Noah

Before seeing the movie, I read every review I could find.
The more detailed and controversial ones:
Glenn Beck: http://www.glennbeck.com/2014/03/24/babylonian-chainsaw-massacre-glenn-reviews-noah-after-attending-screening-in-la/

HollywoodReporter: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/noah/review/689450

I checked out the "Ark Experience": http://www.noahmovie.com/theark/

And read reviews and comments from friends on Facebook. Was any of this negative criticism for the movie going to sway me from watching the movie? No. Partly because I wanted to see for myself what the hype was all about and if it really was as bad as they said. And partly because I was extremely interested in the Noah story and love watching movies for entertainment sake and not to be swayed in my beliefs.

Was everything the above critics said turn out to be true? Yes. Noah does attempt to kill his own family. Weird and dark. The rock people-Watchers-angels that fell from heaven and were trapped in mud that hardened to rock...that was strange, but pretty creative take on who the Nephilim were that are mentioned in the Bible.
Noah not having to gather a single animal, bird or insect? Convenient...but I liked the stream that seemed to go throughout the land and call all the animals for him.
Tubal-cain becoming a stow away and conspiring with Ham? A little dark, and by this time I was really through with the whole bad taste of all humanity.  

My favorite part was Methuselah. He was a funny, old grandpa. Caring, a little mysterious and had strange powers that somehow seemed to be lost on Noah...ie: they weren't passed on via blood line.
He really, really wanted the berries. (Though-why didn't Noah try to bring Methuselah on board? Didn't he think his grandpa was pure? Or was he planning on killing everyone by that point and didn't want to have to do it directly to his grandpa? So he did it indirectly....ie: let the flood do it?)

I also liked the cinematography on the flood coming. I had always thought that the flood would have to make it's appearance fast and strong...otherwise all the people that Noah had previously warned about the flood, would start to come banging on the ark. And anyone who had a sailing vessel of any kind, might foolishly think that theirs would be able to survive this storm...however, it would be sunk and overturned with the sudden strength of the rushing waters upon dry land.

Least favorite part: Noah hates all humans, every one of them is bad. The only thing pure on earth are the animals. (However, there is a part in the movie where Ila says that the animals are pure because they still act like they did in the garden. That is false. They didn't eat each other in the garden as they do now. And they will go back to their Eden-like state during the Millenium when all temptation and the devil is 'chained'.)
If this wasn't trying to be a Bible story, and it was just a made up story from someone's imagination, it wouldn't hit me as being so wrong. However, this is a Bible story, and the man Noah was a Prophet of God...who did in fact preach to the people and try to give them a chance to repent and be good. They choose not to listen, and later felt the very real consequence of their actions when they could no longer tread water...
Noah did not think all humans were bad. Prophets are chosen because they are good and serve the people whom they are called to preach to and help.
And God is not silent. He is patient and doesn't always give us a direct, clear answer when we ask him...that would do little to build faith and increase our own patience. We do not give our own children every thing they ask us, when they ask...even if it's a 'good' thing. We are not the resident Santa Claus and neither is God. He knows the past, present and future...and we do not. We are asked to trust in Him and His timing. So, just because God doesn't answer, doesn't mean he is silent. Or uncaring. He is not bent on destruction and wiping out all creation. He is merciful, but also just.

This is one of my favorite quotes that help me balance the whole just and merciful parts of God. To destroy so many people, seems so harsh. But we know he has to be just. So how does mercy play into the flood saga? Here:

“Now I will go back to show you how the Lord operates. He destroyed a whole world at one time save a few, whom he preserved for his own special purpose. And why? He had more than one reason for doing so. This antediluvian people were not only very wicked themselves, but having the power to propagate their species, they transmitted their unrighteous natures and desires to their children, and brought them up to indulge in their own wicked practices. And the spirits that dwelt in the eternal worlds knew this, and they knew very well that to be born of such parentage would entail upon themselves an infinite amount of trouble, misery and sin. And supposing ourselves to be of the number of unborn spirits, would it not be fair to presume that we would appeal to the Lord, crying, ‘Father, do you not behold the condition of this people, how corrupt and wicked they are?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Is it then just that we who are now pure should take of such bodies and thus subject ourselves to most bitter experiences before we can be redeemed, according to the plan of salvation?’ ‘No,’ the Father would say, ‘it is not in keeping with my justice.’ ‘Well, what will you do in the matter; man has his free agency and cannot be coerced, and while he lives he has the power of perpetuating his species?’ ‘I will first send them my word, offering them deliverance from sin, and warning them of my justice, which shall certainly overtake them if they reject it, and I will destroy them from off the face of the earth, thus preventing their increase, and I will raise up another seed.’ Well, they did reject the preaching of Noah, the servant of God, who was sent to them, and consequently the Lord caused the rains of heaven to descend incessantly for forty days and nights, which flooded the land, and there being no means of escape, save for the eight souls who were obedient to the message, all the others were drowned. But, says the caviller, is it right that a just God should sweep off so many people? Is that in accordance with mercy? Yes, it was just to those spirits that had not received their bodies, and it was just and merciful too to those people guilty of the iniquity. Why? Because by taking away their earthly existence he prevented them from entailing their sins upon their posterity and degenerating them, and also prevented them from committing further acts of wickedness.” (John Taylor, in Journal of Discourses, 19:158–59.)

In all, I enjoyed the entertainment factor of the movie. It is a Hollywood adaptation of a Biblical story...I hope people weren't expecting a strict adherence. I wasn't. I go to movies to be entertained, not informed of what my beliefs should look like.
That said, it's hard to move past the dark view on humans in general. I tend to enjoy the positive, not pessimistic ideas and a hope-filled movie goes down more smoothly. It just didn't get a whole lot better after they landed on dry ground and everyone-and thing-were allowed off the ark. I enjoyed Noah's love and reverence for living things as demonstrated at the beginning of the movie with how he handles the animals (the one that was hurt and he fights off 3 men, as well as when he was teaching his son when the birds were falling asleep). But that love for living things somehow diminished when it came to humans...even his own family. For a Biblical movie, it was more entertaining than informing.
Just as the Book of Mormon musical on Broadway was a very untrue demonstration and irreverent view of the Mormon religion, I think the movie Noah was an untrue representation of the prophet...who became a second Adam-to start the whole human race over. But, like the Book of Mormon musical, I welcome the movie Noah for what it has done to start conversations regarding the Bible. For the Christians seeing the movie, they aren't going to come out of the movie with changed minds about their religion. However, for those who are not Christians, they might be tempted to go to the Bible itself to see for themselves how closely the movie mirrors the original version. And that is a very good thing. So, go ahead Hollywood, please make more Biblical movies. Kick off more doctrinal conversations. Get people talking more about God and His relationship with man.