#5 - The Mysterious Islands

Summary: Documentary about a group of adventurers who go to the Galapagos Islands in 2009. They seek to demonstrate an alternative to Charles Darwin's findings, as it was his observations of animals on these islands, which led him to later publish his famous book, "The Origin of Species" in 1859 (2009 was celebrated by evolutionists as the 150th anniversary of Darwin's book). The film seeks to provide a counter argument for every one of Darwin's "evidences" of evolution and his understanding of  'natural selection' for the various kinds of animals there e.g. finches, flightless cormorant.

What's it all about: these adventurers from the USA go to the Galapagos with a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm. They include a wildlife enthusiast Doug, and his son, Joshua (who narrates the movie at times), film-makers, and a PhD geology scientist. It is clear that the father, Doug (whilst not having a science degree - neither did Darwin), has done a lot of research studying Darwin's theories, and his experiences on these islands. The group travels to different locations throughout the islands, and view the animals studied by Darwin e.g. Galapagos Giant Tortoise (who the film claims can live up to 200 years old - the one Darwin saw could still be alive there!). The movie also looks at Darwin's life before coming to the islands, to see what had shaped his ''world-view". This movie explains the processes of "natural selection" and "mediative design". It also shows how the Bible's creation account provides a legitimate alternative to explain all the anomalies shown by the islands' unique animals. The last 20 minutes of the movie is also critical in showing how evolutionary theory has been applied in its extreme to justify the most horrendous acts in modern history.  

Notable Quotes: "Darwinists called these islands a laboratory for evolution, but there's another perspective - these islands are a showcase for the wisdom of the Creator"; "As Darwin had inherited a legacy of skepticism from his grandfather, Erasmus, he too would leave a multi generational legacy through advocates who would take his ideas and apply them to their logical extreme - applying the biological thesis of Darwinism to social theory".

Highlights: personal history of Darwin, explaining how his beliefs were formed; brilliant theme music (although surprisingly loud at times) that builds a sense of mystery and suspense; scene of Doug and his son running to 'catch up' to the giant tortoise; the last 20 minutes, which to me, explained well how evolutionary theory can be so dangerous when applied to humans in a social context e.g. promote selective breeding.

Movie length: 97 minutes

Rating: 9 & 1/2 out of 10

Final review: if you are struggling with the whole evolution/creation science debate, I strongly suggest that you see this movie. It should at least give you an understanding of how different 'worldviews' shape the way in which we interpret our belief systems. The first 30 minutes of this movie is a bit slow, but keep watching because I found this movie intriguing, especially towards the end (There are 2 discs available, but I haven't yet watched the bonus footage disc). Overall, a fantastic movie for the whole family (although some people/kids may find disturbing, some photos of the Holocaust). Definitely, one of those faith movies, that you can watch over and over, and gives you a feeling of hope by the movie's end.