Writers: Karen Kingsbury, Christina De Leon, Marilyn Fu, Olumide Odebunmi
Directors: Rachel Feldman
Producers: Roma Downey, Mark Burnett, Will Packer, Christopher Boyd, Brendan Bragg, Rick Christian, Ashlee Cohen, Karen Kingsbury, Kevin Mann, Dominic Ottersbach,
Starring: Trevor Donovan, Ali Cobrin, Brandon Hirsch, Taylour Paige, Roma Downey, Kai Caster, Ted McGinley, Masey McLain, Cassidy Gifford, Damien Leake, Asher Morrissette, Josh Plasse, Sheila Cutchlow, Victor Rodriguez, Jaime Primak Sullivan, Jake Allyn, Orel De La Mota, Emily Peterson
Plot Synopsis: This series is currently slated for 36 episodes that are based on Karen Kingsbury’s famous Baxter family book series that chronicles the trials and tribulations of a large family with six adult children.
There are really few production errors to note in the first God’s Not Dead film. The primary issue with this production is, of course, the editing, due to the large and complex amount of content that is attempted to be used in this film. Thus, if the plot categories were improved, the editing issue would likely also improve.
Plot and Storyline Improvements
The plot of God’s Not Dead needs some serious work. For one, there are too many ideas shoved into one two-hour film. A lot of these ideas really need to be movies of their own, such as the Muslim family subplot and the Chinese student subplot. The blogger character and all of her connections (Dean Cain, the Robertsons, etc.) need to be deleted completely. The woman with dementia is an interesting aside, but it needs better development. Pastor Dave and his connections really wouldn’t be missed either; this area might be better if it was altered. Finally, the portrayal of the atheist professor is noteworthy and better than most, but it still could be better and less over the top. The “character who is an atheist because their mother died of cancer” trope is a bit thin. Also, there are obviously instances of anti-Christian bias in academia, but this story could have been a bit more down to earth. Thus, with a lot of separation, editing, organization, and focus, this plot could have pushed the film into the Hall of Fame.
Acting Improvements
While the acting of the original God’s Not Dead is actually a major improvement over most PureFlix casts, it still isn’t perfect. For one, David A. R. White and Tommy Blaze rarely need to be acting. Trisha LaFache is average at best and needs serious coaching. Dean Cain should probably never be cast again. Kevin Sorbo has his place, but not as a raging professor. Otherwise, this cast is fine.
Conclusion
There was a reason the beginning of the God’s Not Dead saga was so popular, and it wasn’t because of its portrayal of atheists. It has a lot of intriguing content and a lot of ideas that need further exploration in different venues. Trying to lump all of it together in one film was a disappointment. However, it was the first time PureFlix actually proved they could be at least somewhat responsible with their budget, including a high-quality production. Perhaps one day someone will use some of the half-baked ideas of God’s Not Dead for greater purposes.
Aggie never thought it would turn out this way. She had always cared for Elle and Skye, the daughters of the family whose house she cleaned. But when they disappear along with their father, Aggie feels like she has to care for the distraught mother left behind. However, when the mother commits suicide, a string of events are set into motion that alert Aggie to sinister activity that Elle and Skye might be caught up in. Therefore, she takes a leap of faith to get the help she needs in order to get her girls back. As the journey takes her across two continents, Aggie clings to faith in God and to the hope that she will find her girls again.
Production Quality (.5 point)
It seems like the creators of Caged No More had good intentions, but not the resources to pull it off properly. They likely bit off a larger portion than they could chew. At least the video quality is clear, which is something most new Christian movies are finally getting right. The audio quality is passable. The camera work is okay; sometimes it tries to be too ‘dramatic’ and it comes off wrong. However, the lighting is very inconsistent. Some scenes are very dark, seemingly on purpose, but it doesn’t make any sense. What’s more, the sets are too limited for this scope of a plot. The surroundings are fairly realistic but sometimes seem empty. Speaking of scope, the editing of this film is deplorable. As will be discussed next, Caged No More is a collection of spliced together sequences forced to fit together. In short, while the effort is applaudable, the delivery is frustrating to watch.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
Caged No More is built on a very choppy plot that is patched together with constant narration that either reminds us what just happened or explains something that happened off screen. There is no coherence between subplots, and the one interesting subplot is wasted and underdeveloped. The storyline contains too many leaps in logic and is based far too much on coincidences and happenchance. The characters are thin and empty, crafted with stiff and cardboard dialogue. It’s really a shame that this review has to be so negative, because the genre this film is trying to break into is interesting. The idea behind this film is quite interesting, but it is very much wasted potential. Between the vague ending and the rushed plot, this film felt like it was just speeding to the sequel, but it gave us nothing to be interested in for in the sequel. At this rate, there is little purpose in creating a sequel; money would be better spent on a remake.
Acting Quality (.5 point)
These cast members seem like they mean well, but they have been thrown into the mix with little to no coaching at all. Emotions are very overdone and not believable. Line delivery is forced and awkward. Kevin Sorbo playing two different characters just doesn’t work at all. Christian ‘celebrities’ are shoehorned into the cast only for the sake of having their name on it. In short, there is some potential here, but it is not tapped.
Conclusion
Caged No More is a sad production in many ways. It really could have been a great genre-breaking work based on an important topic, but it fell very short of the mark. It pretends to be something bigger than it is. Buried inside of it are good ideas, but they will likely be wasted as this movie is forgotten over time. We desperately need different genres of Christian\inspirational films, but this is not the way to go about it. Human trafficking is a highly important topic that needs to be exposed, but this isn’t the way. I hope a lesson can be learned here that will make a difference.
Josh Wheaton didn’t ask to be put in the philosophy class of the infamous Professor Radisson. He also didn’t anticipate having to sign a piece of paper stating that God is dead in order to achieve a high grade in the class. But prompted by the help of a local pastor, Wheaton decides to not only refuse to sign the paper but also to prove God’s existence in front of the class in addition to his other class assignments. It’s something that those closest to him do not understand or agree with, but it brings him closer to God and to other people. Little does he know that Professor Radisson and even those connected to him are being profoundly impacted in ways he never expected.
Production Quality (2.5 points)
This is perhaps the strongest area of the movie. God’s Not Dead has better production than a majority of PureFlix movies, which shows great progress. The camera work is great, and the editing is pretty good considering the many interconnected story lines. The sets are authentic and varied and the lighting is good. The soundtrack is effective. The only real error to consider here is the fact that there may be too much content included. In short, the money used for the movie is mostly put to good use.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1.5 points)
Unfortunately, the plot is a bit weak, mostly due to the large number of story lines. There is nothing inherently wrong with a movie about the interconnected lives of people, and for the most part, God’s Not Dead does a fairly good job managing the content. However, it seems like there are one too many subplots and one too many characters. If one or two of these were eliminated and that time used to develop other more interesting characters, this movie would greatly improve. As it is, the dialogue is pretty good considering the number of characters. There are some interesting twists and not everything turns out as expected in the end. Most of the characters are believable, but some seem to be caricatures. In summary, the plot is a mixed bag with a lot of untapped potential.
Acting Quality (2 points)
When compared to older PureFlix movies, the acting in God’s Not Dead is superb, for most of the actors. This is David A. R. White’s best acting job to date. Shane Harper is great in his major debut. However, Dean Cain and Trisha LaFache are uninspiring. But still, one could argue that they did not have much to work with. All in all, the acting is another mixed bag.
Conclusion
God’s Not Dead is the best PureFlix-created movie in their existence. Improved acting, improved production quality, and improved plot development all contributed to this rise. However, they still have not hit their ceiling. There is a lot of potential in this movie, and on its face, it is still an above average movie. What is most important is that the core message of God’s Not Dead is driven home without being overly preachy or unwatchable. This is success in and of itself.
Box Office Revolution 