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Christian reviews were split this week over the spiritual content in a pair of sci-fi actioners. Some critics said box-office champ Mission to Mars and the sleeper hit Pitch Black displayed God's providence, while others found only anti-Christian sentiments.

While this film is ostensibly centered on the first Martian landing in 2020 and a subsequent rescue mission to bring back a vanished crew, its marketing campaign lured moviegoers by boldly promising to reveal life's origins. And while no one suggests the movie's conjectures are correct, several Christian critics felt its speculation was antagonistic to Christianity. "Without giving away the end of the film," says Michael Elliott of Movie Parables, "let me just say that according to the filmmakers, God was not involved in the process." Movieguide is even more pointed: "The New Age premise is an attack on the essential Jewish and Christian teaching that God created life on earth." But Hollywood Jesus finds room for God in Mission to Mars. "The story overflows with the idea that the universe happened by design, and not chance. … The film is in a sense a celebration of life in the universe and its kinship." For others, these theological questions were hard to take seriously in such a lackluster production. "The most interesting question about Mission to Mars is why anyone—director, actors, producers—got involved in the first place," writes J. Robert Parks of The Phantom Tollbooth. Christian Spotlight guest reviewer Brian Wolters elaborates: "From opening to ending, it is filled with plot holes, bad acting, even worse dialogue and illogical direction." But these detractions were overlooked by those who were happy to see a tame, PG space adventure. "It is not a film about gruesome, unfriendly aliens chewing up unsuspecting space travelers," writes The Movie Reporter. "Indeed, there are no hostile beings in this film." John Evans of Preview praises it for being "more character-oriented than most sci-fi adventures," and for portraying crew members "concerned about the personal well-being of others."

In this supernatural thriller, Johnny Depp plays a rare-book dealer assigned by a wealthy client to verify the authenticity of an ancient satanic text, which draws the unbelieving bookhound face to face with the supernatural realm. Reviews varied only between mild reproach and begrudging approval. Preview's John Evans says it truthfully depicts "the occult … as real and evil" rather than enticing, and "those who practice it [as] fraudulent or misguided." Hollywood Jesus finds another small truth in the movie: "Satan brought death to several people in the film. He does indeed have the power of death." But the lack of any positive role models to latch onto troubled several reviewers. The U.S. Catholic Conference said the "callous characters intent on summoning the devil to their midst" only made the film dull. The Movie Reporter adds that "the 'hero' is an unscrupulous fornicating nonbeliever. … What is the draw of this film?" Even on a purely aesthetic level, says Movie Parables, there's little appeal: "The unevenness must be laid at the feet of director Roman Polanski, who has chosen some questionable 'artistic' camera movements which are at once obvious, cheesy, and at times laughable."

Two new reviews of My Dog Skip saw the strong bond between young Willie and his dog as a metaphor for God's relationship with his children. "It is this unconditional love that reminds us of God's love for us," writes Movie Parables. Peter Chattaway of BC Christian News takes it a step further and posits Skip as "a sort of Christ-figure. Skip is an agent of grace in Willie's life, and there is a not very subtle death-and-resurrection motif." My Dog Skip has been popular among Christian reviewers, who have earlier praised it for strong values and feel-good nostalgia. This week found a dissenting opinion on that count, however: Childcare Action says it contains far too many objectionable elements, such as "foul language … marital friction … bully tactics, moonshining, and criminal activities including child abduction."

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March (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44