Plot Summary
Two choirs have a shot at winning the all-important Christian choir competition of some sort, but one of them is motivated to save their school, of course. But with their lead singer and leader moving away, will their group be able to put on an award-winning performance? As the competition heats up, the participants will have to learn more about themselves and about their faith in order to succeed.
Production Quality (.5 point)
The ‘success’ of this film is that it was shot in roughly two weeks, but I’m not convinced this is something to celebrate. The final result is random, all over the place camera work, even though the video quality is fine. However, sets, locations, and props are below standard. The most notable standout in this production is the amateur laughable soundtrack that includes constant ‘original’ songs and overdubs. The editing is also very choppy and downright dizzying, thus reflecting what quick post-production job actually produces. Basically, this is one of those Christian films that’s so bad it draws mockery from non-Christian sources.
Plot and Storyline Quality (-1.5 points)
With nearly every line sang by the characters like a blockbuster Hollywood musical about France that actually features tons of British people, Sunday School Musical is an unmitigated disaster. Not only is the idea of a misfit singing group using their talent to save something copied from other quasi-inspirational films featuring Dolly Parton or Reba, but the way it’s gone about is so laughable that one has to wonder if it’s a satire. Let’s go on the record by saying that singing dialogue and songs intended to be dialogue are never good ideas, EVER, to use in films. Elsewhere, there is no real plot in this film and the characters feel like they stepped right out of a bad cartoon. Needless to say, Sunday School Musical is an utter train wreck that should never be repeated in any fashion.
Acting Quality (0 points)
As if the rest of the film wasn’t bad enough, this cast is among the worst. They are either unsure, juvenile, or way overplaying in some kind of attempt to get attention. Of course, trying to singing most of the lines never works, even for professional actors and actresses (see Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, etc., etc., etc…). In the end, this film was probably doomed from the start.
Conclusion
Sunday School Musical has the rare privilege of not only joining the ranks of Christian films to be made punch lines by mainstream reviewers (along with Saving Christmas and the new Left Behind), but it also has the opportunity to be classified among our negatively-rated movies. These films find new and creative ways to be horrible and\or offensive, thus achieving this distinct status. The only thing we can further say is that we hope more negative films (and films containing singing dialogue) are never made again in Christian circles.
Final Rating: -1 out of 10 points
Box Office Revolution 