A Shark's Tale or a Parable gone bad.
Dreamworks has the craft of movie making down cold. They can take any story fill it with sound, lights, and music. PC-ize it to death and make it fun for the little ones. Add a few snarky jokes with references to pop-culture old enough to go over the heads of those same little ones, and the adults don't come out reaching for a good single-malt to wash out the cotton candy.
On the other hand, while Michelle Malkin has pointed out the most obvious of the objectionable features of this film. However the problems go deeper than that. There are two hidden (in plain view) messages in the film. The first is the standard PC line, "celebrate diversity". The second is that avoiding all responsibility is ok if you eventually learn that some responsibility cannot be shirked. And that if you have a really snappy personality you can overcome anything. If you listen closely you can hear the Puritan work ethic spinning in its grave.
Well, unfortunately for me, when I hear the words "celebrate diversity", a echoed refrain sounds in my head to the tune of "f**k diversity". For a more enlightened ecclesial discussion of that see here (multi-parts, just look around for the rest).
As for the second message in the story, I know it is a lot to ask for my $20 (2 adults, 2 children always matinee), but you'd think after 3000 years we could do a little better. 3000 years ago, kids grew up on stories about Naomi and Ruth, Hector and Achilles, or the Monkey King. We get fish, uhm, my see how progress marches on.
On the other hand, while Michelle Malkin has pointed out the most obvious of the objectionable features of this film. However the problems go deeper than that. There are two hidden (in plain view) messages in the film. The first is the standard PC line, "celebrate diversity". The second is that avoiding all responsibility is ok if you eventually learn that some responsibility cannot be shirked. And that if you have a really snappy personality you can overcome anything. If you listen closely you can hear the Puritan work ethic spinning in its grave.
Well, unfortunately for me, when I hear the words "celebrate diversity", a echoed refrain sounds in my head to the tune of "f**k diversity". For a more enlightened ecclesial discussion of that see here (multi-parts, just look around for the rest).
As for the second message in the story, I know it is a lot to ask for my $20 (2 adults, 2 children always matinee), but you'd think after 3000 years we could do a little better. 3000 years ago, kids grew up on stories about Naomi and Ruth, Hector and Achilles, or the Monkey King. We get fish, uhm, my see how progress marches on.
posted by Mark at 10/07/2004 05:00:00 PM
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