Every Square Inch (Bruce Riley Ashford)

Christians are called to obey God in every area of life. This goes well beyond the Ten Commandments; everything we do, think, and say should be faithful to and reflect Christ. That includes engaging the culture around us. In Every Square Inch, Bruce Riley Ashford provides an introduction for how to do just that. After starting with general thoughts on culture and a theology of it, Ashford looks at the arts, sciences, politics, economics and wealth, scholarship and education, and a few other areas of our lives. In each, he revisits the basic Christian story (creation-fall-redemption) and how that story shapes how we approach a given topic.

This is a mostly solid, if basic, introduction. I was already familiar with a fair amount from my other readings, but I did learn a few new thoughts and concepts I found useful. I questioned a few of his statements (especially in the 'economics and wealth' chapter), but overall, this is a good introduction for those unfamiliar with the idea that being a Christian affects how we live in every sphere—it is far more than going to church each Sunday.

Rating: B

Henry V (Dan Jones)

Henry V is a biography of the same by popular historian Dan Jones. Jones spends the first half the book covering Henry's life (1386-1422) before ascending to the throne of England, from his tumultuous childhood (watching his father, the eventual Henry IV, outlawed from the land by Richard II) to a series of tough battles against Welsh rebels. The second half of the book is on Henry as king, though much of his reign was spent in France, fighting to take back Norman lands (a part of which is his famous success at Agincourt) and beyond, eventually securing an agreement to become king of France upon Charles VI's death (though Henry would end up passing away from illness before he could wear that crown). 

Ultimately, Jones take a traditional view of Henry, agreeing with his Medieval contemporaries who "saw in him a paragon of Christian, knightly virtue and the living embodiment of traditional kingship."

This is a straightforward work, with two unique aspects of note:

1) As I said, about half the book is before Henry becomes king. Giving unusual weight to his pre-king days gives the reader insight into the experiences that shaped Henry and influenced his approach to rule.

2) Jones writes in present tense, as though you are there with Henry as he is actively dealing with the various trials and situations given him. This enables an element of suspense (and allows for speculative asides on what may have been going through Henry's mind in a given scenario).

I enjoyed this work for its unusual style (it did help you feel "in the moment" with him) and decent pace. Covering an entire life in 360 pages means events (and differing interpretations/opinions of Henry's actions) will be glossed over or ignored entirely, so there is a degree of trust that Jones has done his homework and rightly assessed (and interpreted) what is worth presenting.* All told, this is a good read.

Rating: B+

*I suppose this is true of any historical work; I've read other historians who try to cover the conflicting views in more depth, though.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

It is 1969. Twelve years after his last adventure, Indiana Jones is retiring from teaching and mourning personal tragedies (omitted here to avoid spoilers). But he may have one more adventure in him, like it or not . . . a figure from his past, a powerful artifact, and a Nazi intent on changing the world (via unusual means) will make for interesting times. What, exactly, is the destiny of Indiana Jones?

The fifth (and supposedly final) installment of the franchise has cool components but mixes them in a way I found unsatisfying. Like the other movies, this one had long (sometimes over-long) action sequences, cool archaeological exploration, and high stakes. But uneven plot development, too many threads, some bizarre elements, and a long run time diminished this for me.

Rating: C+

P.S. Having seen four of the five films in the past week, here is how I would rank each in the franchise:

1. The Last Crusade

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark

3. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 

4. The Dial of Destiny

5. The Temple of Doom

Vast: The Crystal Caverns

Today's review is of the 2016 release, Vast: The Crystal Caverns. For 1-5 players, it takes 75-150 minutes.

Overview

Vast is a dungeon crawler . . . with a twist. In this asymmetric game, your win condition depends on your role:

- Knight: slay the dragon

- Dragon: escape the caverns

- Goblins: slay the knight

- Cave: place all cave tiles, then collapse tiles until five crystal tiles are gone

- Thief: stash six treasure or dragon gems

Each role has a corresponding game board and rules summary sheet that outlines your turn structure, actions, and so forth. Note that one player is the cave itself!

game in progress; image from here

So will you be the goblin hordes, a sleepy dragon, the daring knight, a sneaky thief, or an unstable cavern? Whatever you choose, use your actions wisely . . . lest another take the crown.

Review

I enjoyed this asymmetric experience. As with any such game, there are a lot of rules, and it pays to be familiar not only with your role (and possibilities) but also everyone else's. That makes for a steep learning curve, and the game time does seem long. Those things aside, this is a winner.

Rating: B+

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

It is 1957. Indiana Jones finds himself caught by the Soviets, who are intent on retrieving an object of great power. As Indy contemplates what to do next, he learns that someone very important to him—involved in looking for the same thing—has been kidnapped. As he heads to South America, Indiana will have to use his brains and brawn to save the day. Can he pull it off one more time?

This 2008 film brought the titular professor/archaeologist/adventurer back to the big screen after a 19-year hiatus (see yesterday's post). How was it? In many ways, almost exactly like The Last Crusade, only with updated effects and marginally better dialogue. I agree with Roger Ebert, who said it was "same old, same old," in an enjoyable way: you got what you expected from an Indiana Jones film, both good and bad. The action sequences were over-long and over-done in my opinion, and the subject matter took the film towards a bizarre ending (which was then glossed over as the characters returned to normal life with astonishing speed), but that aside, it was a solid homage to the franchise.

Rating: B-

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

It is 1938. When his father goes missing looking for the holy grail, Indiana Jones sets out to find him. His adventures will take him through Europe and beyond, and surprises are around every corner. Nobody can be trusted, and success will require an act of faith. Does Indy have it in him?

This 1989 movie is the sequel to the first installment and returns to familiar goals (pursuit of a Christian  relic) and foes (the Nazis). It is much better than The Temple of Doom, and may be the best of the trilogy for its humor, and more developed plot (though there are still some rushed areas). Of course, the theology surrounding the grail is terrible, but there are a few redeeming moments. The effects are dated, and it isn't a perfect film, but it is fun.

Rating: B

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Indiana Jones is in Shanghai, China, in 1935, seeking an artifact exchange with a local crime boss. When that goes south, he escapes (accompanied by "Short Round," an orphan sidekick, and Willie Scott, singer) . . . but things don't go as planned. Ending up in India, they come upon a village decimated and struggling. There, Indy learns that an evil cult is growing in a regional palace, and that cult has stolen the village's children and sacred stone. Indy sets off determined to save both. Can he do so? 

Two years ago, I started getting my kids up to speed on Indiana Jones' films by watching the first, but we didn't continue. We watched this one (the second in the series but the first chronologically) last night to re-start the effort. It was . . . okay. This 1984 film definitely has its share of action/adventure, spectacle, and memorable moments. But my comments on Raiders of the Lost Ark hold true here: the plot was extremely rushed, some dialogue was cheesy, the effects often underwhelming (though sometimes cool). This film is darker (and gross in places), as it involves a cult practicing pagan worship, slavery, and human sacrifice. (Aside: apparently the PG-13 rating was invented shortly after this film to account for flicks like this that were too much for PG but didn't warrant an R rating.) Overall, I like this one less than the first film, and it hasn't aged well.

Rating: C