A new superhero

Something magical happens in the heart of a child (no matter what age) when a good story is told. The ageless themes of good vs. evil have a way of tugging at the core of us all, for deep down we all believe that the fairy tales of our youth, and all they have to say about love and goodness does really come true in the end.

In recent years, Hollywood has really gotten into the business of weaving tales around some of our favorite childhood superheros, and done very well as a result, thanks to the dream of goodness that still lives in the hearts of us all. If one has the eyes to see it, there are many lessons of faith, even Christocentric faith, to be found in these flicks.

One of the most recent additions to the pile is the newly released Ironman. I had a chance to screen it this week along with some of my collegues, and we all agree that there are all kinds of references to be uncovered in the plot of this neophyte offering. There is of course the original struggle of the protagonist with the age-old battle of earthy vs other-worldly riches, and only when this battle is well underway do we see the truth that blossoms. Seeking the truth of the matter is not an easy task, for there are always those who are more than willing to pose roadblocks, all in the name of self-advancement, and all because these latter are blinded by their own greed to see the true effect that their actions are having.

Ironman assumes a double itentity reminiscent of Superman and only reveals this truth to his closest friends ... until he is forced to face the demons and overcome the ultimate battle, the one that rages within.

This movie may indeed make Hollywood proud and many of the former Marvel Superhero officianati will rush to see how this newest addition to the line of superheros is transformed from the pages of history to the silver screen. Even though at the end, they will leave knowing that all is right with the world and that there is something warm and fuzzy like all good films manage to capture in the short span of their run time, I'm not convinced that the majority of the viewers will truly grasp the deeper meanings behind the characters, their actions, their decisions and the effect of all this on the wider world, but then again, that's the story of faith, a story that we have been living for thousands of years. The physical surroundings may be different, but the battle continues.