Tommy is a troubled ex-Marine with several substance abuse problems, but now, Tulsa, a girl in the foster care system, is claiming that Tommy’s her father. Thus, Tulsa’s social worker decides to go against her superior’s advice and forces Tommy to take Tulsa on a trial basis. Tulsa wastes no time trying to reform her alleged father so that he’s ready for the home visit. Will Tommy be able to turn around his life before it’s too late?
Production Quality (1.5 points)
The beginning of this 2020 production is rough, including shaky camera work and inconsistent audio quality. The video is consistently clear, but the lighting tends to go back and forth. While the soundtrack is interesting, it sometimes is shocking in the way it’s introduced. Editing also leaves something to be desired as it’s choppy and discombobulated. However, there’s enough improvement in the second half of this film to justify an average score for this section.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
It seems like the whole point of Tulsa is to get to a certain point that the writers wanted to get to, but to do so, they move very fast and commit a number of errors. An entire subsection of problems relates to violating reality for the narrative’s sake. For instance, the foster care system is portrayed in unrealistic ways in this movie. Some characters bend rules to make things happen, and there are a lot of seemingly purposeful ethical problems that have to occur for the plot to reach its forced conclusion. Besides these unforced concerns, the story generally meanders without purpose, filled with blank scenes that waste time and add no value. It sometimes seems like things keep going in circles just to fill time, which doesn’t justify a nearly two-hour runtime. The titular character is basically perfect, but her co-lead makes random decisions without logical reasons, and he suddenly changes for no reason. Though unexpected flashbacks suddenly appear in the screenplay’s second half that provide potential for character motive, they’re too little too late. There are not a few unearned dramatic moments, and unexpected things sometimes happen just because the writers’ agenda needs them to take place. Whatever they were trying to convey is lost in translation and poorly communicated, leading to a rushed conclusion that leaves the viewers empty. Hence, Tulsa joins a long line of forgettable Christian films.
Acting Quality (2 points)
For the most part, the acting is actually the strongest aspect of this movie. Despite some portions being unsure, other parts are fine. Line delivery and emotional performances are mostly believable and on point. However, it’s not enough to lift Tulsa from the basement.
Conclusion
It’s 2020, and low quality Christian entertainment continues to be a mainstay in the field. We’re long past the days where generic inspirational movies with passable productions and casting can be the market standard. It’s time for the next generation of film makers to turn the arena on its ear by doing something different. When the right people allow God to correctly apply their talents, things will finally begin to change.
When Amber’s husband is killed in an overseas bombing while on tour in the Middle East, her entire life seems to come apart piece by piece. She struggles to support her and her daughter in a small town because she obviously didn’t get any military benefits from the government. She also pushes everyone away and doesn’t go to church anymore, but thankfully, a semi-bad-boy race car driver has crashed in town because he needed some time off from doing whatever it was he was doing before. This gives him time to do stuff with all the kids in town, which is where he becomes obsessed with Amber’s daughter and eventually Amber herself. However, Amber still is struggling financially to the point where she needs an old-fashioned loan from the pawn shop. Will the madness ever end?
Production Quality (2 points)
As per usual for most recent Harold Cronk and PureFlix productions, God Bless the Broken Road has a fine, generic one to offer with nothing particularly special or negative about it. The sets, locations, and props are somewhat limited, but camera work, video quality, and audio quality are all fine. The vanilla soundtrack leaves something to be desired, and the editing is poor because of the nature of the story, but on the whole, this is a fine attempt. However, this brand of production is also becoming very common place in Christian entertainment, so it’s time for deep-pocketed outfits like PureFlix to show us a little something more.
Plot and Storyline Quality (-2 points)
Regardless, any good this film has to offer is totally negated by the total nonsense of this plot. At times, it feels copied from a Karen Kingsbury novel since this idea has been done so much before, but it’s actually worse because of the logical inconsistencies and flimsy premise. Too many unrealistic things happen that don’t appear to be rooted in reality, and this makes a mockery of real problems people may face in life. Most of the scenes are cheesily forced to convey a certain point in typical PureFlix Obvious style. An example of this is an old standby: awkward sermonizing of lessons they want the audience to be force-fed. Another instance is shown through the most generic dialogue and conversations that were surely purchased (or stolen) from Acme Stock Dialogue, Inc. The characters are just pawns in the inevitable progression of the plot as convenient turns happen to drive home certain agendas. Perhaps the worst part of it all is the fact that every horribly overused inspirational cliche is car-crashed into this one epic fail of a film…an exploration of how this is done would require a completely separate analysis. As a whole, God Bless the Broken Road is just another example of PureFlix Drama wherein every scene has to be an emotional climax as the characters are just extremely stereotyped caricatures designed to represent issues rather than people. If you’re looking for a corny Christian movie all-in-one deal, this one will be worth your money and time. Otherwise, avoid it like the plague.
Acting Quality (1 point)
While plastic white people take center stage to bore us with bland performances (in their defense, they weren’t given much to work with in the line department), better cast members are forced to take backseat as they watch the madness unfold before them and likely wonder when they’ll ever make a big enough break to no longer be trapped in PureFlix World. Main cast members come off as dead-faced and emotionally blank a lot of the time, which makes the forced emotional climaxes of the plot even worse. In the end, there’s some good here, but this sections rounds off an overall unacceptable effort in today’s Christian entertainment world.
Conclusion
If we wanted the sappiest, most unrealistic Hallmark film we could find, we would watch this film because it at least isn’t constantly interrupted by drug commercials. But who’s got that kind of time? Instead, let’s hope films like God Bless the Broken Road will become less and less commonplace as Christian audiences demand more quality from Christian entertainment creators. We’ve finally gotten to where above-average productions are commonplace, so it’s time to let the writers be the writers when it comes to screenplays.
Samson was chosen to be a judge of Israel by Yahweh, but he did not always do as he was supposed to do. He was anointed by God with superhuman strength when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, but when he disobeyed, there were serious consequences. God used Samson to deliver His people from the oppressive Philistines, and He used an imperfect man to accomplish His will in the most extraordinary ways.
Production Quality (2 points)
PureFlix has clearly come a long way since the abysmal production days of The Book of Esther and the half-hearted production of movies like Apostle Peter and the Last Supper. This newer rendition of Samson boasts a surprisingly high production quality, which is manifested in gritty and realistic elements that are not afraid to make the characters get dirty. Action scenes are filmed very well with good camera work. Video quality is crisp, and sets, locations, and props are very well-constructed and culturally authentic. The editing is also good, but this production is held back from being all that it could be by weird cuts and dramatic zooms that are reminiscent of Revelation Road and by very obvious CGI architectural shots. However, on the whole, Samson is a huge step forward for PureFlix Bible productions.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
Right off the bat, the plot of Samson is hamstrung by immediate and unwanted narration. Accompanying this story crutch is a typically PureFlix ‘creative license’ that they give themselves to do whatever they want with historical narrative. As this film was shamelessly pushed as a ‘Christian superhero’ flick, it is full of mostly mindless action scenes and is actually quite violent for a Bible film–even rivaling The Bible miniseries for gory content. With so many battle scenes and bodies flying around, there is no room for character development as dialogue is instead used to fill time, dump information, and force the story along in the direction the writers wanted it to go in. In molding the story however they wanted, the PureFlix collective whitewashed the obvious mistakes of Samson the historical figure and made this movie into some kind of romance-revenge plot. However, in some ways, they made some interesting connections between the true events of Samson’s life, which keeps this section from being zero, but they took too much ‘creative license’ with historical fact to be acceptable. Regardless, we have no idea who Samson is as a character due to massive time jumps, and the recurring villain character is beyond cheesy. In the end, plot was basically tossed by the wayside in the making of this pandering film.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
Somewhere out there, there is a Christian movie consultant who constantly advises film makers to cast BRITISH people as Middle Eastern characters. Sure, Middle Eastern cast members can be somewhat difficult to find, but what is the idea behind casting people with such obviously culturally inauthentic accents? I’m sure with this budget PureFlix could have found some authentic cast members. This consistent problem aside, the acting of this film is mostly fine except for the overly dramatic moments and forced emotions that are apparent here. Also, it goes without saying that PureFlix consulted with Timothy Chey on how to give PhilistIne characters the worst possible makeup jobs. On the whole, this section is average.
Conclusion
What to do with another Bible film? Samson fulfills the gritty category, and the production is fine, but the other categories are greatly lacking in what is needed. With a budget this big, better cast members could have been employed and better screenwriters could have been retained. Then again, it’s doubtful that PureFlix actually cares about making a truly quality film. Samson was just another attempt at a cash grab–PureFlix adapts with the times as needed to do the bare minimum to get enough audiences to pay for a ticket. Now most people have forgotten this film even happened. Oh well.
Much like other newer, more mainstream PureFlix releases, Do You Believe sports professional production quality with very few errors to speak of. Naturally, due to the nature of this film, the editing is mostly a mess as each scene tries to be a dramatic climax with no resting periods or relief scenes. Thus, the only issue with the production can be rectified by improving the plot.
Plot and Storyline Improvements
Much like God’s Not Dead, Do You Believe takes on far too many subplots than it can handle. Easily half of them are unnecessary, as each of them try to insert a dramatic turn into nearly every scene that comes up. The paramedic subplot is mostly unrealistic and unnecessary, and its deletion would have also rendered the Andrea Logan White\Sean Astin subplot useless. The military veteran suffering from PTSD and the girl with the unknown past who tries to commit suicide belong in their own film, so they can be developed better as characters. The criminal brothers subplot is awkward and stereotypical. With the removing and reassignment of these subplots, the more pertinent elements of this storyline, namely the older couple who helps the homeless mother and daughter and the pastor and his wife who help the young homeless mother, could have been given more room to grow and be developed beyond their current state. An alternate option to improve this plot would have been to start at the mass car accident scene and then work backward by following each character’s path to the accident, but this would take a lot of skill and discipline. Also, the narration has to be totally eliminated. In short, there is so much content in Do You Believe that there is bound to be potential in here somewhere.
Acting Improvements
While there are some good elements to the acting of this film, most casts would be improved in the absence of Liam Matthews, Andrea Logan White, and of course, Ted McGinley. There are just so many cast members involved here that any good portions are cancelled out by poor performances. However, if the storyline was pared down to a realistic medium, the cast would have also been trimmed to ensure quality of quantity.
Conclusion
Quality over quantity was truly the order of the day for this film. Dumping every subplot you can think of into one film will make a film that a lot of people will see and perhaps like momentarily, but its lasting impact is blunted by its onslaught of content. However, there are enough good ideas in this film to perhaps kickstart a better film in the future.
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.
The only major production improvement that should be noted in Meant to Be is the need for more organized editing. In this film, scenes tend to be tossed here and there in a confusing fashion. However, the editing can only be improved as the plot content is improved. Thus, a more organized plot would have likely led to improvement in this area.
Plot and Storyline Improvements
Meant to Be is one of the most creative and most frustrating films we have ever reviewed. Without spoiling the major twist at the end, it should be noted that this twist is mostly unexpected, especially after sitting through the boring and purposeless first half of the plot. This is where most of the audience will be lost, so the most effective thing that could have been done in this situation would have been to make the first half of movie a good film on its own without having to rely on the twist in the second half. This would also cause misdirection and make the twist even more surprising and out of left field. As it is, Meant to Be seems to be rushing to get to the twist, and character development is sacrificed in the process. We need to know what these characters care about and what their motivations are, and this can be done through substantial dialogue. If these characters would be able to stand on their own apart from the twist, this would have been a truly great film.
Acting Improvements
Step one: take out Dean Cain. Further, the jury is still out on whether or not Bradley Dorsey should be acting in his own films. Other cast members in Meant to Be were underwhelming in their performances, so more improved acting coaching might have helped this section improve.
Conclusion
Bradley Dorsey has some great ideas, but he often stunts their full impact by getting in his own way. The best thing he can do at this point in his career is to work with a team approach. He may need to step back from acting in his films and work collaboratively with someone to bring his creative ideas to full fruition by developing deeper characters. In the end, while it is unclear what his next steps are, if he heeds this advice, he could soar to new heights.
Bruce Dalt is obsessed with his job as a local sports anchor. He is also obsessed with his son getting a good basketball scholarship. However, he lets his emotions get the best of him when he gets angry at a referee who made a call on his son, Bruce finds himself in the middle of a public relations nightmare. His media employer determines that he needs to complete community service before he can come back to his job. Thus, Bruce is stuck ringing a Christmas bell for the Salvation Army. Will he be able to learn the true meaning of Christmas?
Production Quality (2.5 points)
Silver Bells is a typically professional PureFlix and UP production collaboration. As such, there are few errors to note here. Video quality, camera work, and audio quality are all what they should be. The soundtrack is a bit too holiday-ish, but it’s fine. Sets, locations, and props are also fine, albeit filled with Christmas stuff. There are also a lot of Salvation Army ‘product placements,’ but at least this is a good ministry to promote. Finally, there are some small editing issues to note, but on the whole, this is a model production.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
Unfortunately, despite the influence of Andrea Nasfell, this plot suffers from a bout of forced comedy and cardboard cutout characters, including a stereotypical over the top holiday-hating character that is forced to like Christmas throughout the course of the film. Also, the holiday-hating character constantly reminds the audience of his unexplained cold attitude towards Christmas. Thus, the Christian message is quite cheap. There is unfortunately nothing truly creative in this plot as it seems like it was manufactured in a Christmas plot factory. Any issues raised are too easily resolved, and even though the Salvation Army has some great causes, it’s not enough to save this story from itself.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
Mostly, the lead cast members trying too hard to convince the audience of who their characters are, much like many PureFlix movies. In doing so, they come off as very disingenuous and plastic. However, there are plenty of good moments from the supporting cast members that help this section from being nothing. Emotions are overall average throughout, thus rounding out a nearly-average film.
Conclusion
Films like this one can’t help but be seen as just one made on the assembly line of holiday inspirational films. If you’re going to reuse an old plot concept, at least make it was accessible and believable characters that audiences can relate to. As it is, Silver Bells just seems like it’s trying to check the boxes so it can be a packaged made-for-television film. We need more creativity than this, but the good thing is that Andrea Nasfell has shown that she has the ability to do this when she is supported properly.
Lee Strobel was an acclaimed newspaper reporter who had seemingly reached a new level in his career with his in-depth research pieces. Everything in his life seemed perfect, until his wife Leslie began talking to a Christian nurse who saved the life of their daughter and became a Christian herself. Lee’s staunch atheism was immediately challenged by his wife’s beliefs, even though she had become a better person as a result. Thus, Lee set out to disprove the faith of his wife by attacking the core tenets of Christianity and skeptically investigating the truth behind them. However, the deeper he went into his investigation, the less faith he had in atheism. He would eventually have to come to grips with what he really believed and make a decision that would change his life forever.
Production Quality (3 points)
After years of wandering in the proverbial wilderness, Jon Gunn and his team, aided by the new standards of PureFlix, have finally found the promised land. The Case for Christ is a flawless production in every aspect and is an example of what we should see in every film. Video quality, camera work, and audio quality are error free. The soundtrack is highly authentic and appropriate for the time. Sets, locations, and props are exquisite and demonstrate great care for historical accuracy. Finally, editing is excellent as montages are kept to a minimum and each scene transitions seamlessly. Basically, this is your textbook perfect production.
Plot and Storyline Quality (2.5 points)
What better plot to use than a real-life story that many audiences can relate to for multiple different reasons? Not only is this film about real people, but they are actually portrayed as real people through meaningful dialogue and realistic circumstances. This film could have easily descended into an information-saturated and message-heavy dump that tried too hard to push its point, but that is not the case here. Both the atheist and the Christian characters are portrayed extremely well and the highly relevant message is presented in such a way that it is both clearly understood and easily received without being pushed in your face. In the hands of a different writer, this idea could have gone south very easily. Yet it did not, and Brian Bird proves that with good content, he can go great things. The only nitpick to raise here is some slight choppiness, but it’s not a big deal. The bottom line is that this is an excellent plot and one well worth your time.
Acting Quality (3 points)
You can hardly ask for a better cast than this, as each member fits their character excellently. There are zero acting errors to point out as every performance is executed with near perfection. Emotions are highly believable and line delivery is on point. This rounds out an excellent film.
Conclusion
In conjunction with Brian Bird, Jon Gunn has finally discovered his true talent and has struck gold. He put previous disappointments behind him and found a way to become a great film maker. All we ask of film makers is to show steady and consistent improvement, and Jon Gunn has done just that. He was also afforded a great opportunity to tell the amazing true story of Lee Strobel and to have better funding due to the better decisions made by the PureFlix leadership. This film gives Jon Gunn, Brian Bird, and the rest a platform to build off of to do even greater things.
Logan Chandler has been too scared to fight in the boxing ring ever since his father died right in front of him while he was training Logan. Logan and his brother and struggling to keep their dad’s boxing gym afloat, but Logan’s emotional turmoil and his constant conflict with one of the main customers is wreaking havoc. Nothing in Logan changes until he meets Emma, a girl at college who changes his perspective on life and makes him want to change. Though it’s not easy, Logan is still fighting the fight inside himself with the hopes to be one day free.
Production Quality (2.5 points)
For a first-time production, The Fight Within is highly professional in many ways. Video quality is on standard and camera work is excellent, especially in the action scenes, which is very difficult to achieve. Audio quality is flawless and the soundtrack is quite creative. Sets, locations, and props are very realistic and appropriate. The only nitpick to raise here are some small editing errors, such as one too many montages and blank scenes. But in the end, this is a very encouraging and respectable effort that gives great hope for the future of New Life Cinema.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1 point)
Though this story is a somewhat stereotypical troubled character sports redemption plot and though it contains characters that fit into predictable molds, at least this plot and its characters are developed well. They feel like honest and authentic people with real dialogue, which is all we can ask of a typical plot. The flashbacks included are good and help the audience to understand the motivations of the characters. The circumstances they experience are accessible and realistic. However, there is still some heavy-handed sermon messaging and training and sports montages that fill time. Overall, the story has a predictable progression, but at least the viewer can relate to what is happening and feel like it’s a real story. This is the best someone can do with this sort of plot without any twists, so doing the best thing with what you have is all that matters for freshman film.
Acting Quality (3 points)
For an ‘amateur’ cast, the performances in this film are excellent. Line delivery is on point, and the presence of coaching is evident. Emotions are believable and realistic. Each cast member fits their character well. Thus, this is an awesome job for a creative team new on the scene.
Conclusion
All that matters when you make your first film is that you do the best with what God has given you, and New Life Cinema has done this in The Fight Within. The production and the casting are nearly flawless. Therefore, next time, if they employ a slightly more creative plot with the same realistic characters, they will strike gold. It’s really encouraging to see new companies like this doing the right thing from the beginning and it will be great to see what they have planned next.
May Landis knows there’s a coin hidden somewhere on her property, and she spends her life looking for it, much to the chagrin of her husband, Henry. However, one day, May is sure she has found it, but she pays for it dearly. Henry is sent into depression and drinking following his wife’s untimely death and is reluctant to take in his granddaughter Emily when she comes to live with him to go to college, but he agrees if she will take care of May’s horse Lucky. Then Emily starts searching for the coin, even though there are also ‘bad guys’ searching for it. Will they ever be able to find it in time?
Production Quality (1 point)
When compared to his past projects, Saving Winston and Camp Harlow, Shane Hawks’ production quality has somewhat increased. However, the production of this film is still not up to industry standard. Video quality and camera work are professional, but audio quality is lacking, especially in outside scenes. The soundtrack is also very stock. There are too many musical montages that waste time. However, sets and locations are clearly given thought. Yet editing is almost nonexistent as lots of useless content is included. In the end, though Lucky’s Treasure looks better than past films, it’s still not there yet.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
If you could think of the most stereotypical and juvenile plot premise that involves a horse, a girl, a ranch hand, a treasure, and some ridiculous villains, then it would be Lucky’s Treasure. Though it is Shane Hawks’ most complex plot (not saying much), its presentation is very disingenuous and lackadaisical. Time is spent on the most childish things, like the cheesiest high school college romance since Barbie and Ken. Every character fits into the most plastic mold you can think of—dialogue (the parts you can understand) sounds like it’s been bought from a stock dialogue company. Things happen because they need to as time is filled with montages, romance stuff, activities of daily living, vague treasure hunt concepts, and lectures on French history. With no real direction or purpose, Lucky’s Treasure (the horse is actually fairly insignificant) meanders along a predictable progression until time runs out. Basically, this storyline is so stereotypical and stock that it in no way warrants creation.
Acting Quality (0 points)
With perhaps the most thrown-together cast ever, Lucky’s Treasure just keeps getting better and better. The cast members post very awkward and unsure performances. Some lines are mumbled while others seem phoned in. Some are overplayed while others are underplayed. The costuming is also atrocious. Unfortunately, it’s hard to believe that any time was spent on this portion.
Conclusion
It’s noble that Shane Hawks and his team want to keep making movies. They have the rare opportunity to do something great with the resources and platform they have been provided. But they are utterly wasting it. Our advice at this point for Hawks and company would be to stop trying to write plots and focus on directing and producing. Find a better writer and get some help with your casting and coaching. At the very least, do the best you can with what you have, because this is by far not the best you can do.
In our vast Christian entertainment viewing experience, we sometimes come upon films that we can hardly justify writing a full review for. Therefore, for your convenience, so you don’t have to go watch those free films that invade your suggested watch list in on-demand video services, we’ve provided a quick overview here. Someday we might post more, if we’re fortunate enough to find more.
There’s a map on the back of Georgia’s state constitution
The Adventures of Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Treasure
Oh, Mickey Matson. Why does this series exist? I guess someone pitched the idea of a juvenile young-adult patriotic secret society action adventure suspense secret codes National Treasure concept copycat film to PureFlix and they liked it because they don’t usually have any standards (see Divine Will). So they found the most redneck characters ever to play the villains and wrote out a bunch of mumbo jumbo about secret codes to make the story look interesting. Then they thought it would be cool to throw in some kind of cockamamie machine invention doohickey that does alchemy or something. Basically, this sort-of-non-Christian action adventure film is just too far over our heads to warrant a full review, especially since we can’t make heads or tails of what we’re supposed to learn from it.
The secret lies with Charlotte
Pirate’s Code: The Adventures of Mickey Matson
Oh, there’s another one? To think they meant to make more of these like PureFlix’s own version of a poor man’s young adult film franchise. Seriously, is this all they could come up with? More redneck villains and stupid props! More devices, doohickeys, and junk science! More secret societies and secret codes and secret secrets! More terrible special effects! If a non-Christian saw this, they would laugh you out of the room. This non-franchise should have been left at the storyboard.
Road to the Open
This isn’t really even a Christian film at all, just another random cheap inspirational film that PureFlix endorses. It was so boring to watch and the only reason we did was so we could see John Schneider and Eric Roberts play an alpha-male star tennis team. They were barely in the movie as it was, which was a real bummer, and they weren’t even that funny, even though they tried. Oh well.
Well that’s all for now! Maybe we’ll post another one someday…maybe not…
When Cassie Roberts receives word that her father is having medical complications, she is forced to return to the small town of Texas she grew up in, the one she tried to get away from. While back in town, she is reminded of her horse riding days and reluctantly agrees to help her father and his young trainer to train her old horse for a reining competition. Will she be reminded of what she left behind and of the new life she can start anew?
Production Quality (1.5 points)
While Texas Rein has good standard production elements, including video quality, camera work, and audio quality, there are still some other issues to raise. The soundtrack is very stock and uninspiring. The sets and locations are quite limited to a few houses and outside areas and don’t even give off that small town feel. Finally, the editing is quite poor and causes the film to be very choppy and confusing—just a collection of random scenes. There are also too many musical montages. In short, while this movie looks good on the surface, it’s really just an average production.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
So a character returns to their hometown they don’t want to be in because of some extenuating circumstance and finds a reason to stay (usually a horse is involved) and meets a significant other and so on and so forth. We’ve seen this plot before and this is a 2016 movie, so why are we seeing it again? Besides the predictable plot structure, the characters therein are extremely juvenile and simplistic. The dialogue is typical and full of small town statements. Nothing really substantial happens as the passage of time is hard to follow. We can’t feel like these people are real or are doing real things as their unrealistic high school dramas are resolved too easily. Basically, there’s really nothing good to say here.
Acting Quality (.5 point)
This is really a very poor casting job. The actors and actresses are awkward, wooden, and robotic in their line delivery. They don’t express any believable feeling or emotions. On the bright side, this is possibly Erin Bethea’s best role to date. But otherwise, this is a big disappointment.
Conclusion
It’s great to want to make a movie, but sometimes you need to take a step back and see if it really is worth marking. Texas Rein probably would have done better as a short film, to work as sort of a springboard for better things. With no creative plot content and very weak characters, this was unfortunately not a story worth telling. Also, it’s great to have production elements down, but having such a poorly coached cast is unacceptable. Perhaps things will improve in the future.
As the mysterious drifter comes to another small town, he encounters another pastor who desperately wants to change the world around him but cannot seem to assemble the team he needs. As he takes his brother in, who is freshly out of prison, the pastor seeks to do good to those around him and to repair the broken church bell he inherited. He also comes into contact with a group of troubled teens who seem intent on making everyone around them miserable. But what they will all discover is that there is more to everyone’s story than other realize, and that all Christians should act as Jesus would act.
Production Quality (.5 point)
If it’s any consolation, the camera work is better in The Journey Continues. However, the video quality has not improved, and there are many scenes in which lighting is a major problem. Audio quality is inconsistent and the soundtrack is as silly as usual. The sets and locations are okay and slightly more realistic than in the first film, but they still carry an amateur quality. In a similar vein, the editing is not glaringly horrible, but it’s not particularly professional either. Scenes are sometimes cut off abruptly while other scenes seem to drag on too long. In short, the production of The Journey Continues does not commit egregious errors, but it also does nothing to promote professionalism.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
In many ways, The Journey Continues is just a redux of the first WWJD film, just with fewer characters. John Schneider is still a drifter who spouts wisdom to those in need of it. There’s a different struggling pastor who wants to make a difference in his city. There’s other troublemaking characters who change their ways in the end. The Journey Continues is slightly more concise in its delivery, but still not very compelling. The premise is less absurd and the ideas are less obvious, but that doesn’t make it an interesting plot. The characters are slightly accessible and not so outrageously stereotypical, but this doesn’t make the movie a winner. Dialogue is sometimes strained, like the writers are searching for something interesting to have the characters say. The issues presented are smile-worthy, but not terribly compelling. One particular subplot is intriguing and keeps this portion from being zero points; it would have been nice to see this subplot expanded upon and given more thought. Overall, the plot feels more down to earth than the first installment, but it’s still not very watchable.
Acting Quality (.5 point)
In the first film, it was John Schneider and a bunch of poorly coached amateur actors and actresses. In the second film, it’s John Schneider and some slightly better coached actors and actresses. However, the same issues as before tend to trip them up: strained line delivery and either muted or overdone emotional delivery. There is some better acting than not that keeps the score above water, but once again, there is just not much good to say here.
Conclusion
There really isn’t that much to work with here. The Journey Continues feels like a sequel for the sake of sequels. It would be one thing if this were the first movie in the series, but since it’s boring and empty compared to laughable, it easily gets lost in the shuffle and really comes out no better for it. Whatever the WWJD Trilogy is trying to accomplish is beyond us, but it certainly does plenty to further hurt the name of Christian film. When it boils down to it, there is really no purpose to either of the first two films in this trilogy—unfortunately, neither one is going to reach anyone, Christian or non-Christian, due to low quality. Wouldn’t it have been better to, instead of make three films, pool financial resources to make one truly great film that could have made a lasting difference? These are the types of questions Christian film makers need to ask themselves before charging ahead with more low quality films that waste everyone’s time.
After a twist of fate throws a collection of strangers together, trapped in a Thailand resort during a storm, strange things begin to happen. A wanted international criminal and his sidekick and wife, the two owners of the resort, and a ‘drug enforcement’ agent are all faced with the reality of their lives as they meet Jesus Christ face to face. They are all forced to ruminate on the choices they have made in the past in order to determine how they are going to move forward. Will they cling to their bitterness, rage, and vices, or will they turn to Jesus and accept the free gift He offers to each one of them, regardless of their pasts?
Production Quality (2 points)
In a change from the norm, The Encounter 2: Paradise Lost boasts above-average production quality. The camera work is professionally presented and the video quality is better than not. The audio quality is consistent across the board. The sets and locations are diverse and fairly realistic, with a few exceptions. The surroundings have an interesting feel, but it seems like more could have been done here, especially since many scenes seem borrowed from Escape. On the down side, David A. R. White brings with him to this film a cheesy action feel that includes waste-of-time sequences and unrealistic elements. Furthermore, the editing of Encounter 2 is all off. The film begins with a time lapse presentation and then randomly abandons it. The passage of time in general is hard to follow and a lot of content is crammed into a small window of opportunity that is squeezed out by philosophical monologues and unrealistic fight scenes. But in the end, this is definitely an improvement for PureFlix and shows what they can do, even though it also shows what they could be doing better.
Plot and Storyline Quality (2 points)
As mentioned before, too much is shoved into the nearly 110-minute runtime, thus isolating the important aspects. The few main characters that are presented are given a lot of screen time, yet by the end, we only see half of them. By the end of the film that focuses on the struggles of five key characters through the use of flashbacks and philosophical dialogue, we should feel like they are real people, but this is not completely true of this film’s core characters. There’s nothing wrong with having a small cast of characters, but they need to be deep, complex, and realistic. The Encounter 2 doesn’t make it all the way on this front. Yet there are many interesting and creative elements to this storyline. The flashbacks, as mentioned, are a good touch. The issues presented are believable, but some of the ‘solutions’ to the issues are not. Some ambiguity exists in the plot, but not enough. Bruce Marciano’s philosophical monologues are better this time around, but they still can become draining. The spiritual elements that underlie the plot are very intriguing and commendable, but the totally-not-obvious Satan character is over the top. In the end, the plot of The Encounter 2 is a mixed bag with a creative ending, but it doesn’t do quite enough to lift this film out of average-ness.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
Robert Miano demonstrates in this film that he has the ability to be an excellent villain, which does not explain why he acted so mysterious and lofty in his Biblical roles, The Book of Esther and The Book of Daniel. Yet Miano is the best actor in this cast. Bruce Marciano is always fine, but at some point, his roles become extremely predictable. Elsewhere, David A. R. White is his usual cheesy action hero self and other actors and actresses either overplay or underplay emotions. Line delivery is overall inconsistent, but costuming is fine. Overall, the acting work is just average.
Conclusion
The Encounter 2: Paradise Lost is a huge improvement on The Encounter. The creative idea of having Jesus show up in the flesh in the middle of a hostage situation is very commendable. The psychological\spiritual elements throughout are also noteworthy. But this film is tripped up by its large amount of content and low amount of overall quality. The plot is spread too thin and the characters are too shallow for the time spent on them. In the end, this is an enjoyable film, but it’s also another one of those frustrating movies that we wish could be remade.
Richie Chaplin is a mess. He’s struggling to convey meaning in his pastoral ministry. His wife has separate from him due to his depression and sleepwalking, taking their three children with her. His two younger children don’t even know who he is. His older daughter is messing around with a boy. Basically, Richie doesn’t want to be himself anymore. He wants somebody else’s life because his life stinks. He’s forgotten the original purpose God created him for, so he’s about to embark on a wild journey outside of his control to remind him why he is living the life he is living. In the end, he will have to decide whether or not he likes the life God has given him or if he is going to make one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
Production Quality (1 point)
To their credit, at least PureFlix invested in better camera quality than usual for this film. The sound quality is also fine, but these are the only positive aspects of the production of Me Again. Throughout this zany drug trip into the creative faculties of David A. R. White and Tommy Blaze, the camera angles can get dizzying, confusing, and downright amateurish in their attempt to be dramatic or comedic. Cheesy horror effects are inserted randomly and out of context. Low-quality special effects are overused and invasive. The surroundings are painfully obviously reused from Marriage Retreat, suggesting that this movie was borne out of that film’s B-rolls. Finally, all editing sense is thrown out the window as the plot tosses hither and fro with no system or consistency, like they’re just throwing stuff up against the wall to see what happens. Overall, Me Again feels like an experimental film that either accidentally got released or was released to try to glean desperately needed funds. Either way, it doesn’t work.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
Few screenwriters venture to create a psychological comedy, and Me Again may stand as a testament as to why. The plot of this film is extremely hard to nail down. After watching an unusual sequence on television two nights in a row, David A. R. White is suddenly transported into an alternate universe in which he gets to become a random rich guy, a model he saw on TV, a goldfish (?!?!), an infant, a housemaid, the teenage boy trying to date his daughter, and finally his own wife. The only real explanations that are offered for this potentially interesting psychological journey are vague and trite inspirational quotes from an offbeat angel character he should have already known about (more on that shortly). The leaps from one impersonation to the next are not only painfully horrible at trying to be funny, but also leave no room for real character development. The dialogue is horrifically childish and often feels adlibbed and impromptu. Yet somewhere in the midst of histrionic displays from A. R. White, including a fake (or not) heart attack, a purposeful makeup disaster, voiceovers for a goldfish and an infant, generally idiotic behavior, self-parodies, and an epic conversation with himself in the alternate universe (perhaps his acting dream), there is some interesting meaning hidden here. If someone was able to ‘walk in someone else’s shoes’, then they would view life a lot differently. But this potential meaning is covered up due to time wasted on downright stupidity. This goes without saying that, in keeping with usual White themes, everything is too black and white. ‘Good’ characters are obviously perfect and wise while ‘bad’ characters are complete over the top strawmen, bringing more disgrace to how people think Christians view ‘worldly’ people. Also, solutions to problem are far too easy, trite, and shallow, and offer no real help for people struggling with the real issues presented.
But perhaps the worst element of this entire plot is found in the unusual sepia tone flashback prologue and epilogue. It’s so devastating that it warrants a Box Office Revolution first: a separate paragraph of discussion. The prologue and epilogue are presumably supposed to depict Richie and his wife as childhood sweethearts drinking honeysuckle tea (whatever that is). The epilogue completely undermines the purpose of the plot and suggests that it’s all one big joke. Either that or PureFlix is full of incompetence (probably a little of both). Richie’s wife, as a girl, tells him that she knows they’ll be married one day because the specific angel he later sees on television and has a conversation with in the midst of his psychological adventure told her so. If this is the case, then he should have known what was happening when he recognized the name of the angel. Another alternative possibility is that the entire middle of the movie is just part of the girl’s dream, which suggests that the entire movie is useless. Whatever the case is, this plot is so slipshod and incompetent that we can’t make heads or tails of it. All we know is that it’s an experience we’ll both never forget and never wish to repeat.
Acting Quality (0 points)
As usual, the Whites and their comrades have no restraint or direction in their acting but are content to blurt out lines in ‘funny’ fashions and lazily act their way through another cheap movie full of one-take scenes and adlib behavior. No emotional meaning can be felt here because the acting is so absurd, especially David A. R. White’s zany impersonations of other characters and Tommy Blaze’s generally bizarre behavior. In short, another zero point acting job is business as usual for PureFlix.
Conclusion
If anything was accomplished through this unique experience, it was that a movie like this has never been made before and should never be made again. Unfortunately, any attempt at deeper meaning is so shallow that’s easily washed over with a tide of absurdity. Many elements of this movie seem to suggest that the Whites and company have no grasp on the real world, as they treat important issues too lightly and portray people has completely good or completely bad. It seems like the only purpose of Me Again is to make fun of everything, including themselves, and to waste another good idea. The one merit PureFlix has is an acceptance of creating different types of movies, but in most cases, like this one, they ruin the reputation of Christian movies in unique genres. This is not to mention the fact that Me Again is just another film that makes the name ‘Christian film’ more of a laughingstock. At some point, the creation of this type of nonsense must end and Christian filmmakers must get serious about generating quality content if we are ever going to make a true difference.
Two years after the Rapture, the enigmatic Josh McManus has a mission to do good and to right wrongs, even when it seems like evil is winning. His latest mission takes him to a strict and legalistic settlement that tolerates no crime in order to gain medical attention for an injured girl. In exchange for both of their lives, Josh must carry out a dangerous mission: search for a mysterious and troublemaking vagrant known as the Shepherd and bring him back so the settlement leader, Drake, can exchange him to his superiors for more life saving supplies. In route to searching for the Shepherd, Josh and his unwanted tagalong, Sofia, must battle multiple villains and come to grips with what they truly believe about Jesus and His plan for the world.
Production Quality (2 points)
Despite previous production struggles, Bradley Dorsey and Gabriel Sabloff have greatly improved this franchise. The camera work improves dramatically in The Black Rider, as does the sound quality. The surroundings and sets are innovative and creative. Gone are ridiculous special effects, including that weird lightning! This would have been a stellar production were in not for a collection of small issues—no doubt White influences. For example, the CGI that is used is very amateurish. Action scenes are overall not produced well, and there are too many of them, which is an editing problem. The scope of the plot is so vast that precious time does not need to be wasted on silly fight scenes. Yet these such portions squeezed out the deepening of plot creativity. Nonetheless, this is the type of production that Pureflix has been trying to stab in the dark for years.
Plot and Storyline Quality (2 points)
The abysmal non-plot of The Beginning of the End seems like a distant memory after viewing The Black Rider. There is a unique psychological edge to this plot and creative concepts that give the film deeper meaning beyond car chases and gunfights. An entire new cast of characters is introduced, and it actually works. A new world is introduced two years after The Sea of Glass and Fire, and it’s better than before. But this new world is a double-edged sword—it’s too big for the scope of this film. If more of this world had been explained in The Sea of Glass and Fire, we would have a framework to understand, but this did not happen. Foreign plot devices such as the ominous ULC are forced upon viewers without explanation. However, the city-state government system works well in this apocalyptic setting and gives the movie that epic backdrop David A. R. White has been searching for. Moreover, there are other speculative concepts that are introduced and not fully explained. Yet the gospel message is philosophically communicated far better than ever before in a Pureflix movie, and all without forcing the message down the audience’s throats. There is unfortunately still wasted time on childish fighting scenes. The escapades of Josh McManus, a surprisingly good character, border on unrealistic and sometimes coincidental. Some of the many villains in this movie are laughable, while others are believable. Each character is crafted through mostly effective dialogue. The ending of this plot is also a double-edged sword: it both introduces a key psychological element and confuses the audience. It both isolates the viewer and makes them want more. Any further discussion is beyond the scope of this review, but the bottom line is Dorsey and Sabloff really have something going here, something that needs to be continued.
Acting Quality (2 points)
Hands down, The Black Rider is David A. R. White’s best acting work to date. Bradley Dorsey also contributes an excellent role to the film, perhaps his best. Unfortunately, there is still some cheesy acting from certain cast members. Kevin Sorbo in a thrift store disaster getup and sporting a fake insert-ethnicity-here accent is just too much to bear. Action acting is still B-grade. Other small issues plague an otherwise great casting job, such as that dumb sheet the Shepherd wears. Otherwise, costuming is fairly responsible. Line delivery is sometimes effective and sometimes forced. Emotions are mostly believable. In short, everything about this film is give and take: for every cheesy element, there is an excellent element, and vice versa.
Conclusion
The Revelation Road saga is a cinematic freak of nature—a film franchise with a redemption arc of its own that closely mirrors the rise of Josh McManus, the surprising crowning achievement of David A. R. White’s acting career. Nonetheless, The Black Rider is a constant tug of war between the C-grade action of The Beginning of the End and the psychological creativity of The Sea of Glass and Fire. The third installment suffers from the wasted time of the first two installments, where this time could have been used to build a better backstory instead of shoving in all into one movie, intending to fix a broken series in one stroke. But The Black Rider is proof that broken sagas can be fixed. Therefore, we are surprisingly anticipating the release of Revelation Road 4.
After witnessing the Rapture, Josh McManus sets out on the road trip of his life to discover the whereabouts of his family, whom he is unable to contact. But making the trek back won’t be easy with a crazed biker gang on his tail, bent on revenge for how he stole their pride. Josh is joined by Beth, whose grandparents were taken in the Rapture. As they travel across the desert, navigating the strange new world they live in, Josh will have to come to grips with who he really is and what he has done in the past. Not only him, but Hawg will also have to reconcile with the person he has become. On a collision course, Josh and Hawg will both have to determine how they are going to change who they are.
Production Quality (1 point)
Believe it or not, production quality improves from the first series installment to the second. Video quality remains the same, but sound quality also improves. Special effects are used more responsibly. The weird lightning is still there, but it’s a step in the right direction. The camera work is strange at times, but not nearly as bad as the first film. The editing is still a work in progress, but there seems to be more effort put into this installment. Overall, that’s the story of Revelation Road 2—the thought is there, but the execution is only half there.
Plot and Storyline Quality (2 points)
The Beginning of the End was obviously driving to something, as that non-plot continually delayed the inevitable next film. Thankfully, that something was actually worth waiting for. Who knew that Pureflix would begin using flashbacks to develop characters? Since when do the Whites and company create character backstories? Stranger things do happen, and they happened in The Sea of Glass and Fire (whatever that title’s supposed to mean). The core idea behind Josh’s character is very innovative, and seemingly beyond the reaches of the Pureflix creative realm. Even Hawg is turned into a somewhat believable villain through flashbacks. And Cat…oh wait, never mind. But pitfalls still exist in this film—mindless violence rivals B-grade Hollywood action flicks and time fillers litter the plot. Dialogue is better in the flashbacks than in the present plot. The ending inevitably leads to another film, but we have to wonder if this is really necessary at this point. Overall, this plot is a huge step in the right direction, but there is still work to be done.
Acting Quality (1 point)
Mostly due to the flashbacks, the acting slightly improves from the previous movie. This is probably the best David A. R. White, Andrea Logan White, and Brian Bosworth will get when it comes to action acting. Line delivery and emotional delivery are blasé, making this an overall underwhelming cast performance. But hey, they got one point!
Conclusion
Revelation Road 2 is one of the rare Pureflix movies that really had something, but never found it. The overarching idea behind the series, if you ignore the strange eschatology, is very creative and breaks genre barriers in Christian film. Yet under all of this is a sad storyline, and this is the fact that four points is a monumental accomplishment for this creative team. The Sea of Glass and Fire stands as an example of how good even this crew can be when they put their minds to it, but it also makes us hunger for more. Unfortunately, that more is probably not going to happen, if history is any indication. Basically, if this idea were put into the hands of another team, it would have been Hall of Fame and beyond.
Josh McManus is a confused man. As a traveling self-defense product salesman, he is used to meeting new people on a daily basis, but he is not comfortable with the secret man inside of him. While travelling across the western America desert, strange things start to happen. Pursued by mysterious biker villains and plagued by weather anomalies and electrical failures, he is finally forced to face off with his pursuers. Hawg is a troubled biker gang leader with an agenda to take over random small towns in the western United States. His disgruntled mentality tends to cause discontent in his gang, but they ride on, bent on destroying the mysterious Josh McManus. All of the characters involved must not only come to grips with who they are, but with the strangely changing world around them.
Production Quality (.5 point)
Where to begin? Let’s start with the positive. The only reason this film’s production is not zero points is because there is at least clear video quality. Otherwise, there is nothing good to discuss. The camera work is obnoxious, with random dizzying cuts and zooms for faux-dramatic effect. To ‘enhance’ action sequences, the camera jerks all around, getting weirdly close to important characters. While we’re on the topic of action scenes, they are either very poorly executed or far too long, eating up huge chunks of the movie’s runtime. Watching a David A. R. White action scene is usually dizzying, and Revelation Road is no exception. Speaking of dizzying, the sheer overuse of special effects in this movie makes us wonder if it’s safe for epileptic viewers to watch. Topping things of, the soundtrack is deplorable. Therefore, as you can see, this is another horrific Pureflix production.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
With this movie packed so chock full with useless action sequences that add nothing to its overall purpose, whatever that is, actual plot depth is squeezed out of the picture. The intended plot can be summed up in a nutshell: random guy drives to a random desert town to sell self-defense gear (does anybody really do that?) and gets caught in the middle of a store holdup, uses secret military training to defeat mindless biker villains, hangs out with the store owner and his family, observe strange weather anomalies with eccentric local policemen, calls his worried wife about stuff, plays vigilante with local deadbeats, and observes a strange ‘rapture’ from a local motel. Elsewhere, we are shown the life and times of a bizarre desert biker gang led by a grunting leader and his sidekick, plus Andrea Logan White in a makeup disaster. No character development occurs as the ‘plot’ jumps from one explosion and gunfight to the next. Dialogue has a typical cheesy, off-the-wall Pureflix feel. We are unsure what is trying to be communicated here except for another offbeat Christian apocalyptic concept. This movie might as well be a commercial for the next one, as it delays the viewers any real substance for over ninety wasted minutes. Finally, the ending is extremely confusing and isolating. In short, Revelation Road is the story of the White action films: toss out convention and common sense and exchange it for cheaply constructed action sequences.
Acting Quality (0 points)
What more is there to say that hasn’t already been said? With the same old Pureflix actors and actresses recycled in the Revelation Road saga, their acting skills do not improve. When a collection of cast members is kept in such a bubble, there is no reason for them to improve when there is no constructive criticism or filter. Through this film, emotions are forced and unbelievable. Action scenes are sloppily acted and line delivery is lazy. Unfortunately, there is nothing unique or surprising from this cast.
Conclusion
We promise we are really not out on some kind of Pureflix warpath, but when a company so consistently generates such low quality and bizarre content in the name of Christianity, they must be called out. Revelation Road may be the pinnacle of the Whites’ action movie career. It involves every possible element of a C-grade action flick. With creations like this, only two conclusions can be determined: either Pureflix does not know how to make a good movie or they do not care to make a good movie. Apocalyptic movies are usually bad enough, but this motorcycle madness takes things to a whole new level. The end result is just another ridiculous Pureflix creation.
Taken from their cherished hometown Jerusalem as young men, Daniel and his three friends must learn to navigate their new culture, Babylon, without compromising their Jewish faith. Even when it appears as though all hope is lost, Yahweh continues to give Daniel and his friends opportunities to influence their own captors for the better. As Daniel’s life progressed, he was given more and more chances to influence world politics by simply serving and obeying Yahweh. The life of Daniel is one that can be modeled by Christians of all generations and cultures.
Production Quality (.5 point)
Unfortunately, The Book of Daniel falls into the infamous Biblical film traps when it comes to production. The sets and costuming scream church play and demonstrate a severely limited budget combined with lack of attention to historical authenticity. There are no outside sequences, except for one, that are not replaced with extremely obvious CGI. There are also some annoying special effects. For what it’s worth, the camera work is not horrible and the editing is passable, even though the story is very choppy. In summary, PureFlix Bible productions leave much to be desired.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
It is commendable to cover all the stories in the Biblical book of Daniel in one movie and to transpose it with Daniel’s God-given influence over historical monarchs. But in this pursuit, the viewer gets lost in a very disjointed storyline. There is simply too much content and not enough character development. We at Box Office Revolution continually wonder why Biblical characters always have to be portrayed in the movies as inhuman and lofty—they were regular people! The dialogue of The Book of Daniel also reminds one of a poorly written church play, very robotic. The bottom line is that while there was a mountain of potential to be found in this sort of plot, it was never unearthed. We are only left with a pathetic attempt.
Acting Quality (1 point)
While the acting is not glaringly bad, it is overly theatrical and overly practiced. There are little to no emotions expressed. Again, it gives off the impression that Bible characters were not real people, but like talking wax figures. We believe that if these actors had been afforded better lines and better coaching, something more could have materialized. But alas, we are once again left wondering what could have been.
Conclusion
Bible movies need to be made, but not like this. So many audiences need to know what is in the Bible, but films like The Book of Daniel only serve to further turn people off, making them think that the Scriptures are boring and full of inaccessible characters we can’t relate to and fantastical events that will never happen again. The truth is, nothing could be more of a lie. The Bible has many historical and realistic narratives full of flawed and believable characters that need to be depicted on the big screen properly. We look forward to the day when this will happen.
Stuck in a long line of pastoral succession at a megachurch headed by the popular Johnny Kingman, James White is desperate to make his mark and to stand out from the crowd. But doing so only gets him into further trouble. After nearly ruining a children’s Sunday school class and an expensive painting and disrupting a church service, Kingman send James on a probation to pastor a struggling church in Atlanta. So James, his wife Lily, and their two children make a cross-country move to the Peach State and find themselves thrust into a multicultural world they have never before experienced. Not only must James find a way to save the struggling church, but he must come to grips with the fact that he is not invincible and must rely on God and his family for help.
Production Quality (1.5 points)
Compared to other PureFlix productions, Brother White is not horrible. It actually has a lot of potential. The camera work is pretty good, as is the video quality. However, the sound quality is inconsistent and some outside scenes are covered up with musical montages. The editing is decent, but the sets and locations are obviously cheap. There are some slight excuses for this, but it still could have been better. Probably the worst production element is pretending like certain characters are singing when they are obviously not. In short, the production of Brother White is just average—neither horrible nor dynamic. There was a lot of potential here that was not brought to the surface.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1.5 points)
Unlike many PureFlix plots, Brother White is slightly interesting. Exploring racial relations by inserting an affluent white (White?) family into a predominantly African-American church has a lot of potential, if stereotypes are avoided. For the most part, they are. There is plenty of satire in Brother White that is actually funny, such as tongue-in-cheek swipes at prosperity gospel churches. But there are also elements that are just trying too hard. Too much comedy falls flat and some lines leave you scratching your head. There are plot holes that are glossed over and some humor is way too obvious, such as the name ‘Lily White’. The plot boils down to a simplistic save the farm storyline and seems to lose its original purpose in the end. James’ character arc is commendable, but the whole movie just leaves you wanting more substance. In short, Brother White is not so awful that it’s unwatchable, but it’s also frustrating to watch because there was obviously a lot of creativity left untapped.
Acting Quality (1 point)
Though this is probably David A. R. White’s best lead role, it still leaves much to be desired. The presence of more professional actors in this cast keeps it from sinking to the depths of most PureFlix casts. However, there is still a lack of acting coaching. Were all the actors up to par, this movie would have improved.
Conclusion
This is probably the closest the Whites and Tommy Blaze will ever get to true comedy. But were this plot in different hands, we can’t help but feel it could have been Hall of Fame worthy. It contains a unique plot on a good topic and as it is, has some humorous elements. In the end, Brother White is the highest rated White comedy and unfortunately, it is hard to believe that it will get any better than this.
Ethan, Catherine, Luke, Ryder, and Alexandria, friends through college, have finally reaches graduation and are ready to go out and change the world. However, the world they find outside of the college classroom is not the one they anticipated. Catherine and Luke seem to be following their lives’ purposes when they embark to serve the Lord in India. Catherine and Ryder are set on making an impact in the business world. Ethan feels stuck working for his lonely father’s restaurant, even though he dreams of going to graduate school. Each person has a different path to follow and each friend must discover God’s purpose for their lives.
Production Quality (2 points)
Unlike most PureFlix distributed films, This is Our Time has good production elements. The camera work and video quality are both pretty good. The sound quality is inconsistent at times. The sets and locations are pretty good, considering the story takes place in America and India. The editing is unfortunately sub-par; there are too many scenes that appear to be filler. Some events take place off screen and confuse the viewer. Overall, This is Our Time has a pretty good production effort, but it is not quite there yet.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1.5 points)
This is Our Time has a very unique plot structure that is not typical to most inspirational plots. Usually, when more than three subplots are crammed together in a movie, it comes off as choppy, but in this instance, it works fairly well since the subplots are all related to characters who graduated together. The topics discussed in the film are accessible to average viewers. There are some interesting twists throughout the film. However, there are just too many negative factors in this plot. Some situations are very trumped up and contrived. Most of the dialogue is empty and thus, the characters are left wanting. The worst part is that it didn’t have to be this way—we feel that Lisa Arnold has more potential than this. There are several important messages in this film that are lost due its low quality. In short, we believe that a larger, more dedicated crew would have greatly improved this movie.
Acting Quality (.5 point)
This cast had potential, but they are obviously not coached well. A lot of the line delivery is very forced and the emotions are not believable. Once again, we believe that it didn’t have to be this way. There was simply too much left on the proverbial field.
Conclusion
This is Our Time joins a collection of Christian films that desperately needed a rewrite and\or a redo. Had Lisa Arnold had a better team surrounding her in the production of this movie, it could have reached its full potential. Quality control is the real issue here—the tools are there, but they are not placed in the right hands. In the future, we hope to see Lisa Arnold recruit people who can help bring her intriguing plots to life.
While driving to her destination wedding location in the Hamptons, Dr. Lisa Leland has an unfortunate run-in with the local law enforcement of Normal, Louisiana. Due to her new speeding ticket and unpaid parking tickets, a local judge decides to give Lisa a choice between community service or jail time. Lisa chooses community service and finds herself as the new town doctor. While begrudgingly performing her duties, Lisa clashes with the town lawyer, who is in the middle of a heated legal battle. Finally forced to slow down in her fast-paced life, Lisa realizes there is more to her existence than just making money.
Production Quality (1.5 points)
The production quality of Finding Normal is better than usual, but it is still only average. The camera work is passable, as are the video and sound qualities. The sets and locations are limited and seem cheap. The editing is all right, but there is not really much to work with. Overall, Normal is a step above other PureFlix movies that contain glaring errors, probably since it was made for TV, but it is still not as good as it should be, knowing how much funding PureFlix has available to them.
Plot and Storyline Quality (0 points)
The plot content is really where this movie takes a nosedive. For starters, it is a typical small town hostage plot in which a big city character gets stuck in a small town with every cliché imaginable: little to no cell phone coverage, a local judge with an agenda, a police officer that pulls over newcomers, a small church with typical church events, a predictable town event, and even fishing. Besides this, the storyline is trumped up and inaccurate—local jurisdictions cannot enforce parking tickets in other states. It is a stretch to believe that being a doctor could count as community service. In other news, an unrealistic religious freedom case is inserted into the film, along with some save the farm plot elements. In the wake of this nonsense, the characters are empty and the dialogue is painful. The ending makes little to no sense—the whole movie seems like it was forced to happen. Unfortunately, there is nothing good to say here.
Acting Quality (1 point)
The acting is not as bad as it could be, but it is also not as good as it could be. Candace Cameron Bure is average at best. The surrounding cast tries too hard to have a ‘small-town feel’. Overall, there is nothing dynamic enough here to warrant any more points.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that this type of movie has been done before, too many times. There is nothing new about a big city character getting stuck in a backwards small town and being forced to slow down their fast-paced life. When these types of movies are being pitched, creators need to be challenged to change it up and do something that hasn’t been done before, even something slightly different. Christian films are already too replete with mediocre nonsense and we certainly do not need anymore. We implore Christian film distributors everywhere to use the funding they have to make one truly dynamic movie, one that can change cultures, not five more that will be forgotten in a few years.
Following the banishment of Queen Vashti from the royalty of Medo-Persia, King Xerses, lonely and confused, takes the advice of his closest advisors and decrees that all the young women be brought to him, given beauty treatments, and then displayed before him so that he can choose a new queen from among them. Among them is a Jewish girl, Hadassah, who had been admonished by her cousin Mordecai to hide her cultural identity from those in the palace. Against all odds, she is chosen to succeed Queen Vashti, just as the wicked advisor Haman is plotting to destroy the Jewish people from the face of the earth. Queen Esther must decide that she must live up to the calling God has put in front of her in order to save an entire race from extinction.
Production Quality (.5 point)
The Book of Esther commits every Biblical movie error in every category, beginning with production. The sets and costuming are very cheap, like this is a children’s church play. It would be one thing if PureFlix did not have the funding to put on a better production, but this is not the case. The camera work and video quality are passable, but the sound quality is very inconsistent. There is really nothing to comment on regarding the editing, either good or bad. In short, the first rule of Bible movies is to create a realistic and high quality setting, including backgrounds, sets, props, and costumes. The Book of Esther does none of this.
Plot and Storyline Quality (-1 points)
The story of Esther is overused in movies, probably because it is easy to replicate and the plot suits most audiences. But this film is not even a good adaptation—it misrepresents Biblical and historical events and includes unnecessary parts. It seems like the viewer is being insulted and being treated like a child in a bad Sunday school class. The film contains ridiculous over the top characters, more so than usual for a Bible film. The dialogue is overly dramatic, like most Scripture screenplays. There are also creepy undertones and insinuations regarding Haman and his eunuch. A lot of content takes place off screen and this plot generally has no real potential and is even offensive is some ways, thus warranting negative points.
Acting Quality (.5 point)
As a whole, line delivery is horrible and emotion is absent. The acting is either absurd or too theatrical. The only exception is some small acting potential from Joel Smallbone and Jen Lilley, as their talents seem to be wasted on this nonsense. Otherwise, there is unfortunately nothing positive to say.
Conclusion
Needless to say, The Book of Esther is another ruined Bible movie. The audience will learn nothing worthwhile from it except that they probably don’t want to watch anymore films based on Scripture. This movie is the embodiment of why Box Office Revolution feels the need to speak out for quality Christian films and against low quality ones. It feels like PureFlix isn’t even trying when they make movies like this, which further warrants a very low score.
After a negative turn of events in his life, Nathan Burr begins to search for meaning in life. Recalling his younger years of living with foster parents, he decides he needs to search out his birth mother, who he has never met. His search takes him to a mysterious hotel where he finds surprising wisdom from the hotel’s aging maid. But he also finds more questions than answers. Linda Dickson is a social worker who has guarded a terrible secret all her life. That’s why she jumps at the chance to help a girl escape from a domestic violence situation. Little does she know that her world is about to be changed forever.
Production Quality (2 points)
Starting off, the limited budget of Meant to Be must be accounted for. The sets are pretty good; the video and sound quality are great. The camera work tends to be a little too artistic at times, but it seems to work well more than not. The biggest error here is the confusing editing. Some scenes seem to cut too quickly and some seem to drag on too long. This is likely due to the low amount of plot content, but it is overall produced fairly well.
Plot and Storyline Quality (2 points)
As mentioned, the plot is very limited in scope when it could have been very broad. There are really only two and half subplots, but it didn’t have to be that way. Some movies have little room to work, but this one had a mansion. Though there are few characters, they seem unfinished. The dialogue is inconsistent. At first, this plot doesn’t seem sustainable at all. But more than halfway through the film—if you stick it out—Bradley Dorsey introduces a huge twist that completely changes the audience’s outlook. This is perhaps the best twist ever in the PureFlix movie. It makes up for a lot of the movie’s errors, but it also shows just how far the movie could have gone. Nonetheless, the twist is genius and makes it worth watching.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
Unfortunately, the average to poor acting quality also detracts from Meant to Be’s creative premise. Some of the actors show great potential with better coaching. Dean Cain seemed like an unnecessary addition to the cast. Overall, the acting has a lot of potential that was not tapped.
Conclusion
This movie had a mountain of potential—it could have been a nearly perfect film. It does receive an x-factor point for presenting an important social issue in a very unique and creative way. We desperately want this movie to be remade, or least the idea to be allowed to be used in a different movie, one with more and better characters, a more complex plot, and better actors. Bradley Dorsey show great potential as a movie maker, and we anticipate his future films. He needs a better crew to surround him and to support him in his excellent ideas. He has a corner on the Christian psychological thriller market if he takes the chance.
Paul Tyson’s internet security business is successful, but his colleagues are calling for more. A larger company wants to use his business’ skills and talents for their own purposes through a buyout deal. In charge of the transition process is Julia, a seemingly desperate woman with a questionable agenda. Distracted by Julia and the business deal, Paul continues to put off preparing for his pending vow renewal ceremony with Beth, his wife of many years. In the end, Paul must grapple with what is really important in his life—business convenience or his marriage.
Production Quality (1 point)
In the past two years, PureFlix has improved somewhat in their production quality; some movies are better than others. The camera work of Redeemed is fine, but the sets aren’t very diverse. The editing is very poor, which is not something that should occur in a plot that is out of order like the plot of Redeemed is. Scenes cut back and forth too fast, isolating the audience. Overall, the final cut of Redeemed seems like a rough draft rather than a finished product.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
Building a strong marriage is a very important topic to depict in a Christian movie, but Redeemed only further confuses and almost ruins it. Along with the inappropriate and suggestive content throughout, all of the wrong elements are focused on. Besides this, all of the characters are caricatures, built on cringe-worthy dialogue. Julia is a ridiculous unintentional parody, as is Beth. So much of the plot is full of wasted time, and some of the characters seem un-genuine. None of them are believable. In short, the only good thing here is the idea that was ruined.
Acting Quality (0 points)
This is perhaps one of the worst cast movies of all time. Ted McGinley and Teri Copley are awkward in their roles as supposed parents of young children. Kevin Downes’ character and acting are both grating. Some of the characters that are intended to be Brazilian do not seem to fit the bill. In other words, there are no positive elements here.
Conclusion
Tommy Blaze’s self-proclaimed expertise is comedy, so Redeemed is a departure for him. Therefore, what unintentionally happened is that he ended up making a mockery of an otherwise important topic. The idea behind this plot has potential, but this plot and this cast should have been thrown out in the early stages of production. Box Office Revolution knows that PureFlix is no longer lacking in the funding department, but they are still not using money wisely. Better luck next time.
Pastor Matthew has almost forgotten why he believes what he believes. His spiritual life is stagnant and he wonders why he is even a pastor, until one day he when he encounters an eccentric man on the side of the road carrying a cross. The man asks him if he truly believes in the cross he preaches about. This prompts Matthew to alter his approach to ministry by assisting a homeless pregnant girl and by learning more about the lives of his congregants. Outside of his realm of influence, events begin to take place that indirectly affect him and the people of his church. They are all headed for an unexpected collision and are forced to truly look at the lives they are living—what do they truly believe?
Production Quality (2.5 points)
In the same vein of God’s Not Dead, the production of Do You Believe is an improvement over previous PureFlix installments. The camera work is good; several difficult action scenes are portrayed well. The sets are realistic and diverse. Audio quality is also good and the soundtrack is respectable. There is not too much wasted time in the movie, but the editing is not the greatest. However, this is most likely due to the high amount of plot content.
Plot and Storyline Quality (1.5 points)
There are a lot of well-meaning intentions in the plot of Do You Believe. There are a lot of good stories, but like God’s Not Dead, they are all crammed together, thus making it hard to focus on one or for each one to develop as they should. There are more subplots in Do You Believe, and a handful of them are unnecessary and stereotypical. There is also too much narration that replaces the value of developing a plot. Due to the large amount of content, most of the characters are reduced to stereotypes and are therefore not accessible. What would have greatly improved this movie would have been to start at Do You Believe’s climax and then work backward by integrating the past and the present. As it is, a lot is left on the field.
Acting Quality (1.5 points)
Some actors are professional, while others seem unrealistic in delivery. The cast is very diverse, which is a plus. It is possible that the many characters crowded out the scene and did not give actors enough time to work through their characters, but it is also possible that not enough acting coaching was employed in Do You Believe.
Conclusion
Do You Believe has an excellent message, but it is too issues-based. The better production quality and the action sequences do hold the attention of the target audience, but the movie is not as good as it could be. There is plenty of potential with some of the better story lines, but they are drowned out by too much content. It is noble that the creators wanted to address a lot of important issues in a Christian movie, but the point may be lost. In the end, it will be interesting to see how this PureFlix saga plays out in the future.
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 