Title: Courageous
Director: Alex Kendrick
Starring: Alex Kendrick, Ken Bevel, Ben Davies, Kevin Downes, Robert Amaya
Courageous is a religious genre flick with some edge to it. Naturally there’s reflection within the dialogue but there’s also solid comedy and a few intense action sequences; all which mesh perfectly in this 130 spiritual telling.
The story centers around five guys – four working as officers for Albany, Georgia Sheriff’s Department – as they go through the rigors of life. The fifth guy, Javier (Robert Amaya), is a struggling construction worker whose only goal is to keep food on the table for his wife & kids. Times are tough for Javier’s family yet they always keep their faith in God. Same goes for the deputies (Alex Kendrick, Ken Bevel, Ben Davies and Kevin Downes) as they bond over the job and their faith in the Lord.
As the audience is brought into their respective lives, each of them are dealing with a variety hardships in which the crew must lean on each other to keep one-another on the righteous path so to speak. Without giving too much away, the hurdles everyone goes through ranges from communicating with their children to coping with the death of a loved one. Moments are set-up where each of them are tested in doing the right thing and the script(ure) shows the rewards and/or hardships stemming from these said choices. No matter what your belief system is, the results of these sequences can make you feel some type of emotion as the performers find the correct tone in all their actions.
What is laid on too thick is the Christ cheerleading. Although this is a genre pic, the chances of reeling in other demographics outside of the niche market this is obviously geared toward may tune some people out. Now genre films are required to throw in an abundance of staple elements one expects. Horror flicks are supposed to have scares and a body count for example. But many of them find a way to balance it out (at least the good ones). Courageous is more concerned about conversion than a balanced tone. That’s not to say that the material isn’t gripping or anything like that; it just would have been nice to showcase a little discretion, since this at times is shot like a documentary. And it’s not like the filmmakers didn’t have more tools to work with (just like Jesus the carpenter).
The comedy segments are hilarious and clever when all the actors are working together. It’s as if the people behind Super Troopers found God but still kept a sense of humor. Even the handfuls of action sequences are intense all things considered. Despite being a “Praise Jesus” feature, the cinematography during the comedy & action are executed as if that was director Alex Kendrick’s specialty. Effortlessly transcending genres behind the scenes doesn’t happen too often in movies these days, as many directors are just a one or two trick pony. And when factoring in that this entire cast is comprised of “unknowns” one should appreciate just how crisp and clean this comes out.
All that being said, the long dragging scenes, that shove the religion down your throat, scream Lifetime Movie of the Week. Watching this is the same as DVR’ing a network drama and watching three or four of them in a row. This is not so much a feature film as it is an ongoing series with multiple subplots that run too close to the main plot of God’s the man. Especially when the whole “Being the best father you can be” angle shines through and the camera showcases each character interacting with their kids. If you’re going to have subplots they need to deviate far enough away from the main theme. Since it didn’t really occur here, the flick seems drawn out like a drunken priest giving a sermon at Christmas mass.
Overall, Courageous is a genre film that could entice audiences outside of the obvious flock it’s geared toward. A decent blend of genres break-up the monotony of God knows what he’s doing stigma. Can the story be overpowering in a bad way? Absolutely. However, if you’re going to put out a message, there is no need to half-ass it. Having top-notch filmmaking and storytelling can guide one through the propaganda.
Technical: B+
Acting: A
Story: C
Overall: B
Review by Joe Belcastro
Well, I have to say I expected that review. It goes with the territory. With all the movies coming out of Hollywood pushing their own agenda, making money and pushing anything they think will pull people in, it is so refreshing to see a movie that pushes true faith to the same volume. It seems a plot is only too thick when it is Christian, as I never heard that about any movie centered around other religions like Buddhism or atheistic principles. However I understand how people may take it. Many don’t realize that some do live a life of service to Christ where this type of Jesus freak talk is actually normal. So many have watered down their faith so much for fear of offending, when someone expresses the their faith this strongly, it appears “shoved down the throat”. But I just have to ask, how many critics complained about too much sex in “Sex in the City”?
I agree with you completely! Does this reviewer not recognize the obvious agenda of Michael Moore? Or what about the agenda of Nobel Peace Prize winning Al Gore? Christians do have an agenda. It is called the Gospel, and that is to share the gift of eternal life that is available through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. What Sherwood Pictures has down so well is demonstrate that the Christian life is normal with day to day ups and downs. Laughter and sadness. But through it all, we never go alone. We Jesus as our constant companion, help, and guide.
I still get a kick out of how a predominantly positive review still has people find the one constructive criticism I make and harp on it. Soul Surfer & Dolphin Tale encompassed messages about faith yet they seamlessly weaved it in. That’s just my preference I guess. Same goes for horror (as I mentioned) action, etc.
And you’re right…I didn’t complain about the sex in Sex and the City. I complained about the whole damn movie haha!
I laughed and cried. http://bit.ly/pM0xDJ
The movie wasn’t designed or intended to be a block buster hit for the reasoning of creating money, on the contrary it was developed to have men stand up to be the fathers they need to be. IF men would do what is necessary according to God’s word the world would be a better place. This movie was used by many many churches as an opportunity for members to invite friends/coworkers and others to view for them to realize the importance of being a Godly father to their children. The movie was well attended, and hopefully will be a strong influence on all that viewed it to become the fathers they need to be. For all of those out there that think us Christians are some sort of freaks, let me offer you this: Suppose you are right and we are wrong, that Jesus Christ is simply a character in history – what have we lost? We live by a set of rules that keep us out of trouble, have friends we see often at church services and help others whenever there is a need – no big loss. Now suppose we are right, what have you lost if you don’t believe – you lose everything.