# Movies/TV Shows with Gods Playing with Humans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394 "2009-05-05T05:45:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/1 "2009-05-05T05:45:40Z")
I’ve been watching a lot of episodes of _Hercules: The Legendary Journeys_ and _Xena: Warrior Princess_ lately, and my favourite episodes typically are where the gods come down and mess with the main characters in some ways (though a lot of that is the awesomeness that is Kevin Smith as Ares and Alexandra Tydings as Aphrodite). Thinking back, I also enjoyed that same idea in movies like _Clash of the Titans_ and _Jason and the Argonauts_, even though in those cases I think the gods just stay up in Olympus and mess with them. Anyway, what are some other movies or television shows? Other adaptations of Greek myths are OK, but bonus points if someone can come up with some non-Mediterranean examples (I bet it’s common in Indian movies with their humongous pantheon, tho I’ve never seen any like that, and I bet using the Norse gods would be cool as well). As a matter of fact, I seem to remember a Chinese movie called _Green Snake_ (starring my favourite, Maggie Cheung), which I think also would qualify (just as an example of something non-Western that I would also be interested in finding). Thanks in advance everyone!! ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/2 "2009-05-05T05:59:17Z")
Well, there’s the always-historically-accurate _Up Pompeii!_ I know there’s a number of other Hong Kong movies that have gods interacting with mortals; unfortunately, it’s been years since I worked my way through the HK section at Scarecrow Video, so I don’t recall any titles offhand. Would _The Call of Cthulhu_ count? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/3 "2009-05-05T06:05:49Z")
Walker, Texas Ranger. Chuck Norris is like unto a god, after all. More what you’re looking for, Supernatural has various beings such as trickster gods that screw with people. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/4 "2009-05-05T08:09:48Z")
Star Trek “Who Mourns For Adonais?” has the Enterprise crew encounter the Greek god Apollo. Although to be fair, he isn’t so interested in messing with them as he is with building a society to worship him. Q in Star Trek: TNG had god-like powers and was more into playing around with lesser beings. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/5 "2009-05-05T12:46:27Z")
**Hercules in New York**. Well, you didn’t say they had to be _good_ movies. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/6 "2009-05-05T13:04:10Z")
Not sure if any of this is what you want, but… The shows ‘Cupid’ and ‘Valentine’ had some of that sense, though in both cases, the gods have missions that they need to fufill, instead of just operating out of whimsy - they’re also portrayed as being much more ‘in the world’ than gods usually are. I’m also reminded a bit of ‘Tru calling’, though in that case the gods, (if that’s what they are,) remain completely off-screen, and their influence is only felt in the unusual things that happen to Tru and Jack. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/7 "2009-05-05T13:05:45Z")
_Dogma_ _A Guy Named Joe_, _Heaven Can Wait_, and several other spinoffs of the same idea. Chris Rock was in one a few years back, but I can’t recall the title. _It’s a Wonderful Life_ Pretty much any movies where miracles happen can be classifed as gods screwing with humans. Which reminds me: _Miracle on 34th Street_. Yeah, so it’s Santa, but a pretty awesome Santa. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/8 "2009-05-05T13:18:06Z")
The TV show **Angel** had “the powers that be” that sent down visions about what was going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/9 "2009-05-05T13:19:27Z")
I haven’t seen the movie, but would “Bruce Almighty” count? Apparently, Morgan Freeman is “God” and he messes with Bruce (Jim Carrey) by giving him god-like powers. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/10 "2009-05-05T13:33:12Z")
There are a lot of Japanese anime involving gods interacting with humans; a few examples: (1) Shinto Gods Kamiuchu! (The central character is both a god and a middle-school student, and interacts with other students and with other gods) Spirited Away. (A 10-year-old girl and her parents get trapped in a bath-house with gods as the customers) (2) Norse Gods My Neighbor Totoro. (I think this counts as Norse, because Totoro’s name comes from “troll”, but the gods really seem Shinto here) Oh! My Goddess! (A whole bunch of series here, with a college student living with three Norse gods after he accidentally dials the Goddess Help Line while trying to order take-out) (3) Buddhist Gods All those series based on Journey to the West, including Dragon Ball and Saiyuki. ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/11 "2009-05-05T13:36:43Z")
yes to _Bruce Almighty_ and I guess the Steve Carrey sequel (haven’t seen the latter). On the Judeo-Christian front, there is also _Oh God_ and the sequels. I would also count _Joan of Arcadia_. I haven’t seen enough non-Western film to have any offerings in that direction. P.S. I’ve been watching Xena myself on Netflix Instant when I don’t have anything else to do/watch. I missed 'em the first time around … I agree that the Kevin Smith episodes are usually pretty good. It can be tough to watch them, though, because the thought in the top of my brain is “but he’s dead now.” ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/12 "2009-05-05T14:18:46Z")
Well, looking at the recommendations so far, I’m intrigued by a number of suggestions: I hadn’t thought about examples involving THE WESTERN G-D, but _Joan of Arcadia_ is one of my favourite shows ever…but while I guess _Bruce Almighty_ and co. count, I think cases where angels or demons would come down would be more what I’m after (think _A Life Less Ordinary_ or the Spanish movie _Don’t Tempt Me_ ) – I guess the difference there is that there is not just one single deity making things happen, but the difference could only make sense to me. I’ve never seen either incantation of _Cupid_, but I’m sure it would count, as did _Valentine_ (which I saw one episode of – did it last longer than that?) – the fact that they are in the human world doesn’t bother me that much. Q on TNG is a good suggestion as well. _Supernatural_ is always something I hear about but have never seen. As for anime, I don’t recall there being gods in Dragonball, but the others sound closer anyway. Also, there was some live-action Japanese movie, _The Great Yokai War_ or something like that, which might count… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/13 "2009-05-05T14:34:20Z")
The OP already mentioned the two Harryhausen movies that show it most directly. I’d add the 1997 TV version of **The Odyssey** , the one with Armand Assante (and produced by the King of TV Movies, Nicholas Meyer). It shows Athena and Hermes, Poseidon and Aeolus\* interacting with Odysseus, who takes these Olympians in a wonderfully matter-of-fact way. It was a great contrast to the film **Troy** , which threw the gods out altogether, then made huge changes in Homer, some of them for no apparent reason. > **[The Odyssey (TV Mini Series 1997) ⭐ 7.0 | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118414/)** > > 2h 56m | PG-13 \*played by Michael J. Pollard. Even after all thesse years, I immediately thought of him as the bratty kid from the Star Trek episode “Miri”. So did Pepper Mill. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/14 "2009-05-05T14:35:55Z")
[The Bishop’s Wife](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039190/), starring Cary Grant, David Niven, and Loretta Young. Re-made as [The Preacher’s Wife](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117372/), starring Denzel Washington, Courtney B. Vance, and Whitney Houston. [Jason and the Argonauts](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0217579/). Dennis Hopper and Frank Langella as two of the villains! [Hercules](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420408/). Timothy Dalton and Elizabeth Perkins as Herk’s parents! [The Odyssey](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118414/). Armand Assante as Odysseus, and a number of other big names in the cast. [The Lost Empire: The Legend of the Monkey King](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0198779/) [Xanadu](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081777/). [Erik the Viking](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097289/). Terry Jones at his best. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/15 "2009-05-05T14:38:40Z")
> [@infinitii](#): > > As for anime, I don’t recall there being gods in Dragonball, but the others sound closer anyway. Also, there was some live-action Japanese movie, _The Great Yokai War_ or something like that, which might count.. The trouble is that when the Japanese talk about “kami” they are sometimes talking about gods that westerners would identify as gods, and sometimes about non-human beings that westerners might call “spirits” or the like. So, for example, Son Goku in Dragon Ball is clearly not a human being, even if he’s humanoid in appearance, and is apparently some kind of extra-terrestrial, but he’s based on the character Sun Wukong, or the Monkey King, in Journey to the West, where he’s a monkey god in a story involving Buddhist mythology. But westerners have trouble identifying the Monkey King as a god, partly because he spends most of his time rebelling against heaven and against Xuanzang (also known as Tripitaka). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/16 "2009-05-05T14:40:44Z")
The Disney animated version of _Hercules_ was actually pretty damned good, I thought. Zeus and Hades clearly have their own agendas that Hercules, Meg, Phil etc. are only partially aware of. The subtle but unmistakeable backdrop to _The Lord of the Rings_ is the divine, eternal struggle between good and evil. The dark lord Sauron is essentially Satan/Lucifer’s (Morgoth’s) lieutenant, while Gandalf is a disguised angel in Middle-earth. Trelane in the original _Star Trek_ episode “The Squire of Gothos” has godlike powers and enjoys messing with Kirk & Co. (some fanwankers have him pegged as a juvenile Q). Although not gods, the ultrapowerful Metrons in “Arena” pit Kirk against the Gorn, and the Organians just want to be left alone but nevertheless use their vast powers to avert war between the Federation and the Klingons in “Errand of Mercy.” ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/17 "2009-05-05T14:43:31Z")
_ **Ghostbusters** _ > [@](#): > > Ray, when someone asks you if you’re a god, you say “YES”! ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/18 "2009-05-05T15:11:36Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > The OP already mentioned the two Harryhausen movies that show it most directly. > > I’d add the 1997 TV version of **The Odyssey** , the one with Armand Assante (and produced by the King of TV Movies, Nicholas Meyer). It shows Athena and Hermes, Poseidon and Aeolus\* interacting with Odysseus, who takes these Olympians in a wonderfully matter-of-fact way. It was a great contrast to the film **Troy** , which threw the gods out altogether, then made huge changes in Homer, some of them for no apparent reason. I’ve never seen _The Odyssey_ you are referring to, but since my main problem with _Troy_ was exactly what you are referring to, I’ll def have to check it out. I may have to check out/ponder upon many of **mbh** ’s recommendations as well… ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/19 "2009-05-05T15:51:56Z")
[God, the Devil and Bob](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0221751/) was a TV cartoon in 2000 that re-told the story of Job. How they padded it out to multiple episodes, I forget, but they had a first-rate cast. ---
**Author:** ![Morgis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Morgis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgis)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394/20 "2009-05-05T16:23:14Z")
God is pretty amusing in the movie _Time Bandits_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-tv-shows-with-gods-playing-with-humans/495394.md?page=2)