Don’t go see the movie Noah—and here’s why.
I’ve recently been encouraging people to support the many Christian movies that will be released this year. (See list below.) But I’ve heard from many people that Noah is so bad, that it’s really better that you don’t see it.
Although I love this year’s trend of faith-based themes in mainstream cinema and encourage you to support positive, values-based media, we need to send a clear message to Hollywood that when they tell Biblical stories, we expect them to be respectful of the Bible story and not use it as a ruse to market to Bible believers and promote non-traditional messages.
The creators claim that while they took some license with the Biblical account in order to flesh out the details, they tried to stay true to the heart of the tale. Many people I’ve talked to wonder if the creators ever read the Biblical story of Noah. Many reviewers say the creators strayed far from the story, including fallen angel rock monsters, snake-dogs, and wizard-like magic. The message of the movie is pro-animal, anti-human, and the flood is represented as an environmental protection event.
I had big hopes for Noah, and if it lived up to the trailer, I would go see it. But, the trailer shows just about all the story that’s actually from the Bible.
Here are my summaries from recent reviews:
IJReview: God is never mentioned by name. Men are portrayed as evil because they eat meat. Apparently, God made the earth for the animals and men are simply a bad mistake and the earth cannot return to its original perfection unless they are eliminated forever. The story is a “weird mash-up of concepts that never really reach their destination. There’s not enough action to be an action movie, not enough redemption to be a redemption tale, not enough Biblical references to be a religious film.” The review states that “there is no joy to be found in this film. This is a movie about how mankind ruins everything and how much God hates that.”
The Mormon Movie Guy gives it a D+. It’s “not at all the straightforward biblical epic that its trailers would suggest. Instead, audiences get a daring, if unsuccessful, artistic reinvention of the story.” “At almost every turn, this film takes whatever the Bible story says and does the opposite.” The film’s tone is all over the place—a mythological fantasy, morphing into an action film, then a disaster epic, before settling on psychological thriller. It’s dark and disturbing. This sloppy movie fails as a Biblical story, as art, and as entertainment.
Comments from friends:
- I think it could have been a good movie, if they had actually read the Bible before they made it. It was more like Lord of the Rings meets Batman.
- There wasn’t much resemblance to Noah the prophet of the Old Testament, except for the fact that he built an ark and the animals came.
- It made Noah and God look like nut cases at times.
- If you go see it, I would recommend reading the Bible story of Noah again so you can be clear on what was Biblical and what was not.
- All in all, it did not leave us having more faith in the Bible, or wanting a closer relationship with God, so I do not think it was uplifting enough. It was more like God’s children, left to themselves, make a big mess of things, but He still gives them another chance.
- We walked out. I don’t mind some “artistic license” but license was taken in all the wrong ways.
- Don’t waste your money to go to the movie. In fact, it’s not even Red Box-worthy. It really is a waste of 2.5 hours.
So, here’s my suggestion–in the 2.5 hours you would have spent at the movie, read and discuss the following and you’ll be much more inspired:
- Read Genesis 5-9.
- Read Noah, one of the new entries in Gospel Topics where you will learn that God loves his children and that Noah was a righteous prophet.
- Read Noah in the Bible Dictionary.
- Read from the Guide to the Scriptures: Noah, Bible Patriarch; Ark; Flood at Noah’s Time; Gabriel; and Rainbow.
- Have a family discussion about what we learn from the story of Noah.
Recent and upcoming Christian-themed movies:
- Son of God epic movie about the life of Jesus Christ (February)
- Noah retells the story of the great flood. (March)
- God’s Not Dead is about a faithful college student who defends his belief against an atheistic professor. (March)
- Heaven Is for Real chronicles a 7-year-old’s recollection of being in heaven. (April)
- Left Behind is the story of a group of survivors left behind after millions of people suddenly vanish and the world is plunged into chaos and destruction. (June)
- A Matter of Faith is about a Christian girl who goes to college and is influenced by a professor who teaches that evolution is the answer to the origins of life. (September)
- Exodus is the story of Moses leading the children of Israel from Egypt. (December)
- Mary, Mother of Christ is the story of Mary from her youth to her struggles as a young mother caring for her child Jesus. (1st quarter 2015)
I totally agree! Why do they want to make things so complicated?
Just follow the script! Lol
I have been excited by the Exodus movie like I had been for Noah, but considering the director and the source (Ridley Scott and Hollywood), don’t expected any better treatment.
I have a lot of problems taking the word of a reviewer who’s never even seen it himself.
In fact, the very first review you quote is incorrect in the very sentence you quote: “God is never mentioned by name.”
Although he’s *usually* referred to as “Creator” in the movie (similar to how ancient Jews would refer to Him as Adonai, which is what most of the OT uses, to avoid overuse of his name), Ham himself says in the movie: “The Creator is God.”
Most of the comments I’ve heard from people who aren’t religious extremists (haven’t yet seen it myself) are that, although it’s not the cleaned-up version you read in the children’s Old Testament Reader, it’s a riveting tale that helps to humanize people who, too often, seem completely distant from us.
I actually heard one complaint about Noah getting drunk! That’s in the Bible, people!
I’m all for movies that take Biblical stories, and (with a little creative license), make it more accessible to people.
“God is never mentioned by name. Men are portrayed as evil because they eat meat. Apparently, God made the earth for the animals and men are simply a bad mistake and the earth cannot return to its original perfection unless they are eliminated forever”
All of these have a very solid basis in the Biblical text if you actually read it! I mean, go see Noah or don’t, but at least we could take the scriptures seriously and read what they actually say, not what we wished they said based on modern ideas.
DWF, no its not very solid Biblically to interpret that way. In fact, it goes against the Bible’s very specific reason for the flood; the evil of the hearts of mankind to do all wickedness, not to eat meat. There is absolutely no scripture that says that God wished for mankind to be eliminated with Noah and his family included.
D Jones, I did go see the movie and I do say don’t waste your money. Yes the bible does talk about Noah getting drunk, but no where does it mention “watchers” or that God wants ALL mankind gone. There was much more than “a little creative license”.
If someone wants to go see this movie because they want to see the biblical story of Noah depicted (which is what it was advertised to be), they are going to be disappointed by all the weirdness and twists of truth put into the movie. I also found it to be very dark and depressing. The one saving grace was at the very end of the movie where it finally introduced a theme of love and forgiveness.
I was really looking forward to this movie but, after just a short time of sitting through it, I was highly disappointed and really wished I hadn’t wasted my money.
To J Wood, and Jettboy:
Genesis 6: 5-7
5 ¶And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
Right there, God said he was going to destroy all of mankind, plain and simple. He said he was going to scrap the whole thing and start over, until:
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
I’m astonished that you can criticize a biblically-based movie for perceived inaccuracies, when you don’t even know what the Bible says.