Deconverted: a Journey from Religion to Reason by Seth Andrews
Bible Thumper to Athiest by Tom Crawford... the Bible tells us that God created everything and it therefore follows that if he created everything, then, by definition, everything must include evil.
God: All That Matters by Mark Vernon
Western Values Versus the Gospels - What Jesus Really Values and Why We Shouldn't Agree with Him by Peter Woolcock... the only thing that Jesus believes to have intrinsic value is God himself. Humans only have a conferred value, one conferred on them by God's valuing them. The special feature possessed by humans that God specifically values is their capacity to worship him out of gratitude for the benefit he has bestowed upon them in creating them.
The title of Randal Rauser’s book The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails raises the expectation of an innovative approach to Christian apologetics that presents new arguments from provocative directions. But in essence the book presents old arguments dressed up in a dialogue that favours the Christian apologist.
The book takes a somewhat Socratic form with the Reader as a silent observer in a coffee shop listening to an argument between Randal and a “random” passerby called Sheridan who is enticed into the conversation when seeing Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion sitting on the table. A range of topics are explored with uneven treatment in what becomes a “teaching” session where Randal becomes the professor and Sheridan is the “student”.
The positive elements of the book are that 1) Sheridan is not ultimately converted – instead, the culmination of the argument leaves Sheridan to go away and think more about what he has heard and 2) it provides an engaging survey of the most common arguments in support of theism and, in particular, a form of Christian theism that is, at least, not fundamentalist in nature.
The most disappointing aspect of the book is that it pits a well-read, well-informed, contemporary professor with a wide background in philosophy against an “average” educated guy who has to constantly admit not knowing concepts and offering weak arguments in order for the apologist to teach the reader basic ideas of Christian apologetics. If, instead, an equal “opponent” had been the dialog partner, some serious objections could have been raised against the arguments offered.
I was, however, particularly impressed with the discussion of Old Testament stories of genocide and other elements that modern people would consider highly immoral if not downright evil. Randal takes a genuinely humble and necessarily non-inerrantist approach to this issue. And the dialog on hell at least presented the annihilationist alternative as a viable biblical option.
The worst part of the book, in my view, was the discussion of providence which failed to explore the logical implications of the author’s view and strained credibility.
In my opinion, The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails will be most valued by the already convinced Christian and provides a pleasantly humorous (if somewhat cheesy) introduction to contemporary Christian apologetics for the beginner. There is no doubt that the author attempts to freshen up apologetics with contemporary cultural references, some dipping in to classic literature, and a few interesting analogies.
Book details: Randal Rauser. The Swedish Atheist, the Scuba Diver and Other Apologetic Rabbit Trails. IVP Books. 2012.
An atheist reading this conclusion will probably jump to the conclusion that the argument preceding it is a rehash of Intelligent Design (ID). This would be a mistake. Spitzer's arguments turn on the values of universal constants. The difference between Spitzer's argument and those of ID proponents is thatWhen the logical and metaphysical necessity of an efficient cause, the demonstrable absence of a material one, and the proof that there was an absolute beginning to any universe or multiverse are all conjoined with the fact that our universe exists and its conditions are fine-tuned immeasurably beyond the capacity of any mindless process, the scientific evidence points inexorably toward transcendent intelligent agency as the most plausible, if not the only reasonable explanation. (p. 104)
The latter presume an anthropic universe and seek an explanation for how highly complex integrated biochemical and biological systems could arise from far less complex ones. Pure chance (random occurrence) does not seem to be reasonable, because a random emergence of a highly complex system from a far less complex one is highly improbable.
The argument for supernatural design in [Spitzer's approach] does not address these biochemical and biological "leaps" in complexification. It focuses solely on the incredibly high improbability of an anthropic condition of the universe itself. It therefore does not focus on the process of evolution so much as on the initial underlying conditions (in the universe) that make such anthropic processes possible. It focuses almost exclusively on physics (particularly the physics of the early universe) and leaves the explanation of highly improbable leaps in biochemical and biological complexification to other domains of inquiry. (pp. 51-52)
In addition to a positive argument, Spitzer also responds to the range of proposed theories (eg the idea of a multiverse) that attempt to avoid the conclusion of some sort of supernatural entity. He shows that these are logically incoherent and inconsistent.
In Part 2 of the book, Spitzer turns to philosophical arguments. He discusses the nature of philosophical proof and argumentation before laying out a five-step metaphysical argument for the existence of God. The steps are:
At the end of this argument, the conclusion is deductively stated to be
that "the unique, absolutely simple, unrestricted, unconditioned Reality itself which is the continuous Creator of all else that is" must exist. This Reality generally corresponds to what is generally thought to be "God". God, as defined, must exist. (p. 143)
The remainder of the second part of the book explores some other approaches to proving the existence of God including proof of a creator of past time and an ontological explanation of real time. One very interesting chapter is the author's discussion of various methodological considerations related to argumentation around God's existence and the impossibility of disproving God's existence. He also demonstrates what he describes as 'the tenuous rationality of atheism' and explores, briefly, the problem of evil and suffering.
One of the criticisms of traditional philosophical proofs of God's existence is that they never support a particular version of the nature of the god being proved. It could be any god - unless one turns to specific religious texts. In Part 3, Spitzer moves to discuss the nature of the 'unrestricted simplicity and unrestricted intelligibility' of the unconditioned Reality proved in the first two parts of the book. I don't have the space or the competence to outline Spitzer's argument here, but he draws on the fact that... human consciousness seems to possess five aspirations or desires that can be satisfied by ... ultimate Home, ultimate Truth, ultimate Love, ultimate Goodness, and ultimate Beauty....
In my opinion, Spitzer's book is brilliant albeit complex and dense to read. It is a purely philosophical argument grounded in contemporary physics and does not suffer the circularity of many apologetic arguments put forward by theists. I also like the fact that Spitzer lays out an agenda for demonstrating the inadequacy of his arguments if atheist philosophers choose to take up the gauntlet. I'm yet to find a sustained objective critique of Spitzer's book - and would be grateful for anyone directing me to one.If God is present to human consciousness as its fulfillment in truth, love, goodness, beauty, and being (home), then human reason can go beyond confirming the existence of God as a unique, unconditioned, absolutely simple, unrestricted Creator, to unveiling the nature of this God as perfectly truth-filled, loving, good, and beautiful. Following these discussions, he explores the implications of these arguments on the nature of human freedom. (p. 240)
There is a plethora of books available that argue the case for theism. Most of these are quite repetitive offering pretty much the same arguments. But Mitch Stokes’s book A Shot of Faith {to the head} takes a fresh approach drawing together three lines of argument in support of his contention that ‘atheism is undone’.
In three sections, Stokes explores rationality, design and absolute standards suggesting that atheism has no explanation for these without allowing for the supernatural. These three lines of argument are not new, in themselves. What I found striking was the way he connects all of these by the concept of right function.
His argument goes like this (as far as I understand it):
Given this argument (which is fleshed out in the book) the atheist is caught on the horns of a dilemma. As Stokes summarises it:
… if the atheist is right, and there is no divine designer, then there’s no such thing as rationality (or irrationality, and so belief in God isn’t irrational). If the atheist is wrong, on the other hand, and there is a divine designer, then the atheist is irrational… (p. 222)
Alvin Plantinga, one of the most well-known philosophers today, describes the book as ‘[a] fine book: lively, clear, accessible, but also deep, and deeply competent.’
I would concur with that judgment – but there are some problematic aspects of the book. Firstly, the book has an unfortunate subtitle: Be a Confident Believer in an Age of Cranky Atheists. While there are a number of well-known atheists who give atheism a bad name, many atheists are genuine about their non-belief in theism and engage in deep thinking about the various arguments for and against the existence of God. Labelling atheists as cranky in this generalised way won’t attract atheists to read the book (I wouldn’t have thought). I hope they can see past this unnecessary name calling.
Secondly, I don’t think the argument offered in this book deals with the possibility that rationality may be something inherently and eternally present in the universe itself. If Christians can assert that God just existed eternally, then why can’t matter and the laws of physics just exist eternally? I would have liked to have seen how Stokes might deal with this question.
In my opinion, this book is not likely to change anyone’s mind. Stokes does make the point that the book is primarily aimed at believers who may wish to strengthen their belief with a coherent argument. And the atheist reader will likely raise many objections to the arguments offered. At its heart, the book is a retelling of the intelligent design argument.
A Shot of Faith {to the head} is definitely worth reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it and anyone who understands basic philosophy will find it an easy read. It will be especially helpful to Christians who need a shot of faith to the head – faith doesn’t have to be irrational and this book provides one example of how faith can be rational.
Book details: Mitch Stokes, A Shot of Faith {to the head}, Thomas Nelson, 2012.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a charming piece of comedy drama that explores friendship, ageing, relationship, hope, regret, racism, guilt and romance. That list might seem heavy. But Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, and Maggie Smith lead a wonderful cast who bring their long experience in the movies to deliver some richly nuanced characters and great one-liners. But the comedy is woven around deep attitudes about life and what is really important. Dev Patel, who played the older Jamal in Slumdog Millionnaire, gives a standout performance as the manager of the hotel.
The cinematography is superb and brings the vividness of India to life on the screen. (I know this because I happened to be sitting next to an Indian woman who spent the first 26 years of her life there. At the end of the movie, she sat back in her chair and exclaimed, ‘That brought back so many memories!’) The script is witty and fast moving and, while I found it got a little bogged down in the middle, overall was well paced with little predictability.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a delightful cinema experience and is worth seeing on the big screen to appreciate the Indian cityscape. Don’t miss this joyful movie!
Content Advice
mild themes, sexual references and coarse language
AUS: PG
USA: PG-13
Ley lines are straight lines "located" around the world that allegedly connect various geographical sites deemed to be significant historically or metaphysically. These alleged lines have been explained using various hypotheses - some scientific and some pseudo-scientific. Some believe them to have mystical or magical powers. Stephen R Lawhead has made these ley lines the basis of the first book of his The Bright Empire series, The Skin Map. It's a very enjoyable fantasy/adventure/sci-fi yarn.
Kit Livingstone is thrust into a remarkable adventure when his great-grandfather appears to him and takes him on a journey to another time and place to introduce Kit to the power of ley lines - portals around the globe that have the power to transport one into parallel worlds in the multiverse. The problem is that, without a map showing the locations of the ley lines, it's impossible to predict where and when you may end up. However, there is a map. And it's tattooed on the skin of an intrepid explorer who risked life and limb to chart this new and secret territory - believing that the map would be lost or stolen if he didn't literally keep it with him! But the skin map is not really valuable for itself. It's what it can lead to that makes it valuable and not everyone desperately wanting to find it has high ethical purposes in mind. Kit and his dull girlfriend are caught up in these events that require the courageous risking of everything they hold dear.
Stephen Lawhead is a prolific writer of mostly fantasy but, of his books I have read, I enjoy his science fiction the most. In The Skin Map, there are hints of philosophical paradoxes (always inherent in time travel fiction) and ethical issues. But more than anything, The Skin Map is thoroughly entertaining. It's rich with characters, historical information, and moves along at a good pace. It's a real page turner and the ending of the first book leaves the reader hanging on the edge for the next book of the series. Highly recommended,
You'll probably like this book of you enjoyed Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy, Stephen Lawhead's Byzantium, Stephen Lawhead's Dream Thief.
Book information: Stephen R Lawhead, The Skin Map, Thomas Nelson, 2010.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the ... book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
James Peters' The Logic of the Heart: Augustine, Pascal and the Rationality of Faith is a profound exploration of what it means to believe in God. I've been struggling with the tension between reason and faith for many years and have found few answers that were satisfying. Enlightenment rationalism which refuses to accept the legitimacy of any belief without empirical evidence, radical postmodernist relativism which promotes the idea that all truth is merely the construction of human culture(s) and the rejection of any form of meta-narrative (other than its own), and the blind faith of the fundamentalist theist who firmly shoves their head in the sand and denies the legitimacy of modern scientific understandings of the cosmos - all of these just don't stand up to rigorous scrutiny - at least not for me. What a breath of fresh air, then, to come across James Peters' thorough, in-depth, nuanced discussion of these matters.
The book is essentially a Socratic "dialogue" between the ideas of Augustine, Pascal and Hume. Intriguingly, Peters describes the similarities between Hume (one of the most famous a-theists) and Augustine's and Pascal's critique of the possibility of human rationalism/empiricism in the pursuit of truth. There is a deep desire in humans to inquire and discover with a paradoxical human limitation in succeeding at that pursuit. So Peters passionately affirms the legitimacy of much that Hume writes about the limits of reason.
Just as passionately, Peters shows how Hume, when he comes to discuss Christianity, seems to argue inconsistently with his own understanding. Peters ultimately shows how an Augustinian and, in particular, Pascalian approach to reason and faith is more holistic than Hume's.
One of the strongest features of this book is a sustained analysis of radical postmodernism and, in particular, a great analysis of Richard Rorty's thinking - a telling critique highlighting the self-referentially undermining nature of his approach.
So, what is the essential point of The Logic of the Heart? I hesitate because I know I'm not going to do justice to the ideas and argument in this book. It is that there are some things we need to commit to in order to know the truth of them. One example is trust in another person. When we first meet someone we need to commit ourselves to trusting them before we can enter into a relationship to test their trustworthiness. For Peters, it is the same with belief in God. In order to know of God's existence it is necessary to take a leap of faith in order to know of God's existence through direct experience.
Now this is a paltry statement of the essential point of the book. Peters has a broad and deep knowledge of philosophical literature and demonstrates the rationality of such a position though extended discussion, argument and dialogue with a host of "interlocutors" past and present. His perspective offers a midway between Enlightenment "worship" of reason and postmodernist emphasis on freedom and self-rule.
Who should read this book? The first criteria is that the reader needs to be familiar with general philosophical concepts related to epistemology and, in particular, the debates that arise from the dialogue between empiricists and postmodernists over epistemology. Apart from that, you need to be prepared for a dense, challenging read. Peters' argument is sustained and rich and it's most definitely not a book you can read in a few hours. There is much to chew over. In my opinion, every well educated Christian and atheist would benefit from this book. Peters provides a view worth considering for those who are unhappy with so-called new atheist perspectives and naive fundamentalist evangelicalism. And for Christians who are constantly berated for believing in in the irrational it is a rigorous argument demonstrating that faith can be a rational act of believing.
To finish: a quote from the book (p 22):
I have written this book out of the conviction that the basic Augustinian and Pascalian position on faith and understanding is well suited for a post-modern age disillusioned with the idols of hard facts, passionless reason, absolute foundations,mand the amoral rhetoric of consumerism and materialism. Augusrine’s and Pascal’s conception of a situated and dialectical reason, of a reason dependent on the heart, of a reason nurtured and transformed by God’s love, provides a viable middle ground between the Enlightenment idolatry of reason and the radical postmodernist’s idolatry of autonomy and its call for the end of traditional philosophy and theology as unwarranted and oppressive metanarratives. Both Hume and Pascal tried in their own ways to caution us against the pretensions of philosophers who insist that we live by reason alone. I shall attempt in what follows to place these two dialectical opponents against each other. In the end, whether we opt for Hume’s or Pascal’s position on the merits of Christian faith depends on a question at the core of our human nature: “What are people for?"
For a refreshingly challenging read go get this book!
Book details: James R Peters (2009), The Logic of the Heart: Augustine, Pascal, and the Rationality of Faith. Baker Academic.
Philosophical dualism has been with us for a long time. It’s one of the key components of Western thought: good and evil, masculine and feminine, subject and object, and the big one for this week’s program—mind and body. Nancey Murphy is a Christian philosopher who doesn’t believe in the soul. She’s a physicalist, which means she believes that 'the soul' is really just a by-product of neurobiology. But if all our rational decisions come down to brain impulses, where does that leave moral responsibility? And what kind of Christian doesn’t believe in the soul anyway?
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/
Rollie Busch Memorial Lecture: Nancey Murphy
Back in 1952 J B Phillips published what is now considered a classic little book Your God Is Too Small. In it, Phillips critiqued a number of "gods" - "Resident Policeman", "Grand Old Man", "Meek and Mild", "Managing Director" - and shows how these conceptions of God are inadequate in meeting the needs of people.
Matt Mikalatos has done a similar job for contemporary Christians in a suitably contemporary style in his delightful book My Imaginary Jesus. Matt loves Jesus a lot. He's got a lot in common with Jesus. But one day he discovers that the person he thought was Jesus is not the real Jesus. The Jesus he has come to know is an imaginary Jesus! He decides he's going to go in search of the real Jesus and the result is a wonderfully satirical, very amusing, and very provocative look at the Jesuses that people construct in their own image.
When I started the book, the first few pages didn't do much for me. But when Matt starts meeting various Jesus impostors, guided by Pete the Apostle and a talking donkey called Daisy, things really start to warm up. Mikalatos clearly has a great sense of humour and he has captured some of the superficial, inane, distorted, and egocentric wish-fulfilments that have been presented as the real Jesus in modern Christian culture. For example, there's Political Jesus, New Age Jesus, Testosterone Jesus, Healing Jesus, Magic 8 Ball Jesus, and Perpetually Angry Jesus. We meet each of these Jesuses as individual characters. That's all I'll tell you... you'll need to read the book to see how it all turns out.
My Imaginary Jesus is an absolute pleasure to read. So go read it and see if you meet your Jesus somewhere as you journey with Matt (and Daisy). It's a great, accessible way to think about who Jesus is/was and the way in which we distort Jesus to fit our own needs rather than be confronted with the story of Jesus as found in the gospels.
Full book details: Matt Mikilatos. 2012. My Imaginary Jesus: The Spiritual Adventures of One Man Searching for the Real God. BarnaBooks. Publication date: March 16 2012.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The most profound moment in The Grey (for me) is a scene that turns metaphysical/philosophical. The main protagonist, in a a moment of abject despair, cries out to God for help and receives no answer.
Ottway (Liam Neeson) is employed by an oil rig in Alaska to kill off animals that may endanger the workers. The men on the rig are tough and living in a tough environment. Ottway becomes stranded with a group of brawling, beer swilling, violent group of men after a plane crash lands in the middle of nowhere. Unused to being vulnerable, they struggle to survive whilst trying to maintain their tough exteriors - for a while at least. Their common enemies, the environment and territory defending wolves, bring them together in ways that strip them raw - physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.
The story is a pretty straightforward survival narrative. But Neeson brings a power and presence that lifts it into the extraordinary and riveting. And when the story turns briefly to its metaphysical themes - without fanfare or preachiness - the viewer is confronted with the age old question - if God is all-powerful and loving, then why doesn't God do something in our deepest need?
The answer that is given will be completely unsatisfactory for most Christians (it is contained in a quote from Ottway's father) but the question cannot be avoided.
The Grey is a forceful, hard hitting experience. But its power comes as one looks back over the story from the view of the pivotal moment I've referred to and the final scene. And the question about how one should live life in the context of a silent (or non-existent) God lingers long after the final credits roll.
PS: Stay to the end of the credits for a final scene!
'It's a fine, tough little movie, technically assured and brutally efficient, with a simple story that ventures into some profound existential territory without making a big fuss about it.' - A O Scott/The New York Times
'Neeson is always compelling, even in a movie as ridiculous as The Grey.' - Rene Rodriguez/Miami Herald
USA: R
The Voice™ New Testament is a new dynamic translation that attempts a '... retelling [of] the story of the Bible in a form as fluid as modern literary works, yet remaining painstakingly true to the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts.'
Most of the text is in a standard font, however the translation follows the practice of italicising words that are not connected to the dynamic translation of the original text. One unique feature of this translation is the inclusion of material in the flow of the text, delineated by horizontal lines, that expand on the themes of the passage being read. Another unique feature is the use of a "screenplay" format where dialogue occurs. This has two effects: it makes dialogue clearer to follow and also "cleans up" the text of '... endless repetition of conjunctions, articles, and certain verbs.'
Unlike most translations which rely primarily on language scholars, The Voice™ New Testament has also included a group of modern writers, musicians and poets to ensure beauty as well as accuracy in the translation. The group of translators and "artists" have attempted to maintain the unique "voice" of individual book authors rather than a flat style throughout.
The front matter of The Voice™ New Testament has a very helpful discussion of the translation process and some of its challenges. There is also a discussion of the Greek word Christos, usually transliterated as Christ, which has been rendered throughout the New Testament as the Anointed or the Anointed One in the belief that these terms convey the meaning of the title of Christ rather than it being mistakenly understood by readers to be part of the name of Jesus. An explanatory phrase, the Liberating King, has also been added at times to '... remind us of the primary mission and of the reason God elects and empowers Jesus in the first place.'
The front matter also includes four different reading plans of the New Testament for Advent, Lent and Easter, reading the New Testament in 24 weeks, and a series of readings entitled 40 Days with God. There is also an introduction to the New Testament using covenant theology as a framework for understanding.
Let me say up front that I am not a language scholar and my review is based on reading the front matter and the letters of Paul to the Romans and Galatians - my two favourite books of the New Testament. I have mixed feelings about this translation. There is a certain freshness in most new translations due to the variations of phrasing from what one is used to. The screenplay dialogue is also interesting and definitely makes the to-and-fro of speakers easy to follow – particularly in the gospels and the book of Acts. So there is certainly value in this new version of the New Testament. The thematic expansions, while they are delineated by lines before and after, do tend to break up the flow of the text and I think they would have been better included as notes at the bottom of the page or end of the chapter. On the other hand, including them in the flow of the text was useful as I read the text on my Kindle and it meant not having to jump back and forth using links to read this material.
My greatest concern about this translation is the inserted italicised material. While the italicisation does indicate that this material is not derived from the original text, I think much of it is unnecessary and is sometimes biased toward a particular interpretation of the text. For example, Romans 16:3, in the New American Standard Bible ( very literal translation), reads:
Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus...
The Voice™ New Testament reads:
Give my best to Priscilla and Aquila; they are not only my colleagues in my profession of tent making, but more importantly they are my fellow servants of Jesus the Anointed. (italics in original)
Notice, in the italicised section, a completely unwarranted statement that Priscilla and Aquila are colleagues in tent making. In other words, the suggestion is that they are not equal workers in the pastoral work that Paul does. Compare this with some other translations:
Greet Prisca and Aquila, who work with me in Christ Jesus ... (New Revised Standard Version)
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus ... (English Standard Version)
Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus ... (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
One has to wonder whether the translators/editors of The Voice™ New Testament are trying to avoid any suggestion that women can be equal partners in ministerial/pastoral work by inserting this extra material. While this is only one example, there are frequent interpolations of the text which, in my view, should be left out as they are not derived from the original material.
Overall, I think The Voice™ New Testament is an interesting new addition to bible translations. But, as with all translations, there are advantages and disadvantages. None are perfect. The more translations a Bible student uses the better as comparison helps to maintain some objectivity about what is certain and what is not in any one translation. So, it is a worthy addition to one's library and provides yet another perspective and enrichment of the biblical material and its meaning.
Buy the The Voice New Testament: Revised & Updated'.
Steven Spielberg (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, AI) is having a strong run with two movies on at cinemas at the moment. There’s the wonderfully enjoyable The Adventures of Tin Tin and the more serious epic War Horse.
Set during World War 1, War Horse tells the story of Albert (Jeremy Irvine) who enlists in the army after Joey (played by 6 different horses apparently), the horse he raised and loves, is commandeered by the cavalry. We follow the fortunes of both Albert and Joey as their journeys separate and cross in what, for the most part, is an exciting and sobering portrayal of the effects of war on both human and horse along the Western Front.
War Horse is classic epic story telling by a master of the art. Unfortunately, the quality of the film is undermined by the beginning and end of the story which comes across as cheesy and overacted. Apart from two memorable scenes – one of Joey running riderless through “no man’s land” and becoming entangled in barbed wire; and another near the beginning of the movie, where Albert has to entice Joey to plough a field – most of the film is simplistic – possibly the result of trying to make the movie straddle the whole family as its audience.
The actors do a worthy job but the real winners in this movie are the horses that portray Joey. I heard an interview with their trainer who stated that managing a horse, in a movie, without a rider is a particularly difficult challenge. For me, the horse was the most believable and enjoyable part of the movie.
War Horse is definitely not up with the best of Spielberg’s movies.
You will probably like War Horse if you liked The Black Stallion; Empire of the Sun; Saving Private Ryan
Positive Review
'There isn't a moment in the movie where you don't feel Spielberg's passion, and this time, the film is worthy of his enthusiasm. It's a knockout.' – Rene Rodriguez/Miami Herald
Negative Review
'Director Steven Spielberg doesn't have a steady grip on War Horse's careening tone, but he'll be damned if there's not 15 minutes in there for everyone.’ – Amy Nicholson/Boxoffice Magazine
Content Advice
intense sequences of war violence and themes
AUS: M15+
USA: PG-13
