Plot Summary
With Nicolae Carpathia increasing his grip on international politics, President Fitzgerald of the United States is highly skeptical of the United Nations leader. The President’s suspicions are only raised when his vice president is killed in a sudden car bomb. He also receives an anonymous tip about secret plans that threaten to overturn the delicate balance of the world. Elsewhere, the Tribulation Force continues to seek converts and spread the gospel as the world becomes darker and darker. When an unexpected evil strikes the planet, they must dig deep in their faith and band together under the banner of Christianity.
Production Quality (2.5 points)
After two previous productions failed even though they had money behind them, this creative team finally put the money where their mouth was and spent it correctly on World at War. The camera work and video quality are excellent. Props have a major upgrade and appear very realistic. This movie finally lives up to its international intrigue expectations by providing wide ranging sets and locations to the viewers. It also delivers on this franchise’s previous claims of action entertainment by pulling off action scenes very well, including professional use of special effects. Watching this movie actually makes you feel like you’re watching an apocalyptic film with international ramifications. The only complaints to bring up here are some minor editing issues. Otherwise, this is a production to be proud of for once.
Plot and Storyline Quality (2 points)
World at War is actually an engaging apocalyptic plot that holds the attention, which is an unfortunately rare find in Christian film. Subplots built up from the two previous installments are used very well, and even though this storyline departs greatly from the novels, it is still enjoyable. New subplots are complex and hold the viewer’s attention until the end. The dialogue is finally well-constructed and the characters are finally believable. The apocalyptic concepts and surroundings are finally realistic and highly possible in the real world. Although there are some unnecessary elements, there are not a few suspenseful twists that make this an apocalyptic plot to be proud of. Finally, World at War packs perhaps the most epic action ending in Christian film to date, putting many other action film attempts to shame. Yet two things derail this movie from being Hall of Fame: the lack of buildup from previous films and the lack of continuation. The writers set us up with an engaging franchise reboot, if you will, yet did not deliver with a follow-up. What happens next? We may never know. But for now, this is one of the most applaudable Christian action films on the market.
Acting Quality (2 points)
Acting also greatly improves in this installment not only because of improved coaching but also because of better additional cast members. Once again, Kirk Cameron posts one of his best (probably his last) acting performances. Line delivery is effective, but sometimes emotions are over the top. In the end, there are only minor errors here.
Conclusion
It’s so frustrating to watch films that barely miss the Hall of Fame because of the potential they did not live up to. World at War had everything going for it—except for better predecessors and a real follow-up. If the franchise was going to be dropped here, it would have been better for World at War to either stand alone as a separate apocalyptic film outside of the series or for the absurd Left Behind reboot of recent to become the fourth movie rather than just a rehashing of the first installment. It’s unfortunate, but it’s unlikely World at War will be remade for a myriad of reasons. But it can at least serve as a testament to what can be done in Christian film if proper money and effort are applied. We need many more films like this one on the market.
Final Rating: 6.5 out of 10 points
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