DATE: 22nd December 2007
TO: Pope Benedict XVI and all the other dudes at the Vatican
FROM: Dr Rotwang!
SUBJECT: Polar Bear Fights
It has come to my attention that you and your organization have, in your newspaper l'Osservatore Romano, talked some serious smack about the film The Golden Compass. Apparently you said some jazz or other about how the film "promotes a cold and hopeless world without God." That's a quote from Reuters.
I saw the film last night. I enjoyed it. Sure, there were plenty of infodumps, and some of the dialog is pure, unabashed exposition. So it's not perfect but it was pretty keen, especially what with the Edwardian steampunk vibe, the airships, and Sam Elliot. In an airship.
Oh, and of course the polar bears.I totally saw a couple of armored polar bears go paw-to-paw in that movie last night, beating the frozen crap out of each other, and the climax of the battle was jaw-dropping to say the least. So I got my money's worth and my time was well-spent.
On top of that, the film's basic message was "don't let someone who thinks they know better than you tell you that they know better than you, and make your own damn decisions." Yes, the film features a stuffy orthodox organization in the film which resembles, umn, the Catholic church, and I hear that in the books it is a church. The message is still a good one, though: don't just obey because someone tells you to.
Those polar bears were wailing on each, hardcore. It was cool, and one of them really had it coming because he was a dirty cheat and the other talked like Gandalf. Guess who won? Or, uh, did you actually see the movie?
So. If digging on free will, opposing stodgy authority and totally awesome polar bear fights is wrong, well...
...I'll see you in Hell.
COPY TO:
I Waste The Buddha With My Crossbow readers
Your Mom
