Mysticism in Science

My SO and I saw 9 a week or two ago.  It as an enjoyable movie, had some fun elements, but was weak in some areas.  The SO mentioned an anti-science bias message she noticed that troubled her a bit (feel free to beat me if I misrepresent you, babe).  We sort of waved it away and accepted the movie as a mixed bag, visuals alone worth seeing, but that sort of puts it in the level of impressive experimental film or proof of concept rather than a truly great animated masterpiece like Up.  We still loved 9 as an alternate time line alchemy story, but I have to admit I was disappointed that the twist revelation was 'the soul' and 'alchemy' over something more unique.  It's not like the harder sci-fi hasn't presented more than enough actual technological stand ins for the soul or magic that you couldn't have made something surprising.  I can't help compare it to The Secret of NIHM which added mystical elements to the story but wasn't virulently anti-science when it came to it (least not as I can remember), or Full Metal Alchemist where the story setting is a place where the magic of alchemy works as if it was scientific (ie has set rules and principles stated or at least implied). 

 He Fried for Your Sins

Anyway I thought I'd link to this article sort of bitching about the ascience in it as well.  I'm not really knee jerky about this sort of thing, it doesn't bother me too much as I can accept fully psionics and the soul showing up in Babylon 5 or the force in Starwars, but for some reason the message of 'science is bad' keeps seeming to regurgitate back into my craw when I think about 9.  Not NEARLy as much as it did in the Bones premiere but...still.  I want to know what do you think?  Did 9 have a strong "SCIENCE BAD" message?  Can you think of any other kid movies that did?  What's the line between soft sci-fi and pro-mysticism propaganda?

Hey!  Glen Beck's in this movie!

Mysticism in Sci-fi?

Real Life is Unrealistic: Too Dumb too Live

I love acting. It is so much more real than life.
— Oscar Wilde

Once again it seems that life will indeed imitate art...or rather art will prove to me that life is a chaotic malestrom without rhyme nor reason.  For this example, open up your nostalgia bibles and turn to the book of the Burton verse 1989.

We cant' stop here, this is bat country!

 Tim Burton and John Peters released the first serious adaptation of Batman the general non-comicy public became aware of; though really full credit for returning batman his lost dignity goes to Frank Miller, Allan Moore, and of course Denny O'Neil (or as I call him, Jesus).  While over all a decent movie florishing under Burton's stylistic German expressionist slant, it did have a bit of a campy feel.  Lacking the gritty realism of the later Dark Knight franchise, Burton's Batman had the feel of a Carnival of the Soul.  The focus wasn't on presenting a story as it might actually occur...but basically putting on a giant Cirque du Soleil show. 

Quick to the bat trapeze!  
 

Anyway... one of the biggest problems I had with the movie, the single thing that broke my suspension of disbelief in a film involving Jack Nicholson poisoning people with laughing gas and Michael Keton dressing up as a homicidal fury, was the third act in which the Joker lures the entire city of Gotham like lambs to a slaughter.  The Joker throws a parade flinging fists full of money out to the crowd, which successfully draws them out into the streets.  Of course he plans to just poison the fuckers.  And everyone should have known that because he'd spent the whole movie...poisoning people.  His motives were transparently clear!  Imagine if you will that Osama Bin Ladin comes on TV announces he's throwing a parade and giving away money and invites everyone to gather themselves into a crowded street to grab their share.  What the frak do you THINK will happen if anyone is dumb enough to show up?  This was so stupid, that I couldn't buy it.  Surely people had enough self interest NOT to do something transparently deleterious to themselves.

Pictured: The Government The Bailout Plan

I owe Tim Burton an apology.

Tens of thousands of people in Mali's capital, Bamako, have been protesting against a new law which gives women equal rights 

good lord you people are morons... I mean, really.  How dumb can you be!?

The head of a Muslim women's association says only a minority of Malian women - "the intellectuals" as she put it - supports the law

....ok that's pretty dumb.  When you're argument amounts to "ONLY SMART PEOPLE AGREE TO THIS" you really don't have much a leg to stand on.  

(

Above: Feminist Intellectual\

""It's a tiny minority of women here that wants this new law - the intellectuals. The poor and illiterate women of this country - the real Muslims - are against it,""

How Malians Picture Intellectuals

Really, how can you get more anti-intellectual than this?  Here we have women fighting FOR the right to be treated as property (as suggested by the Koran).  Sweet Raptor Jesus...  Ladies...just down a bottle of Smilex it'll be quicker!   At least with the Joker Parade of Peril there was an immediate gain to be had.  Here people are going against a proposal to give them shit, rejecting a gift horse by punching it straight in the mouth.

EMANCIPATION?
YOU PUT US BACK IN SHACKLES THIS INSTANT, DAMN IT!

So...once again; Real Life is Unrealistic.