Turning Trash Into Treasure, and Valuing Righteousness Over Popularity: A Faith- Based Look at 'The Bad Guys.'

 Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!

It's now week 2 of this blog's partnership with St. John's United Methodist Church for their Summer at the Movies series, and for this one, we will be looking at the recent animated film 'The Bad Guys.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "Jonathan favela" on the Dreamworks wiki at https://dreamworks.fandom.com/wiki/The_Bad_Guys?file=The_Bad_Guys_Poster.jpg)

This movie, based on the Scholastic kid's book series of the same name, which features humans and anthropomorphic animals together, involves Mr. Wolf (Voice of Sam Rockwell), Mr. Shark (Voice of Craig Robinson), Mr. Snake (Voice of Marc Maron), Mr. Piranha (Voice of Anthony Ramos), and Ms. Tarantula (Voice of Awkwafina). The five of them are a gang known as "The Bad Guys" that pulls off elaborate, 'Ocean's Eleven'- esque heists and robberies.

Early in the film, an attempted heist by them goes wrong and they get caught. Mr. Wolf gets the idea to keep himself and his friends out of prison by convincing Governor Foxington that the Bad Guys can change their ways and become good. Dearly- loved local philanthropist Rupert Marmalade IV takes it upon himself to lead this effort, while the Bad Guys see it as a "Kind- cation" leading up to them attempting to steal the priceless statue that was the goal of the initial heist.
They take classes from Rupert on rudimentary forms of goodness such as sharing desserts, helping old ladies across the street, and getting cats out of trees. These efforts don't go well. However, Wolf eventually starts to get the hang of it, and even grows to like doing nice things. This catches a lot of positive attention on social media, and they are invited to a big gala to basically celebrate their supposed reform. Things take all kinds of unexpected twists, and we get an interesting take on if "Bad guys" can truly become good.


I really enjoyed 'The Bad Guys.' It has goofy fun for kids and lots of laughs, but at the same time also has some clever and sophisticated elements to it. It is an obvious send- up of "Heist" movies such as the 'Ocean's Eleven' films, and also even has some Quentin Tarantino- esque moments (i.e. The film's opening in which Wolf and Snake have a brief conversation at a diner is an obvious nod to the opening of 'Pulp Fiction'). It's funny in a lot of ways, from slapstick humor to word- play humor to funny one- liners and more.

The animation style for this movie looks fascinating. It is kind of a blend of two- dimensional and three- dimensional animation, similar to what was used in 'Spider- Man: Into the Spider- Verse,' and it makes everything seem so much cooler!

The movie's slow- jazz music score fits perfectly, too. Such a musical score is practically a mainstay for "Heist" movies, and is used very well here.

Now, for the character run- down:
All five of the Bad Guys proved to be quite likable characters, and they make for quite a nice circle of friends to each other (Thus helping to subtly establish that they do indeed have some good in them even at the start). Mr. Wolf functions very well as the main character and is the most developed of them, and Sam Rockwell was truly the perfect choice for his voice. He at times has a suave, George Clooney- esque charm to him, other times is manic and hyper.

 Mr. Snake is grumpy and irascible, yet understandably so, the fact that his main skill for the group is acting as their safecracker is hilarious since he doesn't have any hands, and they also get some laughs out of the fact that he appears to be able to swallow practically anything.
Mr. Shark's knack for being a master of disguise is hilarious, seeing this large great white shark somehow convince people that he is a construction worker, a woman about to give birth, or their own father. 

Ms. Tarantula isn't used as much as she probably could have been, but she still has a lot of clever lines and fun moments. She is the designated hacker of the team, and the sight of her eight legs rapidly tapping various keyboards and buttons is adorable to watch!

Mr. Piranha is, for lack of a better word, insane! He has loads of energy, a short fuse (Not to mention a bit of a problem with gas), and is always eager for a fight. The toughness and scrappiness that such a little guy can possess is always an amusing sight.

Speaking of amusement, the short- fused police chief got a lot of laughs from me, with her constant attempts to try and capture the Bad Guys and her funny, exaggerated facial expressions. Big props to Alex Borstein for her work as the chief's voice.

Governor Foxington made for a great supporting character, too. Supportive of the Bad Guys' efforts to reform, but trying to balance that with her obligation to protect the public. She also (As my theological points about the movie demonstrate) is a great source of wise advice for Mr. Wolf, and proves to be a lot more than meets the eye by the end of the film. 

All in all, 'The Bad Guys' makes for a delightful family movie that everyone could get a little something out of.

On the devotional I wrote that was passed out at the screening, I noted that one major theological message of 'The Bad Guys' was on how God can take even damaged people and bad periods of our lives and turn them into something really meaningful and worthwhile for His Kingdom, using Joseph's words to his brothers in Genesis 50:20. It's seen in the movie early on when Mr. Wolf and Governor Foxington are examining a modern- art sculpture. It is rather unsightly- looking and Wolf says as much, but Foxington replies "If you look closely enough, even trash can be recycled into something beautiful." To prove this, she demonstrates that, when a spotlight is shone on the sculpture at just the right angle, it creates a shadow resembling a beautiful swan. This serves as a good description of the Bad Guys themselves, and can also describe the flawed people and hard times in our own lives that God can do great things with.

Another theological message to be taken from 'The Bad Guys' is on sticking to what you know to be right, regardless of what others may think. Mr. Wolf struggles with this a lot, but again Governor Foxington is there to point him in the right direction. When the Bad Guys are about to engage in an attempted act of goodness, Wolf is feeling skittish about if the public will believe they really have changed their ways or not, but the Governor assures him, "Maybe they will believe you. Maybe they won't. It doesn't matter. Don't do it for them; Do it for YOU."

Another such moment occurs later on in the movie.
SPOILER WARNING! SPOILER FOR THE CLIMAX AHEAD!

Near the end, when Mr. Wolf has become estranged from the other Bad Guys for genuinely wanting to reform, Governor Foxington confides in him that she herself used to be an infamous burglar whose past heists were the stuff of legends, but she gave that up because she wanted to do better with her life. She tells Wolf, "Now, instead of hurting people, I'm helping them. I'm still me; I'm just me on the right side. You're doing the right thing, and someday your friends, if they're really your friends, will understand."
SPOILERS OVER!

Both of those moments drive home the important point that we should strive to do what is right, regardless of what other people (Even our friends) think of it. People's attitudes can change in a heartbeat, but following the Lord's guidance on what is right is something that's truly eternal. The Lord Jesus is the one whose opinion we should all truly care about. It's also a wise point that, if our "Friends" truly are friends to us, they will understand when we have to make tough choices and side with what is truly right. Proverbs 29:25 spells it out well: "It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe." In addition, the apostle Paul says in Galatians 1:10, "Am I saying this now to win the approval of people or God? A I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ's servant."

Making your decisions based on what is right, holy, and in service to the Lord rather than based on what people may think of you is always the way to go, and the sort of thin you will NOT regret later on.

That sums up 'The Bad Guys.' A hilarious, thoughtful film that shows us how God can even turn our lives' trash into something beautiful, and how He seeks for us to be more concerned with doing what's right than with being popular. By following that advice, even the worst "Bad Guys" among us can become good and do incredible things for God.

That's it for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. Come back next week when I tackle the third film in this series. Until then, stay safe and healthy, and may God bless you all!

Never Throwing In the Towel, and Always Being Ourselves; A Faith- Based Look at 'Rumble.'

 Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!
I am pleased to say that this blog is again renewing its partnership with St. John's United Methodist Church for their annual Summer at the Movies series!
As in past years, each week for 4 weeks, the church will be airing a movie on a Wednesday night, I'll write a devotional to be passed out at the screening, and accompany it with an article here going more in- depth with the movie and messages that can be taken from it on how to live for Jesus.

Now, hold on tight and get your popcorn, fans, because for the first installment of this series, we will be looking at the hard- hitting animated film 'Rumble'!

Based on the graphic novel 'Monster on the Hill,' this takes place in a world in which giant monsters live peacefully with humans, and compete with each other in professional wrestling tournaments.
In the town of Stoker on Avon, monster wrestling is practically a way of life, with everyone for a long time being impressed with the legendary monster wrestler Rayburn and his equally beloved human coach/ manager, Jimbo Coyle. However, both of them were apparently lost at sea, and the wrestling world continued to mourn their loss. Stratford eventually gets themselves back on top by hosting a new wrestling champ named "Tentacular" (Voice of Terry Crews), but after winning a big championship, Tentacular announces he's leaving Stratford for a bigger city. This means that Stratford no longer has a monster wrestler to attract money and publicity to their town and thus their beloved wrestling arena that was dedicated to the memory of Rayburn and Jimbo may need to be repossessed and torn down. 
However, all is not lost: Jimbo's spunky daughter Winnie (Voice of Geraldine Viswanathan), who inherited her father's love of wrestling and skill for coaching, is determined to find a way to save things, and so she heads to an underground wrestling ring to find a new champion. She eventually comes across a monster who turns out to be Rayburn's son, Rayburn Jr. (Voice of Will Arnett), aka "Steve the Stupendous," and convinces him to help her.
Junior is definitely NOT the champion- material that his father was. Among other things, he works in this underground wrestling ring as what's known as a "Jobber," which is a wrestling slang term for a wrestler hired to lose every time. Junior in fact refers to himself as "The best loser there is." As a result, he goes into pretty much every match preparing to take a dive and throw the fight. When Winnie realizes this, she knows she needs to break him of this habit

Winnie eventually discovers that Junior has a passion for salsa dancing, and realizes that with a little creativity, she can use that to come up with an effective wrestling strategy involving him having a dance- based style to how he fights. Sure enough, while it looks rather silly this strategy enables Steve/ Junior to start winning matches and rising up in the ranks, with even the most naysaying of sports commentators starting to come around to him. It all leads up to him having to face Tentacular in a championship bout to determine the fate of the arena.

A weakness the film has is, while its main antagonist is Tentacular, another is this rich guy named Jimothy Brett- Chadley III (Voice of Ben Schwartz, whom I normally like as a voice actor), who is behind Tentacular's move and the attempted demolition of the arena. He's basically just a dime- a- dozen "spoiled, social media- addicted, rich creep who talks in hashtags too much" villain, and gets on your nerves in practically every scene he's in. I feel like he could have been cut from the movie, and we wouldn't have lost much.

Aside from that, 'Rumble' was quite a nice movie!

The animation was solid, the story was pretty engaging, it had a good amount of humor (Especially from a scene near the climax when the people of the town prepare a brutal obstacle course/ training course to help Junior prepare for the big bout against Tentacular), and the fight scenes/ wrestling matches were VERY well- animated. It really felt like watching a pro- wrestling match, just with giant monsters instead of people.
Speaking of which, the monster designs are really creative, too, with each one looking unique. They often include elements of two or more animals combined together. My favorite was probably "Ramarilla" (Voiced by real- life pro wrestler Joe Anoa'i, aka "Roman Reigns"), an ultra- energetic gorilla/ ram monster that Junior briefly fights around the middle of the movie. He looked great, combined both animal aspects well (And considering that gorillas are my favorite animals, that's a BIG plus in my book) and had tons of personality.

Most of the voice- work is pretty solid, including Tony Shalhoub (Who I've known from one of my all- time favorite TV shows, 'Monk') as a local diner owner who's a major wrestling fan.

Now, for the main character run- down.
Winnie makes for a nice heroine. A good role model for girls, spunky but not aggressive or annoying. It's clear that she deeply loves wrestling, and deeply loved her father, and is determined to help his legacy endure in any way that it can.

Rayburn Junior works well too, on the monster side of things. He's mostly funny, but has some good serious moments as well. He contrasts well with Winnie, as while they both have the legacies of famous fathers, they feel differently about it: Winnie loves the idea of continuing the great work of her father, whereas Rayburn Junior feels a lot of pressure from it, hence why he hides his identity behind the wrestler name "Steve the Stupendous." He struggles so much with being compared to his father and feeling like he'll never measure up. In short, while Winnie sees her father's legacy as a goal to reach for, Junior sees his own father's legacy as more like a heavy stone weighing him down. Will Arnett (Who has been proving to be quite an excellent voice actor over the last several years, such as through his hysterical work voicing Batman in the assorted 'Lego' movies) does a typically great job as his voice, with humor but also sadness and poignance in key scenes.

Tentacular acts as kind of the epitome of a sports- movie villain: The undefeated champion who is the main opponent for the hero to eventually face, and is an egotistical, bullying jerk about it. From how coldly he dismisses the town that started his career early on, right up to his insulting and smack- talking Junior and Winnie near the climax, you'll be eager to see him get taken down a few pegs.

All in all, while maybe not the most memorable animated film to come out in recent years, 'Rumble' is a fun romp for the whole family, ESPECIALLY if that family happens to be wrestling fans!

'Rumble' comes with a couple good Scriptural messages.
First, in the devotional I passed out at the screening, is on the importance of never giving up in life, but to keep getting back up again and again. As I said earlier, Rayburn Junior starts the movie as a "Jobber" who's accustomed to throwing the fight and deliberately losing, but Winnie eventually teaches him the importance of not surrendering so easily and pushing himself all the way to the end. This calls to mind 2 Corinthians 4:16- 17 AND Proverbs 24:16, both of which deal with enduring through hardships and getting back up again when life knocks you down.

I think another relevant Scriptural message to be found in 'Rumble' is on the importance of being yourself. While Winnie and Junior start out basically seeking to copy their respective fathers' strategies and styles in wrestling, they achieve true success through instead being themselves, tapping into the gifts, interests and strategies they already personally have (i.e. Using Junior's love of dancing to create a new fighting style that he uses to start winning matches). Winnie's mother sums it up early in the movie with a wise line of "Train the monster you have, not the monster you wish you had." I think what that line boils down to is don't pretend to be something you're not, or relying on what other people use to get ahead; Instead, play to your own strengths and don't care what others think. Winnie herself then says near the end of the film, "We don't have to be our dads; We just have to be ourselves. They wrote their stories, and we're writing ours right now."
God wants us each to be ourselves using the special gifts and talents that only we have. It reminds me of Psalm 139: 14, which says "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; My soul knows them well." We must keep in mind that all of us are God's creations, carefully and uniquely made by Him with love and care to be just the way we are. God doesn't make failures or garbage, He made us each the way we are to accomplish His will in various ways. I can picture Him smiling lovingly as He handcrafts each of us.
In addition, Romans 12:6- 7 says "Having gifts that differ one from another, let us use them: If prophecy, in proportion to our faith; If service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching." Each of us has gifts, given to us by God, which vastly differ from each other. Each of these gifts, even the ones that seem useless (I.e. Junior, son of a great monster wrestler, having a gift for dancing), can be used by God to do wonderful things to do His will and bring His Kingdom on Earth, if we will harness them and learn to use them the right way.

And so, there we have 'Rumble,' a nice fantasy film which teaches us even nicer messages on never giving up even when things get tough, and on being ourselves and using the gifts we ourselves have in service to the Lord. By doing those, I'd say each of us can become true champions in the eyes of the Lord Jesus.

That's it for this entry on the Nightcrawler Experience. Come back next week when I look at the next film in this series. Until then, stay safe and healthy, and may God bless you all!

My 10 Favorite Movie Characters of 2021, and What We Can Learn From Them!

  Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Nightcrawler Experience!

My sincerest apologies for the fact that I only did one of the entries in my planned 'A Very 80's Christmas' series last December, I had severe technical difficulties that hindered me from doing the other planned entries in that series. So, I think I'll do those next December.

We're now a few months into 2022, and so it's finally time for my annual look at what I consider the top 10 best movie characters of the last year! This one's taken quite a while for me to finish.
 I'll explain a little about each character, the movie they were in, why I like them as a pop culture fan, and what Scriptural message they can teach us (Usually either a "Be like them" example, a "DON'T be like them" cautionary tale, or an allegory of someone from Scripture).
2021 gave us a lot more options on films than 2020 had, so compiling ten for this list has proven to be easier than it was last year.
All the same rules as last year 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 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 in this movie.

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 long- overdue show on the road!



1. Sisu, 'Raya and the Last Dragon.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user Frie- ice at the Disney Wiki at https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Sisu/Gallery?so=search&file=Sisu_the_Last_Dragon.png)

I already talked a little about this wonderful character in my review of 'Raya and the Last Dragon' last summer, but I liked her so much she HAD to be included in this list!
It's a movie in which, long story short, the heroine Raya is trying to undo the damage done by a race of evil creatures called the Druun. She seeks out the help of the dragon Sisu, who defeated the Druun centuries earlier. This cheerful, optimistic dragon is the key to defeating them again and saving everyone they had turned to stone, and so she, Raya, and a few others embark on a quest to basically help her become powerful enough to do this again. My full review of the movie last summer has a much more detailed synopsis of it.

Sisu is so immensely likable in this movie, as soon as I first saw the movie, I knew she had to go on this list. She's funny (Especially a scene in which she learns that things can be bought through credit), wise, and has an adorable sense of wonder relating to the world around her. She makes for a wonderful guiding force for Raya and the other heroes in their little group. The actress/ recording artist Awkwafina (I still don't like that name, I'll admit) does a marvelous job with her voice.

The Biblical lesson that can be taught from Sisu involves the most likable facet of her personality: She always clings to hope and trust, truly embodying the film's message on the importance of trusting others.
This particular short scene sums this up:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q75LITbE8c&t

(Credit for this video goes to the user Sisu the Dragon; Yes, that IS the Youtube handle they used!)

I'll never forget Sisu's key line in that scene: "It may feel impossible, but sometimes you just have to take the first step, even before you're ready."

I can think of very few lines to more thoroughly summarize the concept of faith than that. Hebrews 11:1 says that "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." 
It's the faith Peter showed (At least at first) when he got out of the boat and walked on the water to reach Jesus. It's the faith that Christ calls on all of us to have, simply trusting enough to take a step forward, even if you don't think you're ready yet. It's trusting that God has your back and will help you through, even when you yourself don't know how to proceed and don't think you're ready. God can always direct our steps if we simply trust Him.

A great lesson for a great character. Sisu is one not to be forgotten.

For the next entry, we go from someone cheerfully optimistic and out to help others, to someone viciously cynical and only looking out for himself:

2. Kano, 'Mortal Kombat.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user OnyxWarrior at the Villians Wiki at https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Kano_(2021)?file=Kano2021.png)

I've always been a fan of the 'Mortal Kombat' video game series, and while the supporting villain Kano isn't one of the characters in that franchise that I usually play as (Liu Kang and Jax are my favorites), he REALLY stole the show in the recent 'Mortal Kombat' movie!
In that grisly yet action- packed movie, Earthrealm (Basically, our world) and the forsaken dimension known as "Outworld" every so often have to hold a Mortal Kombat tournament using their best warriors to determine the fate of both worlds. Outworld's evil ruler, Shang Tsung, wants to win the upcoming tournament (Which would be the tenth consecutive loss for Earthrealm, enabling Outworld to invade and conquer it) by default before it even starts by sending his horrific assassins to kill the chosen Earthrealm champions prematurely. This causes Earthrealm's remaining warriors to band together, arrive at the hidden temple of the thunder god Raiden (Kind of the leader/ mentor to the Earthrealm warriors), and there safely train and prepare for the tournament, including discovering their magic "Arcana" powers they can use to fight. 

One of these warriors is Kano (Josh Lawson), a short- fused, gutter- mouthed, Aussie crime lord who almost immediately proves his fighting skill by killing the Outworld assassin Reptile through the use of his infamous "Heart Rip" fatality from the games. He also helps the heroes get to Raiden's temple through both his guidance (He's the only one of them who knows where it is) and securing transportation via a friend of his with a plane.
Kano, while constantly offending everyone around him with his crass nature, nevertheless continues to show himself to be a pretty good fighter, and when the heroic warriors Liu Kang and Kung Lao goad him into losing his temper, he gains/ discovers his own Arcana power, being able to shoot lasers from his right eye (That entire scene is hysterical to watch).

However, it becomes clear that Kano's heart is definitely NOT in the right place, as an acquaintance of his named Kabal, who is working for Shang Tsung's side, convinces him to betray the Earthrealm warriors and he thus fully joins the bad guys.

In spite of all this, I honestly found I couldn't get enough of Kano in this movie! He had one incredibly funny moment after another (A couple highlights include him sparring with Liu Kang, and the whole aforementioned scene when he discovers his Arcana power), and pretty much all of the film's most memorable lines are his. It's clear Josh Lawson was REALLY having fun playing this jerk! Even after knowing from my past experience with the 'Mortal Kombat' games and their storylines that Kano is evil and treacherous AND seeing how rude and insulting he is to the heroic characters in this, watching him in the movie I couldn't help growing to like him and then feeling sad when he turns traitor.

The Scriptural lesson that can be taken from Kano is a cautionary one on not falling away from the faith or from righteousness. I am reminded of 2 Peter 2:20- 21, which says "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them." I'd say that verse can pretty easily apply to Kano in this movie. He started the movie as a brutal arms dealer and all- around scumbag (Albeit, as I said, one who's quite entertaining to watch), is offered the chance at redemption and picks up a cool superpower in the process, but ultimately rejects this shot at becoming a hero and instead becomes even worse than he was at the beginning; Rather than a mere crime lord, Kano becomes a traitor to the entire human race, willing to potentially let billions of people be slaughtered or enslaved simply for the sake of money and power. As amusing to watch as Kano was at first, from then on out, he became just another enemy that needed to be taken down by any means necessary. 

There are of course people who hear about the Gospel and begin to try and learn it, but are corrupted and turned away for one reason or another. There are undoubtedly plenty of people who have intellectual knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but never had any actual faith in Him. If those kinds of people stay that way and stray from the path, returning to their old ways without becoming saved, they do indeed become worse off than they were at the start, and it will then become MUCH more difficult for them to develop saving faith later on. Kano in this film gained knowledge of the Mortal Kombat tournament, the stakes in it, and the necessity of standing for Earthrealm to save it, but he didn't let that message have any kind of impact on him, and was thus easily swayed away from it by Kabal. May we be careful not to make the same mistake in our pursuit of Christ, or let others do so.

That about sums up Kano: A quite memorable character, and my favorite movie villain from last year (Even though he was only a supporting baddie, I'd say he was definitely more interesting to watch than the technical main antagonist Shang Tsung was), who makes for an equally memorable cautionary tale on the importance of sticking with the path to faith and not falling away.

Other memorable 2021 villains include Baroness von Hellman from 'Cruella,' Norman Osborn/ Green Goblin from 'Spider- Man: No Way Home,' Aguirre from 'Jungle Cruise.' and the duo of Carnage and Shriek (They're much more effective together than separate) from 'Venom 2: Let There be Carnage.'


Next up, someone else who isn't exactly on the side of the angels, but unlike Kano, she DOES manage to do at least some good in the world:

3. Estella/ Cruella De Vil, 'Cruella.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "Lola987" on the disney wiki at https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Cruella/Gallery?file=Cruella_-_Photography.jpg)

Last year's live- action 'Cruella' was, I thought, an excellent film providing the backstory of one of the most memorable Disney villains. Its music and set designs are gorgeous and perfectly depict the environment of 1970s London (When it was in the middle of its "Punk rock revolution") in which it takes place, the costumes won an extremely well- deserved Oscar, and the performances are all brilliant, especially Emma Stone as the title character and focus of this entry on the list.

She started as "Estella," a girl who is quickly orphaned, taken in by fellow street urchins Horace and Jasper (Who here are elevated from the one- dimensional dumb goons they were in previous incarnations into pretty well- developed supporting characters, and it's honestly quite heart- warming to see the surrogate family that the three of them become to each other), and becomes a thief and con artist alongside them while pursuing her dream of becoming a fashion designer.

 This eventually leads to her working under the ruthless yet world- famous fashionista Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson). However, Estella soon learns that, while the Baroness may be a fashion genius, she's also a sociopathic monster who had been behind some despicable acts to get to the top, including acts that directly harmed Estella. From then on out, Estella develops the new, much more radical secret alter- ego of Cruella De Vil, and sets out to bring about the Baroness's downfall, in the process paving the way for the villainess she herself is destined to become.

I found this to be an excellent way to flesh out Cruella's backstory. We see her ambition growing, we see her sanity starting to slowly deteriorate, and yet she is still likable and still someone we want to see overthrow the Baroness and pull ahead. As mentioned earlier, Emma Stone gives a magnificent performance as her.

 I also like that, unlike so many dime- a- dozen "feminist" characters nowadays, Estella/ Cruella isn't depicted as hating men or viewing them as worthless; On the contrary, we see the great relationship she has with Horace and Jasper, and how she is happy to work together with them and a couple other male allies she gains over the course of the film, relying on each other as a team. I found that to be quite refreshing.
A particularly relevant quote Estella/ Cruella has, which sums up her personal philosophy and the theological lesson she can teach us, occurs early in the film when she was a child: "It wasn't (My mother) I was challenging; It was the world."
Estella/ Cruella has always had a desire to shake things up through practically everything she does, from clashes at her strict boarding school as a child, to "Sprucing up" the dull window display of a department store while drunk, to eventually challenging the accepted fashion norms (Especially those of the Baroness, who had been regarded as the undisputed queen of fashion at the time) with her innovative designs.

In this sense, in her own way, Estella/ Cruella is actually something of a Christ- figure. Jesus was someone who similarly didn't think like most other people, routinely challenged the status quo, and His clashes with the Pharisees were similar to Cruella's clashes with the Baroness in that respect. Read about Jesus driving the moneychangers out of the Temple and then standing up to the Pharisees who confronted Him over it in Matthew 21:12- 16 if you don't believe me. Jesus stood up to power- drunk tyrants and frauds who thought their power and influence as the local spiritual leaders meant they could treat others however they wanted. Cruella similarly stood up to a power- drunk tyrant who thought her power and influence over the fashion world meant she could do whatever she wanted.
We all need to have that kind of courage in our own lives. This world is NOT as God intended it to be when He made it, and while it may be easier to just go along with society's norms and accept things the way they are even as the status quo drifts further and further from Scripture, we are called by God to challenge this and take a righteous stand for His eternal  truth, regardless of what others may think.

There we have Cruella de Vil: A fascinating take on the backstory of an unforgettable villain who helps show how we as Christians need at times to challenge the toxic norms the world might throw at us.

The next entry on the list is someone a lot like Cruella, so much so that I could picture the two of them becoming good friends if they ever met: A young female antihero with something of a connection to furry animals, albeit ones that are not exactly as cuddly as Dalmatians:

4. Ratcatcher 2, 'The Suicide Squad.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user Gonzalo .H on the DC Extended Universe wiki at https://dcextendeduniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Ratcatcher_2?file=The+Suicide+Squad+Ratcatcher+2+Textless+Poster.jpg)

While I mostly enjoyed 2016's 'Suicide Squad' movie (Based on the comic book series of the same name, dealing with a group of supervillains, mostly B- and C- listers, who are forced by the government to go on black- ops missions with little chance of survival), I must concede that last year's sequel to it, 'The Suicide Squad,' was DEFINITELY a better movie. The plot was a lot better and also easier to understand, the action sequences and fight scenes were heavily ramped up (Thereby heavily ramping up the intensity and stakes), and once you got past the characters that were obviously cannon- fodder not meant to last long, the remaining members of the Squad were all a LOT of fun to watch, such as fan- favorite Harley Quinn, the surprisingly tragic and tormented Polka- Dot Man, the funny and downright adorable King Shark, and of course the focus of this entry on the list, Ratcatcher 2.

 She took over her title/ codename from her deceased father, as well as his fascinating inventions that enable her to control rats. She, along with the other criminals who make up this incarnation of the Suicide Squad, is assigned to sneak into a small South American nation and destroy a top- secret lab there.
Ratcatcher 2 is I believe the only member of the Suicide Squad created for the movie (While the original Ratcatcher has appeared in the comics and other media, this is the first time portraying that he had a daughter/ successor), and yet she quickly became my favorite character in it. She seems a LOT less dangerous and violent than the other members of the Squad, and indeed her surprisingly kind and empathetic nature sets her apart from those hardened criminals, yet her tech and control over rats prove to be incredibly useful to them over the course of the movie (i.e. She at one point helps the team to get close to the lab undetected by having her rats discreetly chew through the wires on the nearby security cameras).
Her actress Daniela Malchior brings a lot of quiet heart and vulnerability to this character, particularly during a scene in which she flashes back to the hard life she and her father had, and during the film's climax (More on that in a bit). Her personal pet rat Sebastian is a real cutie, too. If you watch the movie, Ratcatcher 2's a character you'll definitely find yourself rooting for and eager to see make it out alive.

Probably Ratcatcher 2's most endearing trait, which ties into the theological lesson that can be learned from her, is how she can find something worth loving in everyone and everything, with her use of rats being a prime example of this. Even King Shark, who looks monstrous and who tries to EAT HER early in the movie, she quickly and easily befriends afterwards. She can even help others learn that lesson too, as she causes her antisocial, irascible teammate Bloodsport, who has a deep phobia of rats and who nastily insulted her earlier in the film, to eventually become kind of a father- figure to her, and to himself see the good in rats.

Ratcatcher 2 shines most in the film's honestly glorious climax, which is where her lesson REALLY hits home: The giant monster Starro (The secret that the lab was protecting) has gotten loose and is rampaging through a city. The other members of the Squad fight valiantly against it and do some real damage to it, but it still keeps coming. Then, Ratcatcher 2 joins the battle. When Starro uses one of its mind- controlled slaves to say "This city is mine," she responds, "This city is not yours. This city is not ours. This city is THEIRS!" She then uses her special device to summon millions and millions of rats to swarm all over Starro and finish it off, to the accompaniment of a quite gorgeous musical score. While this is going on, we see a flashback in which we learn her philosophy, which she in turn learned from her father, on why she uses rats of all things: "Rats are the lowliest and most despised creatures, my love. If they have a purpose, so do we all."

I'd say the Biblical implications of this are clear. We as Christians need to reach out to all people, including those who aren't the best, richest, or most charming. Jesus helped corrupt tax collectors, political extremists, prostitutes, the poor, and others who were rejected by society to find salvation. The early church spread as quickly as it did in spite of its persecution in its early years because it reached out to many who were similarly not held in high regard by their society, including women and children (Life in that area in that time could be rough for children, especially little girls), and showed them the kind of amazing, Godly love that no one else would. Galatians 3:28 sums it up well by saying that "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." God loves all of us equally and has a purpose for each of us. We could bring so many more people to the flock and make such a positive difference in the world by similarly reaching out to society's "Undesirables" and showing them Christian love and acceptance.

There we have Ratcatcher 2, a wonderful character with a wonderful philosophy. This world would be such a better, friendlier, holier place if more people could indeed see the beauty and worth of each other, and stop treating each other like rats.

Now, we go from a character who can find the worth and value in others, to one who finds the worth and value within himself:

5. Lincoln Loud, 'The Loud House Movie.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user Eoinghost at the Loud House wiki at https://theloudhouse.fandom.com/wiki/The_Loud_House_Movie/Gallery?file=TLHM_I%2527m_the_Duke_of_Magic.png)

I've always enjoyed the Nickelodeon animated series 'The Loud House,' about 11- year- old Lincoln Loud and the various "Slice of life"- type misadventures he has with his parents and his ten highly different sisters. Longtime readers of this blog may recall I did an entry about the show's first Christmas special a few years ago. Well, last summer, the show got its own feature- length movie that premiered on Netflix, and I loved it!
Basically, at the start of it, Lincoln is feeling depressed because he is constantly overshadowed by his sisters and all of their assorted accomplishments, while the only real accomplishment he has is being deemed the fifth- best stage magician in his city.

 Things quickly change, however, when the Louds discover that they have Scottish ancestry, and head to their ancestral town of Loch Loud to basically learn more about their roots. While there, they find out that they are in fact descended from a family of nobility that were dearly beloved by all before mysteriously disappearing, hence why the town is named after them. Lincoln is elated to learn that among these ancestors was a boy who at his (Lincoln's) age looked almost exactly like him, and was in fact a duke who ruled the town well and did a lot of great things.
Lincoln figures this could be the answer as to what would make him special and stand out, and so he sets out to win over the residents of the town so they will crown him the new duke (Hence the crown he's wearing in the picture). From there on out, all kinds of interesting developments occur, and Lincoln learns what leadership and true greatness look like.

Lincoln makes for as great of a main hero in 'The Loud House Movie' as he does on the show. It's easy to relate to him feeling left out and ignored amid his sisters' accomplishments and wanting to find what makes HIM special. His song "Ordinary Me," in which he sings about this plight early in the movie, will really tug at your heart strings. He also often demonstrates courage, resourcefulness and kindness to others, especially as things progress.

A great quality about Lincoln in both the show and the movie is that, while he's not perfect (i.e. He can occasionally be selfish and manipulative), he's usually quick to realize when he has done wrong and strive to make it up to anyone who may have been hurt in the process.

The struggle Lincoln faces over what makes him special also ties into the Biblical lesson that can be learned from him.
In his desire to be the Duke, he initially thinks the job just involves giving orders and being loved and admired by everyone. However, the loyal groundskeeper Angus helps him see that the most important part of that job is looking out for the needs of other people and helping to make life better for all of them.

Lincoln eventually takes this message to heart, and becomes a much wiser kid for it. He does indeed find his own greatness by stopping a power- hungry villainess, and saving his family and the entire town of Loch Loud from falling victim to her wrath.

This commitment to serving others and putting their needs ahead of your own has always been a key element of the Christian walk, and a sign of what demonstrates true greatness in God's eyes. Matthew 23:11 sums it up well: "The greatest among you will be your servant." Lincoln Loud discovers this truth firsthand. We must all remember this, that the greatest of us in God's eyes are the ones who do His will in the world, serving Him and pointing others to Him.

A nice lesson from the main character of one of the best Nickelodeon properties to come along in several years. Keep up the good work, Lincoln!

Our next character is someone who similarly discovered a strange sort of calling:

6. Trevor Slattery, 'Shang- Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user MJLogan95 on the Marvel Cinematic Universe wiki at https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Trevor_Slattery?file=Trevor_Slattery_%25282024%2529.png)

Trevor is an interesting sort of character, who represents a somewhat controversial part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He first appeared in an earlier MCU film, 2013's 'Iron Man 3,' in which he initially appeared to be "The Mandarin," the Osama bin Laden- esque mastermind behind an international terrorist group known as the Ten Rings and organizer of a series of mysterious bombings. However, it eventually becomes clear this was all a hoax, as he was in fact just a clueless, drug- addicted British actor named Trevor Slattery who had been hired to play the Mandarin in order to basically distract the heroes from who the REAL villain behind everything was.

 Many fans were NOT happy about this twist, largely because of what a prominent Iron Man foe the Mandarin was in the comics. While I thought it was a bit of a let- down as well, I was slightly more forgiving of it due to how unbelievably funny Slattery proved to be when the truth got out, largely due to Sir Ben Kingsley's performance as him.

Anyway, fast- forward to 'Shang- Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.' The title character's father, Wenwu, is the ACTUAL leader of the Ten Rings, and we learn that both Shang and his father have martial arts mastery and mystical superpowers as a result. Eventually, Shang and his friend Katy meet Trevor Slattery, who we learn was kidnapped from prison by the Ten Rings and was initially going to be executed by them for impersonating their leader and giving their group a bad name, only for them to grow fond of him for his acting skills and his funny, bumbling personality and decide to spare his life and make him kind of their court jester.
Trevor proves to be surprisingly useful to Shang and his friends in their quest, as he has "Morris," an odd little creature that came from the mystical city of Ta Lo, and Trevor can translate what it is saying, and thus act as a guide for them to safely find their way to the city to hopefully stop Wenwu from releasing a force of great evil that could overtake the world.
Going into 'Shang- Chi,' I was hoping they would at least mention Trevor and what happened to him, but they went above and beyond! Once he shows up around the film's halfway mark, Trevor becomes a full- fledged supporting character who supplies a TON of humor (Just as he had in his past appearances), and even a scene or two of genuine poignance. Ben Kingsley again gives a wildly entertaining performance as him.

One faith- based lesson that Trevor Slattery helps to teach is relating to the subject of calling. His story of when he first discovered he was meant to be an actor is hilarious yet helps to drive home that point: 

(Credit for this video goes to the user Teeta Lao at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SluoPXv7zxo)

Idiotic though Trevor is, that line "If they could teach those monkeys to act that brilliantly, just imagine what I could bring to the world" says a lot. A child's simple misunderstanding relating to the movie 'Planet of the Apes' led to Trevor deciding to become an actor, which in turn led to him eventually doing some seriously impressive (First for evil, then for good) things. Many great people throughout Scripture found their callings from God in unorthodox ways. Moses heard it from a burning bush. The prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11- 13, while listening for God's voice, heard it not from a tornado that passed by or from a big earthquake that happened near him OR from a roaring fire that raged near him, but from a still, small voice. May we all listen intently for the voice of God and His will for our lives, alert for even the most unexpected sources that He might use to point us towards our calling.

Another faith- based lesson to be taken from Trevor in this movie is on how God can help one to flourish in even the most dire of circumstances. When Trevor first meets Shang and the other heroes, he refers to the time he spent in prison for what happened in 'Iron Man 3' as "The best thing for me," as it enabled him to get off drugs and re- devote himself to his passion for acting. This excellen trait of seeing the good in all things calls to mind Joseph in the book of Genesis. He was sold into slavery by his own brothers, framed for sexually assaulting his master's wife, and thrown in prison, yet that sad series of events ultimately led to him helping to save Egypt from a famine. Upon being reunited with his brothers, Joseph said in Genesis 50:20 in regards to what they did to him, "You intended it to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." We all face hard times in our lives, but need to keep in mind that God can similarly use them to do a great deal of good in the world, if we let Him and remain obedient to Him.

He went from one villain's pawn, to a different villain's clown, to a valuable ally for the side of good, all with the same goofy charm he always had, and conveyed not one but two valuable Scriptural lessons in the process. Take a bow, Trevor Slattery!

The next addition to this list is someone who undergoes a heroic transformation of his own.

7. Chris Godecky, 'Black Friday'

(He's the especially nervous- looking one way in the back; Sorry, this was the best picture of him I could easily acquire! Credit for this image goes to Mikex20 on the Movie and TV wiki at https://to-hollywood-and-beyond.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Friday_(2021)?file=Black_Friday2021.jpg

The horror- comedy 'Black Friday' made for a cheesy yet funny romp, in which the employees of a "Big Box"- style toy store come to work on Thanksgiving night and nervously prepare for the greed- fueled chaos of Black Friday, only to find themselves having to literally fight for their lives as a strange alien meteor turns the hordes of Black Friday shoppers into kill- crazy zombies.
While the store's sleazy manager Jonathan (Played by one of my favorite actors, Bruce Campbell) provided loads of laughs, and the main character Ken was a good primary hero, I found myself most invested in the shy, nerdy, timid employee Chris Godecky (Played by Ryan Lee, who appeared in this blog's very first "Top 10 Movie Characters" list six years ago for his performance as Champ in the movie 'Goosebumps').
Chris, while a nice enough young man, is someone that nobody takes seriously at all: His family is shown to look down on him (In his first scene, when he has to leave to go to work while the rest of his family is having Thanksgiving dinner, his own parents give him looks that are practically dripping with condescension and disgust). Things at work aren't any better, as his work superiors and most of his coworkers see him as a loser, and in a tense moment, even Ken, who normally seems to regard him as a friend, says about him "I've never seen a bigger waste of potential in my life." Chris is scared of a lot of things, and washes his hands constantly out of fear of germs. A scene shortly before things really hit the fan had Chris being berated by the floor manager because he took too long to ring up a customer due to the fact that his cash register had jam on one of its buttons and he didn't want to touch it.

Yet, when the going gets to be its toughest, even as he is clearly terrified of what's happening, Chris proves to be a lot braver than he initially appeared to be. He fights off one of the first zombies while armed with nothing but a bag of sawdust. While his tougher- seeming coworker Archie gets taken out pitifully fast, Chris endures all the way to the end. He helps save his coworker Marnie when one of the zombies grabs her, and when he and a couple other survivors are stuck on the store's roof, he comes up with an idea to rappel down using Christmas lights. He gains moral courage as well, standing up for himself after taking one insult too many and making it clear he won't let anyone push him around anymore.
Chris especially shines in the climax: The mutated shoppers kind of fuse together into a gigantic monster, and Chris destroys it by tricking it into swallowing a forklift, which skewers the beast's face and thus kills it.

I'd compare Chris to one of my favorite figures in the Old Testament: Gideon, whose story is seen in Judges, chapters 6- 8. He lived in Israel at a time when they were oppressed by the Midianites, and like Chris in the movie, he seemed at first to be a loser and a coward, yet an angel of the Lord revealed to Gideon that he had been appointed by God to overthrow the Midianites and free his people. Gideon does not believe this at first, as Judges 6:15 says "'Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.'"(Chris, too, seemed to be "The least" in his family, from what we saw of them). Nevertheless, through trusting in the Lord, Gideon eventually found his courage, led an army to defeat the Midianite forces and free Israel, and became a great leader to his people for the rest of his days.

We too can be braver than we think if we trust in the Lord and commit to serving Him. Whether facing a despotic army like Gideon did, fighting zombiefied Black Friday shoppers like Chris did, or simply facing everyday challenges and fears, God can give us the courage to conquer ANYTHING. If it weren't for the fact that the store ends up getting destroyed in the end of the movie, Chris would get my vote for Employee of the Month.

Now, we're going to go for a character who's pretty much the polar opposite to Chris: While he's a young man with a scrawny and weak- looking exterior but a surprisingly brave spirit deep down, our next entry is a young woman with a strong and powerful exterior but a surprisingly fragile spirit:

8. Luisa Madrigal, 'Encanto'

(Credit for this image goes to the user Bszabo15 at the Disney Wiki at https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Luisa_Madrigal?file=Encanto_Luisa_Poster.jpg)

Last year proved to be a good one for Disney Animation, as they had not one but TWO movies that were both winners! 
The charming musical 'Encanto' centers around the Madrigals, a Colombian family living in a magical house. Among other things, each member of the family, when they reach a certain age, receive a magical "Gift" of an ability as part of the house's magic. One member has incredible hearing, another can control the weather through whatever mood she happens to be in, another can prepare meals that miraculously heal injuries, and so on. However, as the movie starts, we can see the house's magic is fading, and as a result the family members' abilities are fading as well, so it's up to the seemingly non- gifted main character Mirabel to try and find a way to fix all this and bring her family back together.

While Mirabel is a great character, for this list I'm going to have to go with her older sister Luisa. As you can probably tell just by looking at the picture of her I supplied, Luisa's special gift is superhuman strength. She's seen lifting everything from donkeys to bridges to churches and more as easily as you or I might lift a shoe, and selflessly puts it all to use helping her family and the other members of her community with their various needs. However, as noble as this is, we see it has also become a serious burden for Luisa; She is so determined to always help everyone and meet their needs that she has almost no time at all for herself to relax and enjoy life, and is also terrified of the prospect of letting others down. So, as you can probably guess, when the house's magic continues to fade and Luisa's strength starts fading with it, she doesn't take it well.
Luisa is an amazing character for a lot of reasons. First up, I like her physical design. You can tell just by looking at her that she's strong as an ox, yet it looks balanced and natural and she looks honestly rather pretty. Another subtle but VERY clever element of her appearance is that the pattern along the lower fringe of her dress resembles dumbbells, props to whoever came up with the idea for that. Next, I straight- up ADORE Jessica Darrow's performance as her voice. All too often lately, when animated shows and movies have "Strong/ tough woman" characters, they for some reason have these unnaturally high- pitched voices that don't match the character's physical design at all, and make me feel like I'm watching one of those stupid old "Victim of identity theft" commercials from the early 2000s. With Darrow's performance as Luisa's voice, in contrast, it's a deep, powerful- sounding voice that fits Luisa's massive physical appearance like a glove. Her voice can also, however, display her worry and vulnerability well.

 What's more, Luisa's struggle with wanting to please everyone and the stress of that are things that make her extremely relatable for me. I can also relate to her a lot because, like her, I'm the middle child of my family. Last but certainly not least, she has my favorite song in the entire film, "Surface Pressure," which basically sums up her mindset AND her worries through its wonderful, thought- provoking lyrics. Check it out:

(Credit for this video goes to the DisneyMusicVEVO at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-NH1uUfr0U)

I can think of a rather complicated twofold Scriptural lesson that can be taken from Luisa. The first part of it is on serving others with our gifts, similar to the earlier example of Lincoln Loud. Luisa has a remarkable attitude regarding her gift of strength; while it would be easy for her to get power- drunk on such a gift and become a bully with it, Luisa instead uses it to help her community however she can. This is perfectly in keeping with 1 Peter 4:10, which states that "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." We all have things we're particularly good at, God gave us those gifts for a reason: To serve others and help draw more people to Him in their own ways.

However, the second message ties in with the first, and points out that we shouldn't try and do everything ourselves without any time for personal growth or relaxation. Luisa, as I said, went too far in that regard, as her immense desire to please others kept her from enjoying her own life and gave her a rather unhealthy mindset that her ONLY value as a person comes from helping her community with her strength. As one of the lyrics to her song points out, "Under the surface, I'm pretty sure I'm worthless, if I can't be of service." This is similar to a dilemma Moses suffered in Exodus 18 after leading his fellow Hebrews from Egypt; As the leader of his people and someone known to be wise and closely in touch with God, Moses was constantly called upon to resolve every single dispute among them. It took a heavy toll on him personally, and became a real burden for his life. Eventually, his father- in- law Jethro noticed this, and called Moses out on it, saying in  Exodus 18:17-19, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you and you cannot handle it alone." Jethro then offers the suggestion that Moses appoint other, lesser judges for his people that could help take a lot of the load off of his shoulders, so then he himself would only be needed for the absolute biggest problems. This proves to be an excellent idea that sets the framework for how Israel would be governed for centuries to come. Similarly for us today, while as I said, we are called to serve others with our gifts, we shouldn't overcommit ourselves, and need to make sure we take enough time for relaxation and self- care. After all, God Himself needed a day of rest after creating the Earth and all its living things in the very beginning, and if even God needs to rest at times, we certainly do, as well!

A great twofold lesson from another amazing character. Nice work, Luisa, now PLEASE take a break! You've earned it!

Next, we look at another good- hearted teenage girl, yet this one's specialty lies in brains rather than brawn:

9. Phoebe Spengler, 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "Mrmichaelt" at the Ghostbusters wiki at https://ghostbusters.fandom.com/wiki/Phoebe_Spengler?file=PhoebeSpenglerFromAfterlifeSc24.jpg)

After the 2016 'Ghostbusters' reboot proved to not be as successful as hoped (A shame, as I personally thought it was pretty good, if not as great as the first two films in the franchise), it looked like the franchise might be, to forgive the pun, dead. Fortunately, last year's delightful 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' was a big hit that breathed new life into this well- loved series, and the new character Phoebe Spengler was definitely one of its high points!

We see that founding Ghostbusters member Egon Spengler (Played by the late Harold Ramis in the first two 'Ghostbusters' films, and by Bob Gunton with a CGI overlay in this film) has died, and his middle- aged daughter and her two teenaged children have come to a farmhouse he owned out in the country to basically get his estate in order and try to make any money they can from it to support themselves. This proves to be easier said than done, however, but the family still eventually manage to make friends and fit in among the other residents of the town, the grandkids discover Egon's ghostbusting equipment and modify it a bit while learning of their family's legacy, and they are all called upon to help stop an old threat from resurfacing and destroying all of humanity.
Egon's granddaughter Phoebe (Perfectly played by McKenna Grace) knows full well that she is out of place among normal people of her generation due to her brilliant IQ and socially- awkward personality, and she comes to embrace that fact. Yet, she still is brave enough and open- minded enough that makes efforts to reach out to people and make friends (Her science- based icebreaker jokes rule), and it pays off. Phoebe also demonstrates great courage and leadership skills as she, her brother, and a couple friends become kind of the next generation of the Ghostbusters.
Phoebe takes a LOT from her grandfather, having an incredibly similar personality as him, his spirit clearly lives on in her. Speaking of "His spirit," we soon discover that Egon's ghost is lingering around the house in very subtle, invisible sorts of ways, and he is trying to help his family in any way they can (i.e. When Phoebe is looking for a particular tool she needs to use, a lamp on a table suddenly turns all by itself and shines in the direction of the tool in question), and Phoebe quickly develops a connection with him.
I have to give major props to McKenna Grace for her performance as Phoebe. It's clear that she closely studied Harold Ramis's performance as Egon in the original films and picked up some of his mannerisms from them, yet rather than being just a simple clone/ imitator of Egon, she makes Phoebe into her own original, well- developed character. She really deserves to win some kind of award for her performance.

The movie's climax is magnificent, and contains not just the theological lesson to be drawn from Phoebe, but also probably the single most poignant moment of any 2021 film I've seen. In it, as Phoebe and her friends (Including the OG Ghostbusters, who show up to lend a hand) are trying to stop the evil resurrected deity Gozer, we at long last see the ghost of Egon Spengler appear in full form, guiding Phoebe as she fires her proton pack at the evil entity. Phoebe trusts him and lets him guide her hands, as she and the others all together help to take out Gozer, hopefully for good.
This reliance Phoebe has on the guiding hand of her grandfather's benevolent spirit can be seen as similar to how we all have the Holy Spirit inside of us all, who can lead and direct us through all of life's challenges. Romans 8:9 tells us that "...you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you." All true Christians have the Holy Spirit within them to help lead and guide them, and enable them to grow in their faith. It can enable us to better stand against Satan might throw at us, like Phoebe in the movie standing against Gozer, and more effectively serve and honor the Lord Jesus.

A brilliant young heroine who saves the world AND shows the great things that can be done when we allow the Holy Spirit to direct our steps. For such good work, who ya gonna call? Phoebe Spengler!

Just one more character left, someone who stands for what's right as effectively as Phoebe does, albeit in a different way:

10. Guy, 'Free Guy.'

(Credit for this image goes to the user "ALTRGAMING2007" at the Disney wiki at https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Free_Guy?file=Free_Guy_Dolby_Cinema_Poster.jpg)

The movie 'Free Guy' had a brilliant concept and pulled it off perfectly!
Basically, a man known simply as "Guy" (Ryan Reynolds), living a content but predictable life, realizes that he is a non- playable character (Or, NPC, for short) in 'Free City,' a 'GTA 5'- esque ultraviolent online video game. He soon becomes something of an Internet sensation by shaking things up in the game, standing up to the game's criminals and generally disrupting the chaotic flow of things.

Things get even crazier when we learn that 'Free City' was created when an unscrupulous executive stole the code from a game that would have been called 'Life Itself' and would have been more of a peaceful, easygoing paradise. From there, with help from the nice couple who created 'Life Itself,' Guy sets out to bring this truth to light and change the game for the better.

Guy was such an amazingly likable character! He's sweet, naive, yet learns to be brave and keeps his optimistic spirit even when things threaten to fall apart all around him. Ryan Reynolds, who always impresses me in his performances, brings out another great, memorable one with his typical humor, but also tons of heart.

Guy, sort of like my earlier example of Cruella, becomes someone who helps break the norms, but in his case it is through his devotion to peace and kindness. His rise to Internet fame causes the real- life gamers to start to question why they are always killing NPCs in games just for the fun of it and to indeed see NPCs in a new way, and he ultimately leads the NPCs in the game to desire a change for the better.  As he puts it, "Things in the city don't have to be this way; Things can be different... What if our world doesn't have to be so scary?" 

Guy becomes a kind of prophet to the other NPCs in the game. He helps them to rise above the dangerous existence they'd had in the game and seek to make it a better, more peaceful place to live, AND helps the real- life gamers learn to turn from their in- game brutality and develop more empathy and compassion which would likely translate into how they treat their fellow human beings in the real world. This is all a lot like how the prophet Jonah in the Biblical book of the same name led the people of Nineveh to turn from their wicked pasts and follow the Lord into a brighter future. Prophets, both back then and in now, should strive to use what they know to help direct others towards repenting of their pasts and seeking the transformation and redemption that only the Lord God can provide.

Guy, with his innocent, kind, gentle nature, wonderfully embodies what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:8: "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God." Purity of heart is indeed a quality that lets us truly see God, see the way He works all around us, and lead others to do the same.
Between that gentle, indeed Godly nature, and the prophetic way in which he transforms both the world of his game and the world outside of it, Guy is truly a character who is impossible NOT to love!

A few honorable mentions for this list are Kayla from 'Tom and Jerry,' Alex from 'Nightbooks,' Ron from 'Ron's Gone Wrong,' Tommy Doyle from 'Halloween Kills,' and Mirabel Madrigal from 'Encanto.'

That brings this entry of the Nightcrawler Experience to a close. Don't worry, I'll have some new entries out much sooner than it took me to do this one, I have a couple interesting new ones in mind.
Until then, stay safe and healthy, and may God bless you all!

The Great Commission, and an Unlikely Convert: A Faith- Based Look at 'He- Man and She- Ra: A Christmas Special.'

Hi everyone, and welcome back to another edition of the Nightcrawler Experience! 

Sorry it's been a while since my last entry, I've been delayed by a busy schedule and technical difficulties.
Hope you're all preparing well for Christmas!

God gave me a strange sort of inspiration for this year’s Christmas entry on the Nightcrawler Experience. It’ll be a series of entries I am calling “A Very 80’s Christmas”!
The 1980’s were an incredible decade. Reagan was president, hair and fashion styles were cool and innovative, some truly incredible movies, music and TV shows came out then, and of course, I was born in the 80’s!

 So, to that end, these next few entries will be faith- based looks at 80’s TV Christmas specials.

First up, we’ll be taking a trip to the magic world of Eternia with ‘He- Man and She- Ra: A Christmas Special’!

                          (Credit for this image goes to the user Dinobot281 on the He- Man wiki at https://he-man.fandom.com/wiki/He-Man_and_She-Ra:_A_Christmas_Special?file=Christmas_Special.jpg)


Made largely to promote its action figure line (Heck, you’d be hard- pressed to find an 80’s cartoon that WASN’T basically just a thirty- minute toy commercial), the action- fantasy series “He- Man and the Masters of the Universe” centers around Prince Adam of Eternia. He is given a magic sword that lets him transform into the mighty warrior He- Man. Together with his warrior friends, the Masters of the Universe, he regularly must protect Eternia from being conquered by the evil sorcerer/ warlord Skeletor and his henchmen. It’s been made into shows a few times, with the one that I remember most being the rather short- lived but excellent series that came out in 2002, but the original, and the one that comes into play in this entry, was from the early 80’s.
It also had a spinoff series, “She- Ra: The Princess of Power.” Basically He- Man for girls, it involved his long- lost twin sister and her own group of friends facing the villain Hordak. I never watched that show (Either the original, or the reboot they did for Netflix), so I can’t speak on it.
This Christmas special from 1985 combines the two shows. Long story short, through a mishap involving the bumbling but good- hearted Orko, a pair of children from Earth are accidentally sent to Eternia shortly before Christmas. The two kids, named Alisha and Miguel, immediately win over He- Man, She- Ra, and their friends, and begin introducing everyone in Eternia to the concept of Christmas. The Eternians like what they hear, and decide to throw a big Christmas party in the palace.
Not everyone is so excited about it, though. Skeletor and Hordak are both summoned by their sort- of boss, the intergalactic tyrant Horde- Prime. He tells them basically that he can’t stand the concept of these children bringing Christmas, and all the love and joy and goodwill that comes with it, to Eternia, so he hires the two villains to capture the little tykes and bring them to him. Skeletor and Hordak aren’t exactly the biggest fans of each other, so they immediately decide to compete with each other for this to see who can capture the kids first and be rewarded by Horde- Prime.

He- Man and She- Ra attempt to protect the kids when they find out about this, but eventually Skeletor captures them along with this little alien- puppy named Relay. The hoverbike he was using to drive off with them is shot down by Hordak, though, and crash- lands in some snowy mountains. So, Skeletor decides they’ll need to get to the rendezvous point for Horde- Prime by foot. Along the way, Skeletor repeatedly finds himself being uncharacteristically kind in various ways (i.e. Using his magic to conjure up warmer winter coats for the kids, taking Relay the puppy with them rather than leaving it to freeze, and fighting off a giant “Snow- Beast” that attacks them), in spite of his then trying to convince the kids and himself that he is rotten to the core.

Finally, everyone arrives at this rendezvous point, leading to a big battle. He- Man and She- Ra are soon distracted by Hordak’s robot army attacking them, Skeletor has been wounded after Hordak reflects his own magic blast back at him, and the children are being pulled by a giant mechanical claw into Horde- Prime’s ship. Just then, Skeletor says while lying on the ground, “I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I MUST…. SAVE… THE CHILDREN!” If you’re watching the special, that scene/ line will likely have you torn between bursting out laughing, cheering, and loudly saying “AAAAWWWW!”

 Skeletor regains his strength from this, gets to his feet, and blasts Horde- Prime’s ship, which releases the kids and then crashes. He- Man and She- Ra then finish the job by tossing Horde- Prime’s now- damaged ship into space.

The assorted good guys have their first Christmas party be a huge success, and the children are returned to Earth in time for Christmas Eve, complete with a pretty darn cool Christmas present/ souvenir from their new friends: A matching pair of magic belts that enable them to fly.

‘He- Man and She- Ra: A Christmas Special’ makes for great campy, cheesy fun. It’s something that’s enjoyable to watch just as- is, OR for riffing purposes.

 In nearly every incarnation of He- Man, Skeletor is often the most interesting and entertaining character to watch, and that certainly holds true here. The special especially picks up the pace in the last twenty minutes or so, starting in the scene when the old bone- head and the kids crash- land in the mountains, and have such hilarious and adorable interactions with each other. Here’s just a sample:

(Aww, doesn’t that smile he briefly has after Alisha calls him “Wonderful” look sweet? This video was uploaded to Youtube by the user "bustatoons" at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVppuv9Pcqk)

This special obviosuly has a few issues with it. First up, it's so jam- packed with characters from the two different shows (Mostly in the background) that it can be hard to keep track of them all. Also, Skeletor’s arc in the special felt a little incomplete. If I were a writer for that special, I’d have it end either with He- Man and She- Ra inviting Skeletor to join them and the Masters for their Christmas party, or possibly with Skeletor and his henchmen throwing their own Christmas party in their headquarters at Snake Mountain (Complete with exploding presents, as he seemed to like that idea).
Nevertheless, 'He- Man and She- Ra: A Christmas Special' remains great cheesy fun that I've watched every year at least since 2019. If you want a good laugh and a little heart, check it out.

The first Scriptural message to be taken from ‘He- Man and She- Ra: A Christmas Special’ is on being a good witness for Christ. We see the children in a way doing that through their efforts to bring Christmas to Eternia. They eagerly, yet not in a pushy or offensive way, tell each of the Eternians about Christmas. In fact, when they first tell Orko about it, it’s even clearly implied that they tell him that it involves celebrating the birth of Jesus (They tell him it started “A long, long time ago,” then it segues into a different scene; Later, we return to the kids finishing the story to Orko, and they say “And the three wise men followed the star until they finally reached Bethlehem,” and Orko responds, “What a beautiful story!”). Even when Skeletor has captured the kids and is intent on taking them to Horde- Prime, they still happily tell him about the joys of Christmas, and as pointed out earlier, their witnessing in this way leads to him having a remarkable change of heart. It calls to mind several real- life accounts I have heard, in which Christians who have been imprisoned for their faith have managed to even lead the jailers and guards who mistreated them into finding salvation through Jesus. This echoes the Great Commission that the risen Jesus gave in Matthew 28:19, telling His disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Also, Psalm 96:3 says to “Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!” The Gospel can be spread in a lot of different ways: Through in- person interactions, through writing as I'm doing through this blog, and any one of a multitude of different ways. The only condition is that you should demonstrate tact, kindness and humility in how you present it, to ensure that the message is received well. Do that, and much like how the kids in the special ended up being to everyone in Eternia, we can shine the light of Christ to all around us!

As you can probably guess, another Scriptural message that can be taken from ‘He- Man and She- Ra: A Christmas Special’ lies in the almost Grinch- like redemption arc that Skeletor goes through over the course of the special. This was a guy who in the series was constantly portrayed as one of the most evil beings in Eternia (Albeit not very competent in his evil schemes most of the time). Yet, through his interactions with the children and them encouraging him into various acts of kindness, we see his heart start to gradually melt and we learn that, although he would never admit it and insists he’s all evil, he miraculously DOES have at least some small trace of good in him. This, of course, comes to its completion in the honestly epic climax moment of Skeletor confronting Horde- Prime and saving the children from him. It brings to mind Ezekiel 36:26, which says “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” It shows how God can help soften the hearts of even the seemingly worst of us, and change them entirely. Jesus came to Earth and died to save ALL of us, particularly those who seem the worst of us and most irredeemable. Remember, after all, the thief on the cross as well as Saul of Tarsus. Think on if you know someone like that in your own life, a “Skeletor” who may not be the most likable person around, but who is still just as much a child of God as you are, and make an effort to show the love of Christ to them.

That about sums up my look at 'He- Man and She- Ra: A Christmas Special.' While not exactly the most memorable tv Christmas special, it's corny fun and teaches great messages about kindly sharing the Gospel to others, and how even the worst of us isn't beyond saving. Those messages pack more might than He- Man and She- Ra combined!

That's all for this entry of the Nightcrawler Experience. See you soon with the next entry in this series. Until then, stay safe and healthy, and may God bless you all!

A Controversial Bit of Scripture, and Properly Using Our Blessings; The True Price of "The Last Tsuburaya."

 Hi everyone, and happy Halloween from the Nightcrawler Experience!
This will be the first of what will be another hopefully two- part Halloween- related series of entries (I realize Halloween will be over by the time Part 2 comes out, but this has been a very busy Autumn for me). I didn't know if I'd be able to find two entries that would work for this blog this year, but God has provided me with special inspiration for this one!


Much as I did with one of my Halloween entries last year, this one is a look at a segment from an episode of the Shudder streaming show 'Creepshow: The Series.' For those who didn't catch that entry, 'Creepshow' is a series on the horror- related streaming website Shudder, which is based on the movie series of the same name, which in turn is based on the old EC horror comics of the 1950s such as 'Tales From the Crypt. Each season contains six episodes, and each episode contains two stories/ segments.

This show is now in its third season, and a recent episode featured two creature- related stories, respectively entitled "The Last Tsuburaya" and "OK I'll Bite." While "Bite" (The story of a prison inmate who has a MAJOR affinity for spiders) was great, I'll focus on what I consider the superior of the two tales, "The Last Tsuburaya."
1. DISCLAIMER! This episode has scary and possibly objectionable content.
2. SPOILERS!

Co- written by Paul Dini (Who in the 90's wrote several episodes of the magnificent "Batman: The Animated Series," and was in fact the creator of Harley Quinn), this tale opens by telling us a little about an ancient Japanese artist named Ichiro Tsuburaya. As known for his misanthropic attitude as he was for his gruesome paintings depicting ghosts and monsters from Japanese folklore, the artwork of Tsuburaya (Pronounced "Soo- buh- rye- uh") tends to sell for immense sums of money at auction.
When this tale begins, we learn that Tsuburaya's final painting was recently discovered in the ruins of a Japanese monastery, and has never been seen by ANYONE (Other than the artist himself, obviously), and his only living relative/ heir, a young man named Bobby, is presented with a crate that apparently contains this painting. An art historian named Dr. Sato attempts to purchase the painting from Bobby so she can display it in her museum for all to enjoy, but is foiled by the sudden, uninvited arrival of a man named Wade Cruise (Brandon Quinn). Immediately coming across as an arrogant sleazebag, this tech billionaire and art collector nevertheless convinces Bobby to instead sell the crate with the last Tsuburaya painting to him for his private collection for the princely sum of $10 million. As an added display of his nastiness and arrogance, Wade then invites Dr. Sato to his unveiling of the painting at his penthouse that evening as a way to further rub his victory over this acquisition in her face.

(Meet Wade, now smugly carrying away the box containing the painting; That expression on his face is immensely punchable, don't you think? Credit for this image goes to a review of this episode on the website horrorobsessive at https://horrorobsessive.com/2021/10/07/creepshow-s3e3-creepy-crawly-capitalist-arrogance-in-the-last-tsuburaya-and-ok-ill-bite/)

Worse is to come from him. At the unveiling, Wade removes the Tsuburaya painting from the crate, admiring it while holding it in such a way that all the attendees of the event can only see the back of it, while we the viewers catch only small glimpses of it, enough to see that it is of a particularly heinous- looking demon. The guests all come closer and closer to Wade, eager to finally see this masterpiece. Just then, in a shocking and honestly despicable act, Wade out of nowhere whips out a lighter and burns the painting in front of everyone, thereby ensuring that he himself will have been the only person in history to ever look upon Tsuburaya's last painting (As he then smugly puts it, "It now exists in the most exclusive gallery of all: My mind."). Everyone else is of course disgusted by this incomprehensibly selfish act, as he then orders everyone out, having done what he intended to do.

Among those who hated Wade doing this is his own girlfriend Geesa, an accomplished artist herself whom Wade acts as a patron/ benefactor to in exchange for her only painting for him. In a scene that helps demonstrate both of their personalities and philosophies on life in general, they have a conversation in which Geesa tells Wade of her first art sale: A simple drawing of a cat which she made as a toddler, and which her father bought from her for 25 cents, in what seemed to be the first time he really acknowledged her as she was often drowned out for attention by her older brothers. This led her to grow up believing that the only way anyone would notice her would be if she created something they found valuable.
Wade, in turn, shares a little story of his own: He was once given the opportunity to buy a quite valuable antique vase from a man who urgently needed money to pay for an operation to save his (The seller’s) young daughter’s life. Upon learning of the man’s desperation, Wade used this fact to force the poor guy to accept a price for the vase far lower than what it was actually worth. Six months after acquiring the vase, Wade sold it at auction for over ten times what he paid the father for it. When Geesa then asks him what happened to the daughter in the story, Wade responds "Not my worry." This experience taught him that, while simply acquiring material things didn't bring him much happiness or satisfaction, crafting unique experiences for himself and finding ways to deliberately bring stress and misery to others in the process was, as he put it, "Like crack to me." This was obviously what led him to do what he did at the unveiling.
Bottom line, Wade is the sort of person that is ripe for the kind of supernatural comeuppance that most evildoers on this show face, and boy oh boy, does he ever get it!

Later that very night, Wade begins seeing elements of the destroyed Tsuburaya painting everywhere he goes (i.e. The normal- looking eyes on a portrait in his private gallery suddenly resemble the Tsuburaya demon's yellow, serpentine eyes, and a sketch that Geesa made of the demon based on what little she heard about it suddenly stretches its mouth open in a snarl). Not long after that, the demon begins appearing to him in the flesh, stalking and eventually attacking him.
After a while, Wade manages to kill the monster by impaling it with a tribal spear (In addition to being an art collector, he also had a large collection of antique weapons from around the world). While initially gloating over his victory, talking about how he'll have it stuffed and mounted on display, he is immediately stunned into silence as the monster then transforms into a robed Japanese gentleman. You see, the monster was really Tsuburaya himself.

As the mortally- wounded artist explains, "On my death, my hatred trapped me between worlds, becoming the image of my most monstrous creation, imprisoned, until you released me. My curse is broken; Now, YOURS begins." Tsuburaya disintegrates into dust, and Wade looks down in horror to see that his own hands have become the claws of the Tsuburaya demon. Realizing what's happening to him and obviously not wanting it, Wade commits suicide, impaling himself on the same spear.
As coroners later come and remove Wade's body, a flash of lightning reveals that, along the massive window where the deaths took place, there is now a bloodstain trail resembling the outline of the Tsuburaya demon, and so the episode ends.

"The Last Tsuburaya" pretty much instantly became another of the most memorable episodes in the series so far for me.
The story makes for an interesting look at art and philanthropy, and kept me riveted from start to finish.
The costume design for the Tsuburaya demon looks great, a little bit hokey (But in a way that works, considering that the show is heavily based on the 1950s horror comics, and regularly incorporates a little bit of camp into their stories), but also genuinely frightening.
The characters are mostly well- done, other than the lucky heir Bobby who is never seen again after Wade acquires the painting from him. Dr. Sato is the most sympathetic; It's clear that she deeply loves the works of Tsuburaya, and is motivated by a desire for others to be able to enjoy his works just as much, rather than just the self- promotion of her museum potentially hosting his last work.
Of course, the main focal character in this story is Wade. This guy is so vile and loathsome, yet in a way you can't take your eyes away from, if only to see when he inevitably gets what he deserves by the end of the episode. Brandon Quinn does an amazing job playing him, both with his smugness and narcissism in the first half of the story, and with his growing terror, paranoia and panic in its second half.

It also I suppose goes without saying that much of the artwork seen in the episode (Both the renderings of Tsuburaya's supposed works, and the random artwork on display in Wade's private gallery) is gorgeous.
In short, "The Last Tsuburaya" makes for a fascinating and quite enjoyable tale.

I could think of a couple Scriptural lessons that could be taken from "The Last Tsuburaya."
The main one I can think of concerns the proper Biblical use of wealth.
It brings to mind a story found in Mark 10:17- 27. Jesus is approached by a wealthy young man who asks Him what he (The young man) must do in order to gain eternal life. Jesus responds that he should follow God's commandments. The young man says he already does all of those. Jesus then responds, "One thing you lack; Go, sell everything you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then, come, follow Me." At this, it says that the young man's face fell, and he went away very sad, because he had many great possessions. Jesus then turns to His disciples and points out how hard it is for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. He further says, "It is easier for a camel to travel through the eye of a needle that for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God."

This "Camel through the eye of a needle" verse is probably one of the most controversial verses in all of Scripture. Many interpretations have been made of it, ranging from proponents of liberation theology viewing it as an explicit condemnation of literally all wealthy people, to others who claim it is more of a warning against self- righteousness and trying to earn one’s way into Heaven through works (i.e. The rich young man tells of everything he has done to apparently earn righteousness, yet does not seem to give much if any thought as to God’s grace; He thinks he can get into Heaven purely through what he himself does rather than through what God does), while still others say that it is about the impossibility of being truly perfect in God’s eyes.

 While I’m not particularly big on liberation theology due to it leaning a bit too close to Marxism for my tastes, I do appreciate its point on the immorality of some people wasting their wealth on ridiculous, obscene displays of extravagance while there are starving beggars no more than a couple miles away from them for whom a few bucks could mean the difference between life and death.
The great theologian John Wesley, founder of the Methodist church, believed this as well, based on his sermon/ essay "Thoughts on the Scarcity of Provisions." This sermon largely dealt with his thoughts on why food in his native England was becoming so hard to come by and so expensive, thereby worsening the plight of starvation among its poor and needy citizens. In this sermon, one of the major reasons Wesley gave for why this was the case was because of the excessive luxury that the upper classes demonstrated. For instance, their love of riding through towns in carriages pulled by many horses contributed both to the scarcity and rising costs of meat (So many ranchers switched from raising cows, pigs, etc., to the more lucrative practice of raising horses), and also to the scarcity and rising costs of oats (More horses needing more feed, after all, meant less oats as food for humans).
 I’d say “The Last Tsuburaya” can act in a sense as a good way of demonstrating their interpretation of this passage and verse. Having a lot of wealth at one’s disposal can easily corrupt a person. If they do not have their heart in the right place and their priorities in check, it can lead to them using their wealth to satisfy base and at times even flat- out evil desires. I think it's a big part of why so many celebrities get heavily into vice and develop sometimes- fatal substance abuse problems. In Wade’s case in this episode, it drove him to use his money to find ways to gain happiness for himself by making others miserable, with his use of the Tsuburaya painting being a perfect example of this. He shelled out $10 million on a painting purely for the ego trip of being the only one to see it and the sadistic joy of depriving other art aficionados of the pleasure of observing it. With that kind of money, he could have supplied an impoverished African village with food, clean water, and medical supplies for a decade or more.
In that sense, Wade’s fate of turning into a monster before killing himself made for a perfect picture of his life of selfishness, hedonism, and hatred towards his fellow man finally catching up to him and showing through his outer appearance, just as it did to Tsuburaya himself.

All that being said, I personally know of many wealthy people who do earnestly know Jesus and who I am quite positive will enter Heaven (In fact, one such person I knew who shall remain anonymous passed from this world into the arms of Jesus just a month or two ago). The difference between them and people like Wade or like the rich young man is how they used their wealth. They were rich, sure, but they were also generous towards others, using what they had to help build God's Kingdom. They followed John Wesley's advice that Christians should try to "Earn all that we can, so we can save all that we can, so we can then give all that we can."
It also ties into what Jesus then says immediately after the "Camel pass through the eye of a needle" verse; The apostles, in response to this, then asked each other, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

The Lord's immense mercy and grace is capable of reaching and saving even the worst of us, as long as we merely ask Him in faith to do so.
Thus, through trusting in the Lord's grace alone for salvation and properly using the blessings He has given us, we can avoid becoming like Wade and more fully become children of God, true masterpieces in His eyes.
That's all for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. My next entry should hopefully come quite soon. Until then, stay safe, have a happy Halloween, and may God bless you all!