Herodias: an immoral woman who plotted a man's death

Her name means heroic but she did not act in any way heroic. Herodias was a proud woman who longed to be queen. She left one man to marry another. She used her daughter to manipulate her husband into doing her will. She acted arrogantly in complete disregard for the laws of the land. She was rebuked by John the Baptist for her sin and in response she plotted for his death. She may have relished in the face that she was able to get rid of John the Baptist and his message. What is her story? What is at the core of her story? What lesson can we draw?

Herodias was the granddaughter of Herod the Great, who ruled Judea for thirty-four years. His reign had brought prosperity to a troubled region of the Roman Empire. He built theaters, amphitheaters and race courses, palaces and a magnificent temple in Jerusalem and lowered taxes. However, his reign had its shadows. He had ordered the slaughter of Jewish boys in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16-18).Herod also ordered the deaths of his favorite wife (her grandmother) and three of his sons for real or imagined intrigues. Herodias had married two of Herod the Great’s sons who survived his bloodlust: Philip and Herod Antipas. When Antipas was appointed the tetrarch of Galilee and Persia, she divorced Philip to marry Herod Antipas and Antipas divorced his wife for Herodias. With his new powerful position, they probably left untouchable. However, their marriage angered the people as it was against Jewish law. It forbade a man from marrying his brother’s divorced wife. It was seen as incestuous and unclean (Leviticus 18:16, Leviticus 20:21). One man dared be vocal about their marriage. John the Baptist cared nothing for diplomacy and he spared no one as he preached a message of repentance. 

Her family had been corrupted for many years. They knew how to use and abuse power. Each step of her family made down the path to sin until what would have been unconscionable is now acceptable and even reasonable. Herodias may not have even considered her act sinful but a political move. Herodias wanted John dead.. According to Mark 6:21-22, on Herod’s birthday, a feast was held and Herodias’ young daughter, Salome, performed a lewd dance for him and his guests. The dance so pleased Antipas that he promised anything she wanted. Urged by her mother, Salome requested the head of John the Baptist (Mark 6:24-25). Antipas ordered the beheading of John the Baptist, despite his own misgivings (Mark 6:26-27). At the core of her story is a closure against the gospel and the truth. Instead of listening to John’s correction, she found a way to silence him. She possibly was also giving a warning to others who would dare follow in his example. Herodias was a bitter, immoral and manipulative woman. She acted as if killing John would remove her sin, her guilt. She valued the power her marriage gave her rather than being living right with God. 

It is a natural defense to reject criticism. No one wants to be wrong. Being receptive to criticism simply means we are open to our sins, our flaws and our need for God’s forgiveness and help to change. When we are confronted lovingly about sin in our lives, it is an opportunity to repent and turn back to God. A habit of repentance makes one’s heart fertile soil for God’s grace. Proverbs 12:1 says “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid” (The King James Version uses the word “brutish”). Hating correction is a problem with pride. This is a pride that is arrogant and a sense of superiority. Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Developing a spirit of humility toward correction takes grace, a grace that only comes from God. It has been said that only the wise are teachable (Proverbs 21:11-12) as they are willing to listen and learn from their mistakes as well as the mistakes of others. When you are confronted with a sin, thank the individual for the bravery to confront you and take it to God. 

In conclusion, Herodias was an immoral woman who nursed a grudge. She was confronted with a harsh truth. And instead of heeding that correction, she orchestrated the death of the man who dared put out that truth. Her physical removal of John did not eliminate her guilt. Her story is a lesson against the anger defensiveness that can often bubble up when we are confronted. It takes humility and grace to acknowledge the truth and seek God’s forgiveness and guidance. Sin will devour and consume us if unchecked. God promises us that if we come to him in repentance, He will forgive us (Psalm 32:5, Psalm 103:10-12). Will you go to Him? 

My Little Pony: A New Generation: a movie review

My Little Pony: A New Generation in a new computer animated film which features new ponies and adventures in the land of Equestria. Directed by Robert Cullen and Jose Ucha, the film is the start of the fifth generation of the My Little Pony franchise. Voice talents include Vanessa Hudgens, Kimiko Glenn, James Marsden, Sofia Carson and Liza Koshy. The film was released on Netflix on September 24, 2021 with limited theatrical releases in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Russia. What is the main story? What was good about the film and what fell short? 

Set many, many years after the events of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Twilight Sparkle’s teachings on friendship and harmony have been replaced with mistrust, paranoia and false beliefs about each other. Earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns have lived isolated from one another. In the Earth pony town of Maretime Bay, Argyle Starshine (voiced by Michael McKean) tells stories of Twilight Sparkle and her friends to his young daughter, Sunny Starscout (voiced by Vanessa Hudgens), who shares his dream of reuniting the three pony kinds. One day, when Sunny has grown up, a unicorn named Izzy Moonbow walks into Maretime Bay. As the town’s residents panic, thinking that Izzy is a hostile invader, Sunny sees the opportunity to make friends with a unicorn. She shelters Izzy in her home and discovers that the unicorns have lost their magic. Together, they embark on an adventure where they meet royal sisters, Pipp (voiced by Sofia Carson) and Zipp (voiced by Liza Koshy) from Zephyr Heights, and joined by Maretime Bay’s sheriff, Hitch (voiced by James Marsden) to restore magic to the land. 

There were many aspects of the film that I enjoyed. First, the story itself. It is an enjoyable, funny, and yes even a bit predictable, film with a great message. A message that friendship is what brings us together and friendship is what helps bridge our differences and bring magic to our lives. Second, the voice acting. Each actor is a great fit for their character. I thoroughly enjoyed Kimko Glenn’s Izzy Moonbow, the innocent and goofy unicorn, who was simply looking for a friend. Izzy reminds me of Pinkie Pie, the fun-loving Earth pony from Friendship is Magic. Third, what would a My Little Pony show be without music? And the music in this film is catchy and enjoyable. My favorite song is Sunny’s song, “Gonna Be My Day.” A song in which Sunny affirms that she will not be held back by the fear that has gripped other Earth ponies and to forge ahead with the change she desires to see. 

There wasn’t much that I didn’t like about this film. At a runtime of 90 minutes, the story and its resolution happens fairly quickly. This aspect can be forgiven as it is a children’s film that only has a short amount of time to capture and keep their attention. I didn’t like one song, “Danger, Danger (Angry Mob). It reminded me of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” I don't know if the similarities were intentional or not. One aspect of the story I did not care for is when Hitch goes after Sunny, his deputy, Sprout (voiced by Ken Jeong) morphs into a dictator, and is ultimately the antagonist the ponies must overcome, gets off scot-free with no consequences. At least that we don’t see in the film. One critic criticized the film for its “creepily-anthropomorphized" design of the ponies (Loayza, 2021). I didn’t find the design of the ponies creepy at all. It is definitely a change from the original ponies of the 1980s (which today I find a bit creepy) to the ponies of Friendship is Magic. The film garnered many positive reviews. The film was “paying homage to the past while telling a new tale” and “delivering an innovative, subtly subversive family-friendly product” (Howard, 2021). 

In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. My preschool daughter enjoyed it as well. As we have watched it multiple times a day since it’s release. Even my older daughter, who grew up with Friendship is Magic, enjoyed this film. I see many more views in our future. I look forward to further films or shows they may have planned for this new generation. My Little Pony: A New Generation is a family friendly and fun film. If you are a fan of Friendship is Magic, you will enjoy A New Generation. 

References

Howard, Courtney (September 21, 2021). "'My Little Pony: A New Generation' Review: Franchise Re-shoe Offers a Galloping Good Time". Variety. https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/my-little-pony-a-new-generation-review-1235069513/. Retrieved September 24, 2021.

Loayza, Beatrice (September 23, 2021). My Little Pony: A New Generation' Review: The Ponies Get Political. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/23/movies/my-little-pony-a-new-generation-review.html.  Retrieved September 24, 2021.

The Huntsman: Winter's War: a review

The Huntsman: Winter’s War (2016) is a fantasy adventure prequel/sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman (2012). The movie begins as Queen Ravenna (played by Charlize Theron) plays chess with her sister, Freya (played by Emily Blunt), whose powers have not yet emerged. When tragedy strikes, Freya’s powers sudden appear as ice powers. She flees and builds her own kingdom as the Ice Queen. She trains children to be her fearsome huntsmen. She has forbidden love in her kingdom. Despite her decree, two of her best huntsmen, Eric (played by Chris Hemsworth) and Sara (played by Jessica Chastain) fall in love, secretly marry and plan to escape. Their plans is thwarted and Eric is cast out of the kingdom. Seven years later, it is after the events of Snow White and the Huntsman, Queen Snow White has taken ill due to the influence of Ravenna’s evil mirror. The mirror is ordered to be hidden so its dark magic can be contained. On the trip, the mirror disappears and it is feared that Freya is after it. Eric is sent to investigate and recover the mirror. Can Eric find the mirror before Freya? What evil will be released if she gets it?

First, my review will be based on viewing the extended version of this film. There are a few things I liked. First, Chris Hemsworth is great as he returns to the role of the Huntsman. The only reason I wanted to see this film was Chris Hemsworth’s Huntsman. I enjoyed this character in the first film and I looked forward to seeing him again. Hemsworth has proven he is capable with an action film. And I have yet to see a movie he’s in that I didn’t like. Granted I haven’t seen all of his films yet, so there may be a film or two I won’t like. I also loved his Scottish accent. Although I’ve read comments that the accent was horrible but it works for me and sounds like many Scottish accents I’ve heard. Second, the action was good and entertaining. Jessica Chastain was great in the action sequences and she and Chris Hemsworth worked well together. I thought their characters’ love story was very moving and believable. Third, there were moments of humor that made me smile or chuckle especially with the dwarves. Nion (played by Nick Frost) and Gryff (played by Rob Brydon) join Eric on his search for the mirror. Along the way, they are joined by Doreena (played by Alexandra Roach) and Bromwyn (played by Sheridan Smith). The interaction between the four dwarves add humor to the story. They aren’t just there for comic relief. The dwarves are in the thick of the action too.

The main issue I had about this film was how it was advertised. The movie was billed as “the story before Snow White” and the first part of the movie takes place before her story. However, the majority of the story and action takes place AFTER the events of Snow White’s story. So how can this be “the story before Snow White?” It reminds me of the movie 300: Rise of an Empire (2014) which takes place before, during and after the events of 300 (2007). If I remember correctly 300: Rise of an Empire was billed as a before, during and after movie unlike Winter’s War which was billed as a prequel. And it’s only a prequel for the first 25 minutes or so. I think the movie fully intended to be a sequel but when the affair scandal between Kristin Stewart and the director Rupert Sanders broke out and Kristin Stewart refusing to do the sequel, I think the producers scrambled about what to do next. Although, in my opinion, I think they could have recast Snow White and the fans would have applauded. There was also a mentioned that Disney may not have allowed the producers to use the name “Snow White” as they have the rights to the name and character. I’m not sure how true that it because she is mentioned in the movie several times and seen in a few scenes.

This movie was heavily criticized by critics and audiences alike. First, many critics and moviegoers pointed out that Freya was similar to Disney’s Elsa in Frozen (2013). They are similar because they were both inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s story, The Snow Queen. Was it smart to create a character who was inspired by the same story as a widely popular Disney film? Probably not, because even through Freya is closer to the cruelty of the Snow Queen, Elsa is still the image of the queen with ice powers. Second, many critics hated that the narrator in the film gives away the story before the movie has a chance to start. There was narration in Snow White and the Huntsman, so it would make sense that there would be narration with this film too. When I watched the film again, I paid more attention to the narration and I don’t think it gave anything away that the audience could already anticipate from just the description of the film. In the movie poster, you see Freya dressed as the ice queen but when you first see her in the film, she hasn’t gotten her ice powers yet. So you would anticipate something happening in order for her to transform into the ice queen. Third, many comments I read had a problem with the prequel/sequel premise and I can see why because I had an issue with it too as I stated above. I think a straight forward sequel would have been better. The Freya character could have introduced to the story without having to explain her backstory as they did. Or her backstory could have been shown as part of an exposition from another character.

Overall, I have watched the film three times now and each time I enjoy it more and more. It is a fun adventure story. It is a great Saturday afternoon popcorn movie. I think so many people now want movies which require you to think and contemplate the great questions of our lives and our world. However, sometimes you need a simple straight forward adventure story which leaves you pumped up and victorious. A movie which you cheer for the heroes and you cheer at the demise of the villains. The Huntsman: Winter’s War is such a movie. In my opinion, you don’t even need to see Snow White and the Huntsman first. You can get enough of the story which happens before in Winter’s War without being lost or confused. So if you have the chance and want to watch an adventure story with humor and great action sequences, I recommend The Huntsman: Winter’s War. It is available now on Blue-ray, DVD and On Demand.