My conclusion: the Mexican food meal prior to seeing the movie was the highlight of the evening.
Here's my review.
- It's Hollywood. What did we expect? Darren Aronofsky directed Black Swan. Who would be surprised at what he came up with?
- The previews before the Feature were all science fiction selections. That should have been a clue, too.
- Only the four names of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, an ark and a flood were true to the biblical story.
- The storyline was to restore creation which had been damaged by evil men by vegetarian chosen ones who build a vessel to start creation over again rather than to restore a sin-broken relationship between God and people--which is a much more significant story to be told.
- While told repeatedly, I was never sure of the importance of the Adam and Eve story to the overall story.
- The director's efforts to deal with the human condition and values such as justice, love, mercy, and judgment were poorly portrayed in typically contrived dilemmas, and it reflected nothing of the biblical covenant relationship between God and Noah from which those concepts arise.
- The Transformer-like Watchers and Iron Art in the desert threw my mind into a tailspin. I could not sync those with the ancient setting of the story.
- Where did they find those designer clothes and backpacking equipment like the tightly fitting backpacks and saw-edged, steel knife of Noah?
- The solution to thousands of animals, reptiles, and birds living together in closed quarters was magic--as in hocus-pocus. It was ingenious, but the reality train had left the station long before that scene.
- I felt at the end of the film like I did after watching the 1973 film Jesus Christ Superstar, confused at a poorly told story and not sure why they even made the film.
- I am at least pleased so many films built around faith are being made. This "the Bible sells" mentality gives those of us who know the real story to tell it.