about what is being said when the issue of mutant rights comes up. Think through the arguments. Are they that much different from what we're seeing in our society today? Sometimes, I have to make a distinction between what is going on in front of me and the homosexual debate because the film has the clear message that people shouldn't be treated differently because they are different from us.

Now, I am not saying that the X-Men films are bad films. I really enjoy watching them. What I am saying is that this franchise aptly demonstrates that ideas have consequences. The ideas regarding tolerance and discrimination that are presented in the X-Men films have had a powerful impact on the thinking of those who do not take the time to think through the ideas being presented on the screen in front of them. Therefore, the X-Men films ought to be watched with discernment, and parents watching the films with their children should take the time to talk with their children about when we, as Christians, can be tolerant of people who are different from us and when we must discriminate.

The #GiveSoAndSoAGirlfriend/Boyfriend Movement

Even if you don't follow entertainment news like I do, I'm sure you've come across news articles in you social media feed about fans clamoring for Disney to give Elsa a girlfriend. #GiveElsaAGirlfriend is quite popular, and it's already having a ripple effect, with news breaking today that Captain America fans are promoting #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend. As a fan of Captain America and also as a person who really liked Frozen and also as a Christian, I very much do not approve of these movements. And since I am a Christian, I must stand for what is right. But what is the right way do do this? How should one stand for what's right on social media?

As this #GiveSoAndSoAGirlfriend/Boyfriend craze has developed, I have seen various types of reactions to it from those who do not support it. I have seen some threaten to boycott Disney if Disney decides to give the #GiveElsaAGirlfriend people what they want. I have seen others post rants in comment sections (which I will admit I was tempted to do when I saw the post that told me about #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend). I have seen people share articles about these movements with a caption along these lines: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" And thanks to Facebook's new "Angry" reaction button, I have seen people simply click "Angry" instead of "Like" on posts about either of these hashtags. But which of these are the right response?

To quote Vision from Avengers: Age of Ultron, "I don't think it's that simple." Social media has given us a means through which we can let our feelings about things loose without any consequences in the real world. And I hate to break it to you, but your little outburst of righteous indignation on Facebook or Twitter isn't going to change anybody's mind. Those who are pushing these hashtags will just dismiss you as a homophobic bigot, and let's be honest, Hollywood doesn't care about that "Angry" button you just clicked. But not only will these reactions cause little or no change, but they are also not godly. Maybe that anger you feel is righteous, but chances are it's not. Just because you're right while you're being angry doesn't mean your anger is righteous. It is human instinct to have a strong emotional response when we see a viewpoint we disagree with for a topic that we care strongly about. This is what happened with me when I saw #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend. But the whole world does not need to know that you are angry about this. It won't change anyone's mind, and it won't show forth the love of God.

So what is the appropriate reaction? Well, we know it's not as simple as simply reacting on social media. These hashtags represent a movement. If we are going to do something to stop this movement, social media isn't the means through which to do it. What these movements demonstrate is the total depravity of the unregenerate heart, and the only way to stop the movement is to go for the heart of the problem. We must address these movements by reaching out to its supporters with the Gospel. Social media comments won't change their minds, but the Holy Spirit can. But since faith comes from the preaching of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit won't change these people if we don't reach out with the Gospel.

As for the hashtags themselves, I think we need to remember that they are just symptoms of a larger problem. However, these symptoms do need to be addressed, and if you want to tell Hollywood on social media that you don't approve of the #GiveSoAndSoAGirlfriend/Boyfriend movement, I would recommend a politely worded post. Here's an example: "Dear Disney, Please #DoNotGiveElsaAGirlfriend." Basically, start a new hashtag that opposes the one that is currently trending and see if it'll start trending too. However, the most effective solution would be to just not see a film featuring an LGBT character. Box Office tickets are the equivalent to voting for a movie. If you buy a ticket for a movie, you are voting for that movie. If the movie is successful, Hollywood thinks there is demand for the type of content and will make more like it. So if Box Office sales for Frozen 2 aren't as good as the sales for the first one because it's been confirmed that Elsa will have a girlfriend in it (it hasn't actually; this is a hypothetical scenario), then Disney might reconsider before doing the same thing again. But remember, these problems are only symptoms of a larger problem, and if we don't offer the actual cure to people, we are only treating the symptoms.

Bryan Singer on Biblical Analogy in "X-Men: Apocalypse"

I just saw an article published by IGN in which X-Men director Bryan Singer talks about the presence of biblical analogy in the newest installment in the franchise, X-Men: Apocalypse. If you've seen any of the trailers for this film, you knew that there was going to be some kind of biblical influence in the film because in the trailers the main villain's four henchmen are compared to the four horsemen from the book of Revelation. But apparently the biblical influence goes much farther than that. Here is Bryan Singer's comments concerning the film's villain, Apocalypse:

"[Apocalypse is] kind of the opposite of Christ, actually. Christ would have come years after him, by the way. Our premise is [Apocalypse] stomped around ancient Egypt, and that's when he is buried and awakens in 1983. He's kind of more the God of the Old Testament, the vengeful God who wants the world in a certain order and wants to be worshipped -- but he's also forgiving,” 

Let's play a game. It's called "Find the Problem in Singer's Statement." Trick question. There are two problems. The first is that Singer has no understanding of the biblical God. God is not different in the Old and New Testaments. He is unchanging, and so His wrath and His forgiveness never changed in their degrees. The second problem is that the new X-Men villain is inspired by God. Apocalypse sees wrong in the world and seeks to correct it by destroying it and build a new world. Sound familiar? It should, because in the book of Revelation we see God destroying the old creation and bringing in the new creation. I'm already not liking where this analogy is going, but it gets even worse. Singer continues:

“He's also a false god, which makes him kind of like a cult leader. So [Apocalypse actor Oscar Isaac] and [writer/producer Simon Kinberg] not only studied religion but also studied the nature of cults and how they function. And that helped inform us how he chooses his Four Horsemen. Because in his mythology he always has four protectors and followers -- because he does have moments of vulnerability, which you'll see in the movie."

 I feel like with this statement Singer was trying to win back the Christian demographic by basically saying, "Yes, this villain is inspired by your God, but this character isn't your God." That may be so, but the problem is that that's not how it will come across in the movie. What we're going to be seeing in the movie is a character who is basically an evil version of God. To really get where this is going, we need Singer's explanation of how the leader of the X-Men, Charles Xavier, fits into this analogy:

"I've gotten to explore Professor X when he was an older, bald, wise man, when he's insecure, when he's defenseless, when he's powerful. He's more of a Christ figure. He chooses to be a teacher. He could go inside Cerebro and rule the world, but he chooses not to. He chooses to teach and preach and hope that people follow his message: peace and unity. And I've gotten to see him as a drug addict and a loser, and in this movie you're going to get to see him prosperous and almost blindly optimistic, and how he changes."

I have no idea where Singer is trying to go with this statement (and we probably won't know until the film arrives in theaters), but I do know that Singer does not understand who Christ is at all. That being said, if X-Men: Apocalypse goes so far as to make it clear that Xavier is a Christ figure, what does that mean for the message that comes across in the film? We'll basically have (allegorically speaking) Christ fighting to save the world from being destroyed by God's wrath. That sounds somewhat biblical, since by dying on the cross for us, the real Christ saved His people from the wrath of the real God. But this is a spiritual salvation, and it does not save the world from the wrath that is to come. This movie is going to turn this salvation into a physical salvation for the entire world. Furthermore, the film will be depicting events similar to the judgement in Revelation (a comparison we already know the film will make), but depicting that judgement in a negative light. I frankly don't care that Apocalypse is only inspired by God and not actually God. What this film will be conveying is that God is wrong to destroy the earth.

All of this being said, I will be seeing this movie in order to review it (whether I do it when the film is in theaters or if I will wait until the home media release I have not yet decided). However, unless the film can cause me to see a story that isn't a flawed analogy for the book of Revelation, my recommendation to Christian audiences will be to not support this film.

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Road to "Civil War"

Well, this is it folks. In just a few short days we will be getting the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Captain America: Civil War. Anticipation is high for this blockbuster. And, as I mentioned last week, lots of people are trying to get caught up on what has happened thus far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Also in that post, I listed all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and ranked them from worst to best in order to help you decide if they were worth your time. However, as you'll recall, only three movies on the list (Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, and Guardians of the Galaxy) were listed as being not worthwhile viewing. That leaves nine movies that are good entertainment. However, not all of them contribute to the story of Captain America: Civil War. So which ones can you skip and have Civil War still make sense, and which ones should you watch in order to get the whole story? Obviously, I have not seen Civil War yet, and so my answer will be complete guesswork based on the events of all the movies that come before Civil War and what we know about the characters and storyline of Civil War. So here we go, a list of all the movies that you can skip and all the movies you might want to watch, listed in their release order (which is the ideal order to watch them in, by the way).

1. Iron Man (Watch)
The conflict of Captain America: Civil War is generated by a piece of legislation intended to hold superhumans accountable for their actions. This legislation causes a split between the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with one side being led by Iron Man, the hero of the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Iron Man is a must-watch in preparation for Civil War because it provides necessary information about Iron Man that will explain why he takes the lead in fighting for the side he does in Civil War.

2. Thor (Skip)
The simple reason for skipping this one is that none of the characters from this film will even appear in Captain America: Civil War, and the fairly stand-alone nature of Thor ensures that those who have not see it will still understand Civil War.

3. Captain America: The First Avenger (Watch)
As I said, Captain America: Civil War will see the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe divided. One side is led by Iron Man, and the other side is led by Captain America. Therefore, this origin story film is necessary viewing for the same reason Iron Man is necessary viewing: The First Avenger provides insight into why Captain America would take the side he does in Civil War.

4. The Avengers (Optional)
This is a hard one to rank because there is little in this movie that will affect your understanding of Civil War. Basically, all that happens in this film is that the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are assembled for the first time to form the Avengers, and in the process it becomes clear that there are a few ideological differences between Captain America and Iron Man. Basically, this film will just give you the beginnings of some of the relationships we will see in Civil War. My recommendation would be to watch it if you have the time, but don't worry about it if you don't have time.

5. Iron Man 3 (Skip)
Though I personally think this one is a little better than the original Iron Man movie, no new information is given to us in this one that will impact Civil War in any way. For the purposes of preparing for Civil War, this one is a skip.

6. Thor: The Dark World (Skip)
This film (just like the first Thor film) shares no characters in common with Civil War and the story of this installment is even more standalone in nature than the original Thor film. So, this, like the first Thor film, can safely be skipped before watching Civil War.

7. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Watch)
It's hard to talk about why this one is important without talking about spoilers, so suffice it to say that in some respects Civil War is a direct sequel to two different films. The first is The Winter Soldier. Several storylines that began in this film will be continued in Civil War, and so Civil War will probably be difficult to follow if you haven't seen The Winter Soldier beforehand.

8. Avengers: Age of Ultron (Watch)
Remember when I said that Civil War is a direct sequel to two films? Well, Age of Ultron is the second one. Civil War has been advertised as something of an aftermath movie to Age of Ultron, and given the storyline of Age of Ultron and what we know of the plot of Civil War, this 99.9% certain to be true. So make sure to watch Age of Ultron before you go see Civil War.

9. Ant-Man (Optional)
The hero of Ant-Man will be in Civil War, and one of the few parts of the movie I have seen is the way he is introduced to the story. Believe me, his appearance will seem a little out of the blue if you haven't seen Ant-Man, but it won't be anything you'll leave the theater scratching your head about if you haven't seen Ant-Man. So, like I said with The Avengers, watch it if you can before you go see Civil War. However, if you don't get a chance to watch Ant-Man, don't worry about it. Civil War will still make sense without it.

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Well there you have it. If you haven't seen any of the previous Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and would like to see Civil War (or if you've seen them and want to refresh your memory on all the important stuff before seeing Civil War), you should watch Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Avengers: Age of Ultron before you head to the theaters this weekend. And, if you have the time, throw The Avengers and Ant-Man in there as well. Watching these movies before Civil War will help you better understand what is going on in Civil War when you see it. If you are a parent, and aren't sure if these movies are safe for your kids, check out the Plugged In Online reviews listed below. Also, keep an eye out for my review of Captain America: Civil War later this week!

Iron Man

Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Optional films:

The Avengers 

Ant-Man 

Marvel Cinematic Universe: From Worst to Best

With the impending release of Captain America: Civil War, Marvel fans are gearing up for an epic Avengers vs. Avengers showdown. For some, this means looking back at all the Marvel movies that came before this latest superhero flick. If you are one of these fans, or if you think Civil War looks interesting and would like to get caught up on the Marvel Cinematic Universe films before Civil War comes out, then check out this list before doing so. In this list, I will be ranking the Marvel Cinematic Universe films from worst to best, providing a one paragraph review (full reviews will be coming for some of these films sometime in the future) detailing whether or not these films are worth your time. Please note that I have not actually seen The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2, but there are reasons why I have chosen not to watch them. Therefore, they will still be on this list, with explanations of why I determined they were not worth my time before I bothered to watch them. I have seen all of the other films in this list. So here we go:

12. Iron Man 2

This is the third installment in this series of films. However, it ranks at the bottom of the list for two reason. The first is that it is a lot more inappropriate content-wise. After reading on Plugged In Online about the amount of sexual content in this film, I made my initial decision to not watch this film. However, I later found out another detail about the film that strengthened my determination to never watch this film. This detail is the fact that the screenwriters sacrificed good storytelling to further build the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Rather than create a compelling conflict between the hero and the villain, the film focused more on doing things like introducing the organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. and developing the concept of the Avengers Initiative. The combination of these facts made me decide that I would never watch this movie, and puts this film at the bottom of the list.

11. The Incredible Hulk

According to Plugged In Online, this film is incredibly violent - no surprise considering that it is about a guy who can turn into a green rage monster. However, this was not the only reason I chose not to watch this film. The film just looks boring. There is nothing about this film as far as I can tell from reading the storyline on Wikipedia that is at all different from any other film or TV adaptation of the character. Add in the fact that Marvel Studios clearly wants us to forget that this movie ever happened (based on the fact that they recast the Hulk later on and have totally ignored the events of the film in later installments), and I think there is sufficient reason to ignore this film.

10. Guardians of the Galaxy

The unfortunate thing about this film is that it is very well made and has an engaging story. It's even one of the funnier installments in the series. Unfortunately, this film about space criminals trying to save a planet is filled with profanity. The total count of profanities in Guardians of the Galaxy is 40 swear words. For me, these profanities were so frequent that I had difficulty enjoying the movie. This is one I would have skipped if I had known beforehand just how heavy the language was going to be.

9. The Avengers

I think I just infuriated the die-hard fans. Most people will tell you that this is one of the best installments in the series. However, this film sometimes feels like a bunch of action sequences strung together by some dialogue (though that dialogue is really good). Furthermore, the main villain's plan doesn't make much sense when you think about it long enough (though Tom Hiddleston does a phenomenal job playing the villain). This, in conjunction with a few tedious scenes and a deus ex machina ending puts this film toward the bottom of the list. This is still a film worth watching though, as it is very entertaining (especially when Tom Hiddleston is in the scene or when writer/director Joss Whedon inserts his famous sense of humor into the film).

8. Thor: The Dark World

This film suffers one of the same problems that The Avengers does, namely that it feels like a bunch of action sequences strung together by some dialogue. However, it does share one of The Avengers's good points (and in spades): Tom Hiddleston reprising his role from The Avengers. This film - while not a great film - ranks above The Avengers because it is more entertaining to watch than The Avengers.

7. Iron Man

Here I go making the die-hard fans mad again, but let's face it, Iron Man did well what The Dark Knight Rises did better. Both movies feature the hero being captured and tortured by the villain and the hero subsequently having to find the strength to escape. However, The Dark Knight Rises kept you on the edge of your seat when this was happening while Iron Man is just tedious at this point in the story. Both films have surprise reveals at the end, but Iron Man's is pretty predictable, whereas the reveal in The Dark Knight Rises is such a surprise that I would consider it to be one of the best movie twists I have ever seen. Iron Man is still a fun movie and worth a watch, but it's not as good as some other superhero films out there.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger

This one was once my favorite, but the more times I watch it, the less I like it. I love the main character. He is probably my favorite superhero of both DC and Marvel characters. However, the film contains quite a bit of profanity (the reason I like it less every time I watch is because I catch more profanity every time I watch it). However, it saves itself on the merit of its being totally different from any other Marvel Cinematic Universe film. This film is basically a war movie disguised as a superhero movie - which makes sense since it takes place during World War II. Like Iron Man, it can be tedious (especially in the first act), but the exciting second half makes the wait worth it. If only the movie had spent a little more time on the events of the second half of the film, this one might rank a little higher on the list. However, I still really like this movie just because I love the main character so much, and so I would still recommend checking this one out.

5. Iron Man 3

This is another unique entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because it separates the main character from that which makes him a superhero: his Iron Man suit. Without the suit, the hero is just an ordinary guy trying to save the world from a superhuman threat. This gives some of the action sequences a feel that is rather reminiscent of the MacGyver television series. In addition, the hero becomes a lot more relatable in this installment. Many die-hard comic fans will be upset by the film's big twist, but for the general population, this is an entertaining romp worth checking out.

4. Thor

I'm a little partial to this one because this was the first installment I saw (despite the fact that it's actually the fourth one). However, I like it for more reason then sentimental reasons. Thor isn't strictly a superhero movie. It's a tale of an arrogant prince whose arrogance puts his father's people in danger and so the king must banish the prince. From there, the film becomes a fish-out-of-water tale as the prince learns to live without his power in modern day New Mexico. In addition, we get an interesting beginning to a romantic storyline that continues to play out in the film's sequel. All-in-all, this film is worth viewing because of its well written drama.

3. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Despite popular opinion, I think this film is an improvement over the original Avengers film. There are lots of storylines going on in this film, but writer/director Joss Whedon does a great job of doing them all justice. There are some new heroes in this film that get their time to shine, and some of the more underdeveloped characters from earlier films get some more development. All this is done while continuing the storylines for the three main Avengers (Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man). Well-written and very entertaining, this is definitely a film worth watching.

2. Ant-Man

Short version: this film is hilarious. It's a comedy about a superhero. The only concern here is that people who are scared of insects are probably going to be bothered by the large appearance of bugs when the main character shrinks to the size of an ant. For everyone else though, this film is a must if you want a good laugh and some fun superheroics.

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

This is my favorite superhero film of all time. Part superhero movie, part political thriller, this film is a masterpiece. With a compelling mystery and multiple twists, this film will have you on the edge of your seat. Plus, the film briefly looks at the ethics of doing spy stuff, which can serve as a conversation starter with teens about ethics in general. Just watch this movie if you haven't already.

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Next week, I will post another Marvel Cinematic Universe list counting down which of these movies are necessary viewing before Captain America: Civil War if you are not caught up on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plus, if you would like further information about the content of the films in this list, check out the links to Plugged In Online's reviews below (listed in the same order as the list above).

Iron Man 2  
The Incredible Hulk 
Guardians of the Galaxy 
The Avengers 
Thor: The Dark World 
Iron Man 
Captain America: The First Avenger 
Iron Man 3 
Thor 
Avengers: Age of Ultron 
Ant-Man 
Captain America: The Winter Soldier