Big Hero 6

You know what I love? Kid movies that go to great lengths to appeal to adults, too. I call them family movies. Because let’s be real. No parent (or older sibling, babysitter, etc.) wants to take a child to the movies and sit through an hour and a half of immature jokes and nonsensical stories. But no kid wants to sit through a film that’s geared toward adults. That would be super-boring. But lately, movie studios have been perfecting the art of creating films that appeal to kids while not driving adults crazy, either. And I can’t get enough of it.

Big Hero 6 is one of those movies that is marketed towards kids but is perfectly enjoyable for adults to watch, too. There’s a reason it was the number one movie in the box office its opening weekend: People—kids and adults alike—wanted to see it. I saw Big Hero 6 the day after it came out, and I really enjoyed it, so I decided that I would highlight it in this week’s Stuff Devon Likes post.

Big Hero 6 is the first true collaboration between Disney and Marvel since Disney bought Marvel several years go. It’s Disney Animation taking an obscure Marvel comic series and turning it into a beautiful, feature-length, animated film. It’s got the action and adventure of a comic book with the gorgeous graphics and heartfelt storytelling that we’ve come to expect from Disney. I think Big Hero 6 represents the best of both Disney and Marvel, and it makes a wonderful combination.

The film tells the story of Hiro (which, of course, sounds a lot like “hero” when spoken out loud) and his best friend Baymax, a marshmallowy robot, as they work together to save the city of San Fransokyo. Hiro and Baymax team up with four fellow scientist friends to create the ultimate superhero team, Big Hero 6. Each member uses his or her talents and area of scientific research to fight evil. Each character has a well-developed personality and a few quirks that play into their abilities and style. For a kid’s movie, the cast is actually pretty diverse and well-rounded.

One of the most interesting features of Big Hero 6 is the blending of elements from both eastern and western culture. The story takes place in a town called San Fransokyo, which is of course a blending of San Francisco and Tokyo. The characters look like Disney’s version of anime characters, and a lot of the design has an obvious eastern influence, which really sets the movie apart from other animated films.

And of course, this is Disney’s attempt to get in on the superhero movie craze that’s pretty much dominating movie theaters right now. But instead of a children’s version of the Avengers or a less dark version of Batman, this is a totally unique set of superheroes geared specifically towards kids, and I think that’s pretty cool. Plus there are some references to other Marvel characters that adults will catch and enjoy.

I really enjoyed Big Hero 6. The characters are cool, the jokes are hilarious, the story is compelling (although perhaps a little bit predictable for adults), and the movie just looks great. I would recommend this film to anyone who’s interested in superhero films, family films, or just fun movies. It’s definitely worth the price of a movie ticket just to see it no matter what age you are. Check out Big Hero 6 in theaters, and let me know if you like it. If you’ve seen it already, I’d love to hear what you thought of it! Thanks for reading this week’s Stuff Devon Likes, and I’ll see you guys next weekend.

Solitude

It’s no secret that I’m an introvert. It’s not that I don’t like people. I love people. I love connecting with people, investing in people, and spending time with people. What sets introverts like myself apart from extroverts is that for introverts, social interaction depletes energy, whereas extroverts are energized by social interaction. Both of these are perfectly normal, and each has its pros and its cons. One of the side effects of being an introvert, however, is a feeling of exhaustion and a need for rest after what I call a “social overload.” This is where solitude comes in.

I cherish solitude. It’s my way of recuperating after a long day of lectures, work, and usually a great deal of social interaction. When I get home and have some time to myself, I’m able to relax and reflect on the day I’ve just had. It’s great. As much as I love being around people, doing the Lord’s work, and learning as much as I can in the classroom, I do very much look forward to coming home and enjoying some solitude.

As I said before, it’s not that I don’t like people. I love people, and I love spending time with people. But spending time with people does take a lot of energy out of me, and I need some time alone to get that energy back. Since moving to Waco, I’ve been thinking a lot about solitude, its benefits, and its risks. If you’re an introvert like me (or if you’re interested in knowing how introverts like me think), here are a few of the things I’ve learned about solitude.

It’s OK to need some alone time.

Some people assume that introverts are “anti-social” or “loaners” because they often need time for themselves. This is a misconception. Introverts who make time for solitude are just finding healthy ways to take care of themselves. There’s nothing wrong with wanting some time alone. You’re not grumpy or a loaner or selfish for saying from time to time, “OK, I need some time alone.” It’s actually a good thing, and you shouldn’t feel ashamed about that.

Some people don’t get it.

On the other hand, some people do not place as much emphasis on solitude as others. Extroverts may see alone time as uncomfortable or unnecessary. They may not understand why someone like me needs some time to themselves every once in a while, and it may be misinterpreted. Again, there’s nothing wrong with being an introvert or an extrovert. Both are natural and normal. But both groups need to take some time to understand the other’s needs in order to avoid misconceptions and hurt feelings. Learning to articulate why you need solitude and that it isn’t an indication of anything negative is important.

Don’t fall into the trap of self-isolation.

Solitude is good. Isolation is bad. And personally, I’m constantly tempted to fall into self-isolation. I cherish solitude so much that I can take it to the extreme and end up going long periods of time without any real human connection. This leaves me feeling empty and sad, not rested and whole as solitude should. While solitude is important, so is connecting with other people. There is a balance between the two, and that has to be kept in mind, or you may find yourself isolated.

That’s what I have to say about solitude for now. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and there may be more to say later. I hope this blog post has been helpful or at least interesting to you. I know it’s been a good exercise for me to reflect on something that I put so much emphasis on. I hope you guys are having a great week. Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

The Silver Chair

I finally finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia series! It took me a couple of months, but it was worth it. Each of the seven books is so enjoyable and easy to read. If you’ve never read them, you should check them out (and if you read them when you were younger, it may be good to re-read them). I wrote a review of The Magician’s Nephew when I read it a couple of months ago, but don’t worry. I’m not going to write a review of all seven books. But I did want to write one more review from the Narnia series before I put the books back on the shelf for a while.

I read each of the Narnia books as a kid except The Silver Chair. I’m not sure why, but I never got around to it. Maybe it was because it wasn’t super-popular or because it didn’t feature any of the characters I was familiar with. But for whatever reason, this was my first time reading The Silver Chair, and it blew me away. This may actually be the most powerful of the Narnia books, and that’s saying something.

The Silver Chair tells the story of Eustace, cousin to the Pevensies, and Jill, his school friend, as they travel to Narnia and search for King Caspian’s lost son. Their traveling companion is a Marsh-Wiggle named Puddlegum, a well-meaning, frog-like creature who is never looking on the bright side. Along the way, the group finds themselves in a giants’ castle, a ruined city, and the Underworld. Sent by Aslan with a series of signs, the travelers seem to slip up at every turn, but in the end they find that Aslan’s signs were leading them the entire way.

What I really love about this book is that is a powerful representation of what life looks like when you have faith in God. It portrays faith in such a tangible, relatable way that even someone who has no belief in God whatsoever can understand it, and that has the power to change lives. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but at one point during the story, the main characters find themselves trapped in the Underworld under the curse of a witch who is trying to convince them that Aslan and Narnia are not real. The characters nearly fall under the spell until Puddlegum—the most pessimistic character in the story—steps forward and makes one of the most powerful statements of faith I’ve ever heard. It’s so simple that a child could understand it but so deep that I could read it over and over and get something new out of it every time. It beautifully and simply displays what it feels like to live with faith in God as a reality in one’s life, and it’s extremely compelling.

I don’t know why more people haven’t talked about The Silver Chair. I love all the other Narnia books, but I think this one is so theologically beneficial that I would go so far as to say that if you only read one of the Narnia books, it should be this one. Some people may object that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe should be the most read because it portrays the core truth of the gospel so simply, and I think that has some truth to it, but I think The Silver Chair has something to offer that none of the other Narnia books does. It can show anyone—even an atheist—what life with God is like. And just like C. S. Lewis on his own spiritual journey, a person must become a theist (a believer in God) before he or she can become a Christian, which is why The Silver Chair may actually have the potential to influence more people than any other Narnia book.

The Silver Chair is currently being made into a feature-length film, so hopefully we’ll be seeing that pretty soon. I would love to see what kind of impact this book could have in movie form. But until then, I would highly recommend you read The Silver Chair. It’s not very long or hard to follow, and it’s an exciting story as well as a great representation of what life with God is like. Check out The Silver Chair and let me know what you think of it! Thanks for reading, friends, and have a great weekend.

Be Prepared

The weather in Texas has changed drastically as of late. It seems like the second November came, someone flipped a switch that turned the weather from summer to some sort of weird half-winter hybrid. In the mornings when I leave for school or work, it is very chilly outside, usually in the 40’s. So I put on my jacket and brace myself for the cold as I bike to campus. But when I go outside around lunchtime, the temperature is now in the mid–70’s, and my jacket is not only unnecessary but extremely uncomfortable. So I’m forced to take it off and carry it with me. But by around 5:30 or 6:00 when the sun is setting, it cools off again, and I’m glad to have my jacket with me. As you can imagine, this mix of warm and cold weather is frustrating when I’m considering what to wear.

While pondering this strange situation I’ve found myself in (and realizing that Texas weather isn’t always perfect as I had hoped it would be), I got to thinking about preparation. How difficult it can be. How much effort it takes. How annoyed I can get sometimes when I’m trying to be prepared. But also how necessary, useful, and wonderful preparedness can be. Because as much as I hate carrying that jacket around, I am always grateful to have it when the temperature drops and I find myself in need of it.

As Christians, we are called to “be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). This was Paul’s command to Timothy when Paul knew he was near death, but it applies to all of us. One of the marks of spiritual maturity is being prepared to do the Lord’s work, even when we think we’re “out of season” or on a break. Often, the opportunities to connect with others and share God’s love with them come when we least expect them, and that’s why we have to be ready.

Just like with my jacket and this Texas weather, being prepared can sometimes be a pain. It requires quite a bit of effort, and it often feels useless. What happens when you spend a good deal of time and energy preparing, but nothing ever comes of it? You may be tempted to get discouraged, but take heart. Opportunities to serve God are everywhere. There’s always one right around the corner, even if you can’t see it. So be prepared. You never know what God may be planning to do through you today.

But how does a Christian get prepared? How are we to be ready at all times, even in the “off season?” What does that even mean? To me, the preparation begins with our personal relationship with Christ. If you’re being intentional about your prayer life and spending time with God and his word every day, you’re a lot more likely to be ready to follow the Holy Spirit when he calls on you. How can you do what God is calling you to do if you’re not making time to listen to him?

Another aspect of being prepared is looking for opportunities to serve God, often in the most unlikely places. We live in a world that desperately needs God’s love. We come into contact with people everyday who are living without the saving grace and amazing love that we enjoy. You can share God’s love with someone through small things, like a simple smile to a stranger on the street or just asking someone how they’re doing and actually listening. Or it may be something a little bigger like a co-worker asking you a question about God or your church asking you to help serve the poor. Opportunities to serve God and love others come in all shapes and sizes. But we have to be prepared for them.

So I’m going to try to stop complaining about carrying my jacket around so much. The truth is that I should appreciate it whether I need it or not, and when I do need it, I’m always glad to have it with me. In the same way, let us all make an effort to be ready to serve God always and make a difference in our world. Thank you guys for reading, and I hope you have a blessed week!

Gotham

There’s no denying that our culture is going through a Batman phase. Ever since The Dark Knight hit theaters and took the world by storm, our culture has been obsessed with Batman. He’s the kind of anti-hero that people in contemporary society can relate to, a morally ambivalent underdog battling corruption and oppression in a world that seems so dark and brooding. Our society today doesn’t want happy do-gooders like Superman. We want the edginess of the Dark Knight and the twisted villains who come along with him.

All of this sets the stage perfectly for the new Batman-inspired Fox show Gotham. But instead of focusing on Bruce Wayne’s alter-ego, the show has chosen instead to center around Jim Gordon, whom we know as Commissioner Gordon, the police officer who helps Batman in the Dark Knight trilogy. The show takes place over a decade before Batman begins taking on the criminals of Gotham. Gordon is a new detective on the Gotham City Police Force, and he has to figure out how to be a good cop in a city that is so corrupt.

Although the show doesn’t center around Bruce Wayne, it does open with the Wayne murders, which are portrayed in a very dark, dramatic way. Bruce’s scream after witnessing his parents’ deaths is haunting. The detective on the case is none other than our friend Jim Gordon. We get to see him meet Bruce Wayne for the first time and make the commitment to find the person responsible for his parents’ deaths. This is the overarching mystery for the show, or at least for the first season.

Another basic element of Gotham is that the city is quite obviously being run by gangsters. Carmine Falcone is the mob boss, and he has control of every aspect of the city from street thugs to police officers to politicians. A couple of his most powerful underlings, Don Maroni and Fish Mooney (an original character created for the show), have formed their own factions within the crime world and are starting to enact plans to take over. All of this is somehow tied in with Arkham, a new housing development in Gotham that is being supported by both the crime bosses and Wayne Inc. What exactly this all means and how it will play out is a mystery to both the viewer and to Gordon, which makes for an interesting tension.

There are some other characters on the show that Batman fans will recognize from elsewhere. Oswald Cobblepot (also known as Penguin) plays a major role in Gotham. I think Cobblepot is my favorite character because he’s so unpredictable, and you never quite know where his loyalties lie or what his goals are. Selina Kyle (Catwoman) is a young orphan on the streets of Gotham who witnesses the Wayne murders and will hopefully help Gordon solve them. We’ve met Edward Nygma (Riddler), who currently works with the police force as a forensics expert. A young Poison Ivy appears in the pilot, although she does not play a major role in the series. If you’re a fan of Alfred Pennyworth (and let’s be real, who isn’t?), he appears in most episodes. And the show’s creators have revealed that Harvey Dent and the Joker will also be showing up on the show soon.

But don’t think that Gotham is just a collection of Batman references. There are also some new characters on the show, including Fish Mooney (who is brilliantly played by Jada Pinkett Smith), a crime boss serving under Falcone; Harvey Bullock, Gordon’s corrupt, alcoholic detective partner; Barbara Kean, Gordon’s fiance; and two no-nonsense Major Crimes officers name Montoya and Allen who represent the uncorrupt side of the Gotham Police Force.

Some people worried that Gotham was trying to fit too much in from the start. As you can see, there are a lot of characters and a lot of references to the Batman universe. However, the plot isn’t overly complicated or difficult to follow. I don’t feel like the writers have had to make any big stretches in order to include certain characters. All of them make sense to the story, and I think it’s a very cool way of telling how Gotham City became so bad that it needed a vigilante like Batman to save it. If you’re into Batman and want to know more not only about his backstory, but about the world in which he exists, check out Gotham. It has a lot to offer both as a show set in the Batman universe and simply as a crime/political drama.

Gotham airs on Fox Monday nights at 7:00 central and was recently extended to a 22-episode first season, which indicates that Fox has confidence in the show. If you get a chance to watch it (or if you’re already watching it), I’d love to chat with you about the show. You can hit me up on social media or through the Contact page on my website. Thanks for reading, friends, and have a great weekend!