Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
We're now well into 2024, and as it's my first entry of the year, it's time for my annual look at my ten favorite movie characters of the previous year!
This is always the most arduous and time- consuming entry I do in my blog, but also the most fun!
The same rules as always apply:
1. The characters are not listed in any order of preference.
2. It can be any kind of character, be it hero, antihero, villain, or supporting character.
3. The characters can be from any movie that came out last year, be it in theaters, direct to video, or streaming online.
4. It can be from any genre of film, of any rating.
5. It can include original characters created for the film, or adaptations of characters from pre- existing properties that are getting the movie treatment.
6. It can include characters appearing for the first time in a movie, or those who we've seen before but who we learn more about.
7. They are all characters which I like a lot as a fan, and that I believe can teach valuable lessons on living as a Christian, whether as a "Be like them" example, a "DON'T be like them" cautionary tale, or an allegory for a Biblical figure or principle. I will explain my reasons for both with each one.
Disclaimer 1: There will be some spoilers for the movies in question to better show why I like these characters and what they can teach us.
Disclaimer 2: Not every movie featured in this list is suitable for sensitive audiences (It should be pretty obvious which ones are and which ones aren't). Use discretion in deciding whether or not to see each of them or let children see them.
Disclaimer 3: I obviously do not own the rights to any of these movies or characters.
Now, let's get this show on the road!
1. Simon Aumar, 'Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.'
I admit, I initially didn't have high hopes for 'Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' (The last attempt at a Dungeons and Dragons movie, back in 2000 or so, was a real stinko, and some admittedly rather out of context things that 'Honor Among Thieves''s writers said about it shortly before its premiere caused many fans to jump to negative conclusions about it), but I was blown away at how good it really was! The story was wonderful, it incorporated elements of the game well, good special effects, solid action sequences (One I especially liked is a sequence in which a shapeshifting heroine has to rapidly escape from a castle, and changes forms multiple times while being chased by guards), and an awesome assortment of characters, especially the sorcerer Simon Aumar!
At first, Simon appears to be a total loser. When the other heroes Edgin and Holga (Old friends of his) are reunited with him, he's pulling off a pitiful attempt at a magic show in order to then magically pick the pockets of his distracted audience. Not the best use of talents, and he doesn't exactly think he's the best pick to help them in their quest to help save the kingdom from an evil threat. On top of all that, he's descended from an immensely powerful sorcerer, so his own incompetence is even more disappointing and embarrassing.
However, as the film progresses, Simon soon proves to be surprisingly useful and handy. His ability to talk briefly to the deceased (He can ask them three questions, then they go back to being dead) enables the heroes to get a lead on the location of a magical helmet that can help them, he helps Holga realize that a possession of hers which she took to be just a simple walking stick was in fact a magical staff which they are then able to use to magically cross a deadly gap, he creates a holographic illusion to distract some guards, and finally gains enough faith in himself to use the helmet's power to break through an important magical seal that blocked the heroes. He then is of immense help in the film's climax, such as conjuring a wave to aid in them escaping from some guards by sea, and using a variety of spells to aid in fighting the evil sorceress Sofina.
Simon provides laughs, sympathy, and all- around likability. Justice Smith balances all of these well with his performance, making Simon a likable character who you'll be eager to see get past his self- deprecation and reach his true potential.
The Scriptural lesson that Simon teaches is on finding your inner confidence, tempered with humility. As established earlier, Simon was long seen as a miserable failure, and consequently, his self- esteem was not exactly the best in the world. It's when he accepts that he DOES have it in him to do good things that he's able to become the hero he always could be. As he himself puts it, "Guess it was just me holding me back."
The Bible reminds believers to have faith in God, but also to have faith in themselves. 2 Timothy 1:7 says "For God gave us not a spirit of fear but of power and love and self- control." God doesn't want us to cower backwards and refuse to do what's right out of fear that we might not think we have what it takes. By trusting in Him, we can know that His strength will flow within us, and we can face any challenge the world may throw at us with confidence.
A great lesson from a great character. Let's hear it for Simon Aumar!
Now that we've looked at someone who specializes in magic and wrestles with self- confidence, our next character is someone who specializes in science and has WAY too much self- confidence to the point of grotesque egomania:
2. The High Evolutionary, 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3.'
The 'Guardians of the Galaxy' series has been one of the most consistently great franchises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it ends on a truly magnificent note with 'Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 3,' with one of its best elements being its central antagonist, the High Evolutionary.
The MCU has produced, in addition to so many wonderful heroes, a bumper crop of fascinating, memorable villains for them to face. Thanos, Loki, Ultron, Killmonger, the Red Skull, Agatha Harkness, I could go on all day. Many of them were quite despicable, with their twisted goals and their heartless means of accomplishing them making them serious threats for our beloved Marvel heroes. So, when I tell you that I consider the High Evolutionary to be quite possibly the single cruelest, most sadistic, and most genuinely evil being in the MCU to date, even worse than Thanos, I want you to know exactly where I'm coming from.
Part mad scientist, part "Utopian" tyrant, part god- wannabe, and vile all the way through, owing to both how he was written and Chukwudi Iwuji's performance as him. Each scene with this guy further highlights just what a twisted, demented monster he truly is. The first time I saw this movie, the High Evolutionary's actions so thoroughly horrified and outraged me that before the movie was even at its halfway point, I was already champing at the bit to see him die.
He is determined to create what he sees as a "Perfect" race and a "Perfect" society (For himself to rule over, of course), and to that end, engages in all kinds of hideous experiments on a variety of creatures, truly the ultimate epitome of the dark side of science. He is the reason why the Guardians hero Rocket Raccoon is the way he is, as it was the High Evolutionary's unspeakable experiments on the poor little guy that enabled him to be able to walk on two legs and talk, AND were why he has such a crude, abrasive attitude towards others (Horrific trauma can do that to a person, or in this case to a raccoon). The High Evolutionary has deemed Rocket's brilliant, inventive brain as being key to creating his imagined perfect race of creatures, and over the course of the film is thus determined to recapture Rocket, kill him, and take and dissect his brain in order to figure out a way to replicate Rocket's intelligence and inventiveness in his own future creations. As you can probably guess, Rocket's fellow Guardians of the Galaxy are not going to let that happen, and are determined to save their friend and stop the High Evolutionary from hurting anyone else.
The High Evolutionary's sheer evil and heartlessness cannot be understated. He doesn't care in the slightest about how many defenseless living things on various planets have to be maimed and killed in order to advance his twisted plans, and it's pretty clear that if he's not stopped, it's just a matter of time before he seeks to impose the same reign of terror on Earth.
A cautionary Scriptural lesson to be taken from the High Evolutionary comes late in the movie. His true nature is revealed to even his own top lackeys when he still insists on trying to capture Rocket and slaughter the other Guardians, even as his own massive ship has been badly damaged and you can tell it won't last long; In his hubris, ordering an evacuation never even occurred to him. One of his closest associates attempts to talk some sense into him, saying "For God's sake...". She never finishes what she was going to say, though, as the Evolutionary, completely consumed with his madness and obsession, shrieks at her "THERE IS NO GOD! THAT'S WHY I STEPPED IN!" At that moment, his own most loyal followers finally see him for the unstable, demented psychopath he truly is.
In his immense pride, he truly saw himself as a god, and wanted everyone else to, as well. This unique brand of pride was what the Serpent tempted Adam and Eve with in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3, the possibility to be like God. That of course was what led to them eating the forbidden fruit and being cast out of the Garden.
His outburst also calls to mind Psalm 14:1, which says, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; There is none who does good." For all the High Evolutionary's seeing himself as brilliant, his pride truly made him a fool.
Another relevant verse that helps condemn the sort of egomania that the High Evolutionary possessed is Proverbs 16:5: "The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished."
A final Biblical warning to be taken from this villain occurs later on. When the High Evolutionary's reign of terror is at LONG last brought to an end in the film's climax and he tries claiming he only wanted to make things perfect, Rocket responds with a simple but powerful rebuke that truly fits that villain like a glove: "You didn't care about making things perfect; You just hated things the way they were." This indeed was true. He had taken simple, defenseless animals that were fine the way they were, and twisted them in awful ways through his experiments to meet his own warped goals.
God created this world and all that is in it to be used by us the way it is, not to be toyed with and destroyed. Jeremiah 2:7 says "I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made its inheritance detestable." We all have a repsonsibility to treat the Earth that God made for us and the creatures He created with respect and care, not misusing, tormenting, or defiling them.
That is all that needs to be said about the High Evolutionary; My favorite movie villain from 2023, who perfectly embodies the sinful evils of being consumed with pride and self- worship, and of callously tampering with God's creations. Truly someone you'll love to hate.
A few other memorable baddies from last year were Count Dracula from 'Renfield,' M3GAN from 'M3GAN,' Forge and Safeena from 'Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,' King Herod from 'Journey to Bethlehem,' and Bowser from the 'Super Mario Bros. Movie.'
For the next entry, we go from the most loathsome villain in the MCU, to a big- screen incarnation of one of the most beloved heroes in video- gaming history:
3. Mario, 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie.'
(Credit for this image goes to the user HobbesTiger64 on the Heroes Wiki at https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Mario_(The_Super_Mario_Bros._Movie)?file=MarioIllumination.png)
'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' was easily one of the most successful movies of last year, and justifiably so. Funny, exciting, well- acted, and loaded with clever nods to not just the Super Mario games, but other Nintendo games, as well (i.e. A diner in Brooklyn in the start and end of the movie is themed after 'Punch- Out,' a character is seen playing the game 'Kid Icarus' at one point, etc.), just a treat from start to finish. Part of this movie's colossal appeal is undoubtedly the portrayal of its unforgettable main character.
Mario (Voiced by Chris Pratt, though his voice actor from the games, Charles Martinet, has a couple voice cameos in it) and his brother Luigi, while attempting to fix a major plumbing emergency to save their fledgling business, unwittingly are pulled into a portal to the Mushroom Kingdom. The brothers are separated and Luigi is soon captured by the evil Bowser (Hilariously voiced by Jack Black), and so Mario instantly becomes determined to save his brother at any cost. He meets and befriends Toad and Princess Peach, and they together set out to find a way to stop Bowser and save not just Luigi, but the entire kingdom.
The film does a wonderful job with fleshing out Mario as a character. Even before he goes through the portal, we see his working as hard as he can to prove that he and Luigi are not the failures that everyone around them believes them to be. Then, when they are in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario immediately resolves to do whatever it takes to save Luigi. He endures all manner of challenges along the way, from a brutal training course to a fight with the mighty gorilla Donkey Kong (Who also makes for a very amusing, likable character to watch) to an intense multi- car chase, and finds a way to endure amid all of it, never wavering even when things seem impossible. Mario makes for a great "From zero to hero" type, very easy to root for.
While I was initially a bit skeptical of Chris Pratt voicing him, he gave an excellent performance, putting a lot of heart and courage into this pudgy Brooklyn plumber.
I think the main theological point to be taken from Mario is on devotion to family. Mario's love of his brother Luigi drives literally everything he does, as he has always been determined to look out for his brother ever since they were babies, and even facing Bowser and his army doesn't change that. He also has the immeasurably wholesome catchphrase of saying to Luigi, "As long as we stay together, everything's gonna be okay." He truly is his "Brother's keeper."
We, too, as Christians need to look after and provide for our families. 1 Timothy 3:5 says that "For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?" Also, 1 Timothy 5:8 says "For if anyone does not provide for his relatives, especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." It is through how we care for those we are closest to, our families, that we first live out our faiths.
A timeless lesson taught by a timeless video game hero. As he himself would put it, "WAHOO!"
Now, we must go from a hero in a bright, colorful, family- friendly film, to a hero in a dark, nightmarish horror film:
4. Mr. Clemens, 'The Last Voyage of the Demeter.'
(It proved to be very difficult to find a quality picture of him, so I decided to instead use this youtube video clip of his actor Corey Hawkins describing the film while in full costume. It can be found at https://youtu.be/XzrLz7tyG0w?si=ulxeFK4JlxA6NeWu)
The dark, ominous period horror film 'The Last Voyage of the Demeter' was terrifying and intelligently- written. It took a single, often- underrepresented section of the story of Dracula (The chapter in the book when the Count travels from Romania to England by stowing away in the cargo hold of a merchant ship called the Demeter, gets a little peckish at some point, and feeds on the crew one by one until the ship arrives in England completely deserted), and manages to build a whole film around what happened on that doomed ship's final voyage.
One of the best elements of 'The Last Voyage of the Demeter' is its main protagonist, Mr. Clemens. A trained doctor looking for passage back to England and the chance to do some good along the way, especially as his race led to him being rejected from his last job offer, getting the chance to act as the ship's doctor aboard the Demeter sounds like the perfect solution. Of course, that turns out to not be the case. As people start disappearing and suspicions and fears start escalating, Clemens remains as calm as possible, first in trying to be there for the crew as much as he can and keep them alive, then eventually in trying his hardest to stop the monster hiding aboard the ship from reaching England.
Mr. Clemens proves to be a quite likable hero for this ill- fated voyage. He's intelligent (Both in terms of "Book- smarts" and "Street- smarts"), brave, kind- hearted, and sympathetic. All the things that a good doctor should be. Corey Hawkins gives a great performance as him, from the emotions he displays to the quite believable British accent he uses. His backstory also does make a good deal of sense, as I'd imagine it would indeed be VERY difficult for a black physician, even one as clearly brilliant and competent as him, to find work during that time period, especially in certain countries. He even faces prejudice from some of his own fellow crewmen on this voyage. He doesn't let it get in the way of him trying to do what's right as much as possible, though.
The theological point that Mr. Clemens teaches us is on rolling with the punches and adjusting to bad circumstances, particularly ones that came about through our own mistakes and failures. He helps show this early on: In the first Dracula attack (Though the crew of course don't realize that's who it is yet), he slaughters all of the livestock they had been keeping aboard the ship for food AND the ship's loyal dog Huckleberry. The captain's young grandson Toby is extremely distraught over this, as caring for the animals had been his personal responsibility, and he thus sees what happened to them as a personal failure on his part. Clemens sets out to comfort the poor child, and tells him "Sometimes things go wrong, no matter what we promise. There are things in this world that we can't control, but we do our best."
That is the perfect sentiment to make under such circumstances. We can't always ensure that everything will go right. Sometimes things just fall apart, due to our momentary failures or things we have no control over. What matters is that we keep trying and doing our best. Mr. Clemens later experiences the truth of this firsthand, as his attempts to stop the ship and Dracula from reaching England are ultimately unsuccessful, but we see in the end that he refuses to just give up in the face of this failure, and we last see him following Dracula, still determined to destroy this monster before he can hurt anyone else.
In that sense, Mr. Clemens can be seen as quite similar to the apostle Peter. He too had leadership skills, but he too had a MAJOR personal failure that took its toll on him, when he denied Jesus three times after swearing to stick by Him to the end (Luke 22:54- 62). Nevertheless, Peter eventually picked himself up from this failure, recommitted himself to Jesus (John 21:15- 17; I always loved that part of Scripture), and became a dedicated minister of the Gospel the rest of his days.
There we have Mr. Clemens, another great character who shows that we can move on from our failures and still do great things for the Lord. Well done, sir!
The next entry on this list is another hero who faces off against Count Dracula, but this one is ultimately more successful in his attempts:
5. Robert Montague Renfield, 'Renfield.'
(Credit for this image goes to the user AlexHoskins at the Heroes wiki at https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/R.M._Renfield?file=Renfield_%282023%29.png)
I have to say, I absolutely ADORED the horror- comedy film 'Renfield'! It was the perfect blend of humor, scares, and action, and looked at the story of Dracula in a whole new way, with easily one of its best parts being its title character.
Robert Montague Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has been working as the human servant/ protector for Count Dracula (Nicolas Cage) for over a century now, with a prolonged lifespan and mild vampiric superpowers given to him by Drac, which temporarily increase whenever Renfield eats an insect. However, he's grown to increasingly dislike having to do this job, and one can't really blame him for that. Helping Dracula find fresh blood and living things to slaughter for it isn't exactly the most fulfilling of jobs, and is starting to really weigh on Renfield at this point.
With the encouragement of a support group he becomes a part of for people in codependent relationships, Renfield begins making steps to distance himself from Dracula and improve his own life. He finds a new place to live, changes up his lifestyle a lot, and starts up a nice friendship and possibly intimate relationship with policewoman Rebecca Quincey (Awkwafina).
As you can probably guess, Dracula eventually starts noticing these changes and is NOT fond of them, so Renfield soon finds himself in for the fight of his life to protect those he has grown to care about and truly become his own free, happy person.
It would be pretty much impossible to watch this movie and NOT actively root for Renfield as he sets out to improve his own situation and become the best person he can be. His unique bug- eating- triggered abilities are put to excellent use in the various fight scenes we see him get into, all well- staged and inventive. Nicholas Hoult has always been a fantastic actor, and he definitely brings his "A" game to playing Renfield, infusing him with awkwardness, exasperation, and real heart.
The main theological point Mr. Renfield (And, indeed, the movie 'Renfield' as a whole) teaches is on avoiding toxic relationships and people who are corrupting influences on us. He has realized just how bad working for Dracula is for him, that Dracula does not truly care about him but sees him merely as a useful stooge, and that he needs to distance himself from Dracula to become a better person and do something good with his life.
We, too, need to be careful to not associate too closely with people who we know are bad influences on us and can harm our walks with God. The Bible is littered with warnings about this. For just one example, 2 Corinthians 6:14 says “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?” Another, even more fitting example is Proverbs 16:29: “Violent people mislead their companions, leading them down a harmful path.” People like that can get us in trouble and keep us from better connecting with Jesus, so we all need to try our hardest to be more discerning on whom we associate with.
Another point Renfield shows is on leaning on the Lord rather than our own efforts. When an angry Dracula confronts Renfield in his apartment to bring the young man (Well, Renfield is technically over a hundred years old, but you get my drift) back under his thumb, Renfield attempts to stand up to him, not with garlic or a crucifix, but with a self- help/ affirmation book he had been given in the support group and attempting to spout passages from it. As you can guess, Dracula is completely unfazed by this.
This can help to demonstrate the point about where our true strength comes from. While such things as therapy, support groups, and other such forms of self- help can be a great asset in improving our mental health, they alone are not a solid enough foundation to enable us to endure the storms and indeed evil that life can throw at us: Only God is.
As Jeremiah 15:5-9 puts it, "Thus says the Lord: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.' The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"
Therapy and other forms of support can help a lot and should be encouraged, but we need a firm foundation of faith in Christ to truly triumph against evil.
Two wonderful lessons from a wonderful character. Thank you for sharing, Mr. Renfield!
Now, we go from a male victim- turned- hero in a horror film, to a female one (In fact, the only female character on this year's list; No offense, nothing personal or sexist or anything, it's just that most of the characters who impacted me most in films in 2023 happened to be male):
6. Kirby Reed, 'Scream 6.'
(Credit for this image goes to the user Dakkus69 on the Heroes Wiki at https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Kirby_Reed?so=search&file=KirbyReed-ScreamVI.png)
I've been a colossal fan of the 'Scream' franchise ever since its inception. It introduced the idea of meta commentary on horror films, ushered in the age of the postmodern slasher movie, never skimped on the scares, and was pretty consistently well written (Other than the unwatchable third season of the 'Scream' TV show; That abomination needs to be stripped from the public memory as quickly as possible). That being said, had you told me three years ago that I would be putting Kirby Reed on one of these lists, I would not have believed you. Don't get me wrong, when she first appeared in the fourth film in the series in 2011, she was a very likable character, through the combination of how she was written and Hayden Panettiere's performance as her. She was shown to be brave, clever, funny, and a loyal friend. However, by the end of that movie, she seemed pretty dead, having taken multiple stab wounds to the stomach from one of the two killers in that movie and collapsed limply to the ground. And so, it seemed for over a decade that we'd seen the last of that poor girl.
Thankfully, it looks like the writers weren't done with Kirby after all; First, in 'Scream 5,' a VERY subtle, blink- and- you'll- miss- it moment implies that Kirby in fact survived this assault, and now in the thrilling 'Scream 6,' she is a full- on supporting character again, and a pretty darn cool one at that. Now thirty, she is an FBI agent who remains fascinated with the Ghostface murders and heads to New York to assist the other heroes in stopping some new psychopaths who have taken on the Ghostface mantle for a killing spree of their own.
Not only is it great to see that Kirby is officially alive and well, the growth as a character she has obviously had since her previous appearance makes her even more interesting, dealing with aspects of her job as an FBI agent and how she has moved on from the attack that very nearly killed her. She's now tougher, wiser and more street- smart than she was before, assets that prove to be of great use in stopping this new set of Ghostface murders.
I also think it's cool that, in spite of all that Kirby went through and her near death in the fourth movie, she still is as much of a big- time horror film fan as ever, as shown through a cool conversation she has with the character Mindy in one scene. I guess even near- death trauma can't quash her enjoyment of what she loves.
The theological point Kirby helps bring up is on courage. When a character at one point asks how she got past her near- death in the fourth film, Kirby responds "I almost died after I was stabbed. Technically, I did die... for 4 minutes. When I recovered, I got mad. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life being afraid of monsters. I wanted the monsters to be afraid of me."
That awesome sentiment sums up perfectly one of my favorite Bible verses relating to courage, Proverbs 28:1: "The wicked flee when no one pursues them, but the righteous are as bold as a lion." It also brings to mind Psalm 27:3: "“Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.”
Evil certainly exists in the world, but faith in the Lord Jesus will always give us enough courage to overcome it. Never forget that.
From a cool but naive victim, to a still cool but also now fearless and wise heroine valiantly helping to stand against evil. Way to go, Kirby!
For the next entry on this list, we go from someone who went through pretty horrific trauma, to someone who hasn't been through any major trauma at all:
7. Pavitr Prabhakar aka "Indian Spider- Man," 'Spider- Man: Across the Spider- Verse.'
He lives in the city of "Mumbattan" (aka Mumbai + Manhattan), and protects its people as their Spider- Man. He has an immensely sunny, optimistic outlook on life, largely because he hasn't yet faced any of the character- defining personal tragedies that other incarnations of Spidey have faced (i.e. While his uncle died, it was apparently from natural causes, and his versions of Captain Stacy and Gwen are still alive).
Just check out this first scene with him and I dare you not to at least smile:
While we of course love going through good times, and they certainly serve their purpose, it is the times of hardship and loss that teach us to rely on God and become all the stronger for it. I've certainly faced plenty of hardships in my life, from the death of loved ones to being mistreated for being different to work issues to breakups and everything in between. It is through them that I learned valuable lessons and was better able to live for Jesus with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. It can be the same for all of you.
While it looks like the heroic Miles Morales will be in for a heck of a fight to set things right in the upcoming final film in the series, 'Spider- Man: Beyond the Spider- Verse,' I know he can pull it off, ESPECIALLY if he has Pavitr Prabhakar to back him up!
8. Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchoir (Aka the three Wise Men), 'Journey to Bethlehem.'
Here's a little three- in- one entry, because honestly, these characters work so well largely because of how they play off of each other, and they thus should be evaluated as a group rather than individually.
'Journey to Bethlehem' was a fun, light- hearted, musical take on the birth of Jesus, with a lot of great performances and some quite memorable songs. No real high drama, but entertaining, poignant at times, and with loads of great songs.
Easily one of the best elements of it is how it portrayed the three Maji: Solemn astronomer Balthazar, socially- awkward scholar Caspar, and food- obsessed cartographer Melchoir (Omid Djalili, whom some of you may remember from the 1999 thriller 'The Mummy,' in which he played an ill- fated prison warden). These distinctive personalities play off each other very amusingly, they all sing well, and you'll enjoy every scene with them. They bring plenty of laughs, and a moment or two of real poignance.
As in the teachings of Christian theology, they realize from the position of the stars that the prophesied Messiah will be born very soon, and follow the star to find where this will take place. Balthazar keeps track of the star's position, Caspar uses his knowledge of the prophecies to help interpret the positioning of it, and Melchoir uses his skill with maps to help them stay on the right track.
The Scriptural lessons that the Maji teach, in addition to obviously showing a take on the role they played in the birth of Jesus, are on stepping out of one's comfort zone. Balthazar learns to open up more, Caspar steps out by more readily interacting with people, and Melchoir sacrifices the comfort of his good foods and other luxuries to accompany his friends on their quest. In so doing, they were able to meet the newborn Son of God, and pay tribute to Him.
In short, to paraphrase the refrain of one of their songs in the movie, "These Maji are three wise guys!"
9. Adrian Monk, 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie.'
As a hardcore fan of the 2002- 2009 show 'Monk,' about obsessive- compulsive San Francisco detective Adrian Monk (Brilliantly played by Tony Shalhoub) and the murders he solves in spite of and at times BECAUSE OF his compulsions and his lengthy list of phobias, I was absolutely delighted that he would be getting a movie, in the form of the Peacock streaming film 'Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie.' The end result was hysterical, sad at times, exciting, and a nice mystery, all just like how the old show was.
When we are reunited with Adrian Monk in this, he is NOT in a good place psychologically. While the series finale of the show ended with him largely at peace with himself, the COVID pandemic shattered all that (It obviously altered life for all of us, but for someone like him with a near- crippling fear of germs and loads of other phobias and compulsions, it was a hundred times worse), and his plans to get a book he wrote about his exploits published fall through, so he doesn't even have enough money to help pay for his stepdaughter Molly's wedding as he had hoped he would. All of these hangups leave poor Adrian heavily contemplating suicide.
He gains at least a temporary new lease on life when Molly's fiancee Griffin dies mysteriously the day before the wedding, and it soon becomes clear that he was murdered. When Monk officially realizes this, he takes the case, determined to solve it, bring Molly some closure, and find justice for Griffin. He sets out on what will apparently be his last case, trying to solve this murder while also attempting to secretly get his affairs in order for what he sadly still plans to do.
Adrian Monk remains as wonderful of a character in this as he always was. Tony Shalhoub as usual gives a brilliant performance as him, with the character having all the same wit, humor and heart that we've always known him to have. Nearly every scene with him will have you burst out laughing, as was the case with the original show. At the same time, his newfound despairing nature adds to his sympathy, as we so desperately want to see him get out of this funk before it's too late and give life another chance, so then seeing him eventually do so will have you in tears of happiness.
So, let's hear it for the great Adrian Monk! His struggles and compulsions may have caused him a lot of problems, but they helped put many murderers in prison, bring justice and closure to the victims and their families, and drive home a valuable lesson on diligence in what we are called to do. As he himself would famously put it, "It's a gift, and a curse."
(Credit for this image goes to the user "FDR102705" at
https://hero.fandom.com/wiki/Willy_Wonka?so=search&file=WONKA+INSTA+VERT+Willy+Wonka+1638x2048+DOM.webp)
I've always loved the classic Roald Dahl children's book 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' and all of its cinematic adaptations (My personal fave is the Tim Burton/ Johnny Depp version from 2005, but that's just my opinion), and last year's magnificent 'Wonka' is another great addition to that list.
This prequel to the Gene Wilder movie introduces us to Willy Wonka in his early twenties, marvelously played by Timothee Chalamet. He arrives in an unnamed city intent on making his fortune through his recipes for candy. That soon proves to be easier said than done, and Willy goes through all kinds of adventures along the way, from being forced into servitude by a pair of cruel innkeepers/ laundromat owners (Even though those two were created for the movie, they both REALLY felt like the exact sorts of greedy, repulsive villains that Roald Dahl would have created for one of his books), making his first sales, dodging intimidation and sabotage from rival candymakers, learning about the Oompa- Loompas, to eventually laying the groundwork for his marvelous chocolate factory.
It would be pretty much impossible NOT to love and root for this version of Willy Wonka. Less world- weary than he was in the Gene Wilder movie, more idealistic, ambitious, and a little naive, but pure- hearted all the way through. He helps others who are in even more dire positions than him, stands up for what is right, has one heck of a singing voice, and just seeing him will make anyone feel like a kid again.
This calls to mind another of my favorite Scripture verses, Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
That's pretty much exactly what Willy did repeatedly throughout the film, and that's what we're all called to do as followers of Jesus. There will be times when we will need to set aside our own immediate goals and personal ambitions to help those who may be more in need than we are. We need to be open and aware of when others around us are in need, and be prepared to show them God's love.
I'd say that's certainly a "Sweet" lesson, from the greatest fictional candymaker of all time. Bravo, Willy Wonka!
A few honorable mentions for me on this list include Jessica and Scuba from 'Thanksgiving,' Travis from 'The Haunted Mansion,' Lofty and Noodle from 'Wonka,' Gemma from 'M3GAN,' Angela from 'Teddy Told Me To,' and Lonnie Frisbee from 'Jesus Revolution' (He very nearly made this list).
Well, that's it for this entry of the Nightcrawler Experience. Stay tuned, as I have a new individual entry as well as a whole series of entries in production, just waiting to be finished. Until then, may God bless you all!
