jre-5 This film is basically a fantasy story, which is sort of awkward for a Christian Film. Contrary to what some people may think, Christian films generally portray things that can happen in real life, and not fantasy items like a magical medallion. But the makers of this film came up with a unique solution to this problem, it's set in a real life scenario of a man visiting an orphanage and telling the kids a story that's just pretend to teach them some lessons. The majority of the film consists of this story he tells. This is a great concept that I think more Christian film makers should try, it makes it possible for a fantasy story to work as a Christian film.The movie is sort of unbalanced in a number of ways. Some parts are very exciting, while other parts are kind of boring- at least after seeing it a few times. It's hard to say what age group it's meant for. Some parts are rather violent and scary, while other parts are more like what you'd see in a cartoon- sometimes bad guys get knocked out by just a little punch, which is sort of pathetic. Some of the fighting is pretty well done, but not all. There are also a couple times in which it almost seems like some clips are missing- at one point they're on a chase in the forest, then suddenly they're in town.Despite a few issues, overall it's a pretty good film, and a great concept. It's neat that the character who tells the story is played by Alex Kendrick. They couldn't have found a better person on earth to play this role. This was actually what got me interested in seeing it- his movies are beyond outstanding, and it's great that he's now starting to appear in other good films.

akcampbell My daughter saw this at the theater with friends and recommended it for weekend family viewing on Netflix. She has decent taste in films, I think, preferring the intellectual over the typical inane kid stuff. Still, I was surprised at how much I loved this film.It's part action film and part allegory, with a number of surprising features all wrapped up in a story within a story.The visuals are stunning. At least a half dozen times, I found myself taken aback by the angles or sweeping motion the director chose. There's something satisfyingly symmetrical about the camera work. The locations are gorgeous and so is the cast, but none of it is so pretty that it feels unrealistic.Although it doesn't feel low-budget, the movie has a hint of indie film about it. It reminds us that acting and writing are hard work. Although you can see some of the seams occasionally, it is a pleasant reminder of the hard work that goes into making a dream like this a reality.And even if a few ideas in the film hearken back to other stories, none of it feels derivative.I read a few other reviews before posting this, and saw that one poster thought that it was a racist portrayal of colonialism. Having watched the film, I'd say that is a bias that poster must see in many facets of life - you're bound to find hatred and condescension anywhere you look, if you're determined to find it. I saw no hint of it in this film. As for being reminded that God loves you, no matter what - I couldn't imagine that message ever becoming too prevalent in kids' films.All in all, well worth the 97 minutes, and worth a second viewing, as well.

slcparks Turned this on for 'movie night' with my 4 and 6 year old. I was purposely avoiding yet another cartoon movie and found it on Netflix. After a slow intro, it grabbed their attention and held it throughout. I quickly noticed the Christian overtones which I appreciated, and the kids did too. At the end of the movie, the kids were asking to watch it again and I was very happy with my choice, as I enjoyed it as well. It is what it is - it's not Indiana Jones - but it's a great film for a very tough audience for whom moral AND entertaining movies are difficult to find. As an aside, the King Cobra character was scary enough but not too scary. There was a bit of violence but nothing extreme. I didn't notice any language or suggestive situations. I'm hoping for more movies like this in the future.

TheBishop34 The film is very entertaining for children I believe partially because they don't typically catch the flaws in acting, plot, writing and overall production as adults have a tendency to do, so I can't recommend it for adults.At its core its fun adventure story with a time spanning story, magical artifact and a villain kids could fear, as the story goes on the kids slowly learn about themselves. My daughter really loves this and watched it three times in as many days. Its ending that a prior poster commented on I guess can catch you a little off guard if you didn't pick it up as the story went along. As it is only occasionally pointed out till then end that this movie is a Christian film. Having said that, I think that nasty response is unnecessary. The film has a good moral story to it that can be appreciated whether you believe in God or not.