Christian Movies - Have you seen them? Like them?

[ezeric]

There has been a slew of "Christian" movies come out lately.

I think (personally) that is for the most part a good thing, and that Christians should support them.

Have any of you seen them?

Son of GOD,
Noah,
GOD'S not Dead,

Now the "Heaven is Real" is just out.

I've seen the first 3 already.

Did you? If you did, did you like them?
Do you think Christians should support these flicks?
What about the Noah movie, that was controversial?
Did it offend, or is there still some merit to it?

Thoughts?

-eric

 

[pwbarnes]

My wife and I just saw God's not dead. She liked it. I liked the message and the morality. But I thought the production values were poor. Whoever wrote the script had no concept of what makes good dialogue. All the characters were caricatures rather than real, believable people. The casting of the Muslim father was terrible! He looked like a Islamic devil! Terrible racial profiling.

My biggest hope with movies like these is that they will attract unsaved younger viewers. When I checked out the audience at the showing I attended, everyone was older and there were a couple families.

We need to produce movies that focus on excellence as well as the gospel if we're going to impact the unsaved in this country.

 

[Inkachu]

I haven't seen any of the movies listed in the OP and don't really have any desire to. It's really hard to find "Christian" movies that don't come across as hokey or cheesy or just plain trying too hard. PWBarnes is absolutely right, the quality of the films is just not there. It's like the script writers and directors are too afraid of getting their hands dirty, so to speak, by portraying something REAL rather than something squeaky-clean or feel-good. The storylines are predictable and the characters, as PWBarnes said, come across more like caricatures. It's like, the couples are always good looking and middle-class, the kids are always adorable, the old people are always quaint and cute; you never see the actual nitty gritty of the real world.

There's another "I saw Heaven" type of book coming out right now (sorry, the title escapes me), but there is NO WAY it's a coincidence on the heels of "Heaven Is For Real". People are capitalizing on this stuff and it bothers me greatly.

 

[sunshineforJesus]

I saw Son of God and it really touched my heart.
Gods not dead was really good as well,and I think it will
be a great witnessing tool,since it relates to so many people.

 

[graceandpeace]

I have no desire to see any of those movies, except maybe Noah (which I don't really consider as falling into the typical evangelical "Christian" movie category.)

"Son of God" I just can't go watch. I just literally can't. When you cast a sexy model as Jesus...well, let's just say I wonder what "gospel" is going to leave an impression, if you get what I mean.

"God's Not Dead" looks like a bad tract. A movie that stereotypes atheists & furthers the persecution complex of many evangelicals here in America? No thanks.

"Heaven is for Real" I think is a fraud, but true or not Christian revelation is not historically based on dreams or NDE's & the like. So, I'm sure it will be a mushy gushy movie, sure to leave non-Christians confused about authentic, historical Christian faith.

 

[aiki]

I watched "God's Not Dead" with my wife last night and had mixed feelings about it. I very much appreciated what the movie was trying to do but many elements of the movie left me...uncomfortable. In particular, I quite hated the way the movie ended with Christians all "rockin' out" at a Newsboys concert. Ugh. Talk about ruining any profundity the movie or the Christian worldview might have laid claim to. And this effect was made worse by the movie cutting back and forth between the uproar of the concert and the death scene of one of the movie's main characters. One moment there was the tumult of a pop music concert and the next the quiet but desperate last moments of a dying man. IMO, the seriousness and drama of the death scene was completely confused and diminished by the raucous "worship" of the concert. Yeesh.

I won't be watching the Noah movie. Too many sources I trust have panned it. Even the poster for the movie put me off. It looks like its advertising a horror movie. There is just a looming, shadowed figure with an axe in his hand standing menacingly in the rain. Very Hollywood. On the plus side, Russell Crowe doesn't sing in this movie.

Selah.

 

[Inkachu]

I guess it depends on what you're looking for when you see one of these movies. If you're looking to be preached to or just have some feel-good moments, then you'd might enjoy them. If you're looking for serious, quality art that can stand up next to Hollywood films, I think they're generally sorely lacking. I remember watching the "Left Behind" movies and just... wincing... over and over.

 

[aiki]

If anyone cares to see truly awful Christian cinema, they should watch the "Distant Thunder" series from the early eighties. Just excruciating to watch. And unabashedly fear-mongering. I'll never forget that shiny aluminum bucket with the holes in its sides seeping blood at the foot of the guillotine. Kinda' freaked me out as a young teen.

 

[BFine]

There has been a slew of "Christian" movies come out lately.

I think (personally) that is for the most part a good thing, and that Christians should support them.

Have any of you seen them?

Son of GOD,
Noah,
GOD'S not Dead,

Now the "Heaven is Real" is just out.

I've seen the first 3 already.

Did you? If you did, did you like them?
Do you think Christians should support these flicks?
What about the Noah movie, that was controversial?
Did it offend, or is there still some merit to it?

Thoughts?

-eric

* I've only seen Noah and gave a "review" of it in another thread.
I'm sure there were people who were offended by it and or didn't like the movie.
Oddly enough, me and my husband noticed that no one left the movie as it
was being shown, no one was mocking it during or after it showed. Many
were talking about the different aspects of the movie I didn't hear anything
negative.

We have the book about Heaven Is Real, not interested in seeing the movie.

Not sure about God's Not Dead -- I love the song though!
I really haven't seen any movie trailers for it (we don't have cable TV)
and I haven't done any Christian movie trailer searches lately.

However, I'm looking for to Exodus: Gods and Kings
is suppose to be released in December.
Christian Bale is slated to play Moses.

 

[Inkachu]

If anyone cares to see truly awful Christian cinema, they should watch the "Distant Thunder" series from the early eighties. Just excruciating to watch. And unabashedly fear-mongering. I'll never forget that shiny aluminum bucket with the holes in its sides seeping blood at the foot of the guillotine. Kinda' freaked me out as a young teen.

Was that the series with "The Prodigal Planet" and stuff? I can't remember the names of the other episodes. Yeah, I remember a lot of violence and death and blood and just plain scary stuff. The guillotine, the guns, the plagues, it made you absolutely terrified, and definitely did not stir up warm, fuzzy feelings towards God.

 

[ezeric]

My wife and I just saw God's not dead. She liked it. I liked the message and the morality. But I thought the production values were poor. Whoever wrote the script had no concept of what makes good dialogue. All the characters were caricatures rather than real, believable people. The casting of the Muslim father was terrible! He looked like a Islamic devil! Terrible racial profiling.

My biggest hope with movies like these is that they will attract unsaved younger viewers. When I checked out the audience at the showing I attended, everyone was older and there were a couple families.

We need to produce movies that focus on excellence as well as the gospel if we're going to impact the unsaved in this country.

Is it any better, when we realize that "GODS not Dead" is based on a true story, in the sense that many students have 'stood up' and questioned what they are being taught?
Did that occur to you or your wife?
When I watched it, I (and my wife) liked it, certain parts I wondered about.
I thought the main characters girl friend was real shallow and 'weird'.
The Muslim part, I took different when I thought it was this 'religion' that made the father act the way he did, and that he regretted it.

Interesting....thank-you!

-eric

 

[boogalaboogala]

i have watched quite a few that are netflix.. i also have a roku that on a couple of the channels that you can download i have watched about 30 different modern movies.. i see that steven balwin is in quite a number of them..
i enjoyed courageous and fireproof.. machine gun preacher.. well, i liked machine gun preacher.. i can only imagine the comments that it is going to get on here.. i will go see hollywood's idea of the flood account.. why not.. i think it will be entertaining..
although i don't like their idea of the new testament books, that they made a couple of years ago.. i mean they had love stories going on in every one of them.. it was a farce..

 

[ezeric]

I saw Son of God and it really touched my heart.
Gods not dead was really good as well,and I think it will
be a great witnessing tool,since it relates to so many people.

I saw Son of God also, and to my surprise it really touched me.

When I say 'surprise', I was really wondering if it would impact me much at all.
Since we kind of heard the story before, and the 'hollywood Jesus' as some call him.

But found myself crying (and I don't cry much), but did on some of the grace acts that they portrayed Jesus doing.

I guess its GRACE that always touches all of us!


-eric

 

[ezeric]

I have no desire to see any of those movies, except maybe Noah (which I don't really consider as falling into the typical evangelical "Christian" movie category.)

"Son of God" I just can't go watch. I just literally can't. When you cast a sexy model as Jesus...well, let's just say I wonder what "gospel" is going to leave an impression, if you get what I mean.

"God's Not Dead" looks like a bad tract. A movie that stereotypes atheists & furthers the persecution complex of many evangelicals here in America? No thanks.

"Heaven is for Real" I think is a fraud, but true or not Christian revelation is not historically based on dreams or NDE's & the like. So, I'm sure it will be a mushy gushy movie, sure to leave non-Christians confused about authentic, historical Christian faith.

You do have a scriptural point on this 'sexy Jesus' or 'hollywood Jesus'

and its this: (prophetic word talking about this Saviour (JESUS) that is coming).

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Isaiah 53:2

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

-eric

 

[ezeric]

I watched "God's Not Dead" with my wife last night and had mixed feelings about it. I very much appreciated what the movie was trying to do but many elements of the movie left me...uncomfortable. In particular, I quite hated the way the movie ended with Christians all "rockin' out" at a Newsboys concert. Ugh. Talk about ruining any profundity the movie or the Christian worldview might have laid claim to. And this effect was made worse by the movie cutting back and forth between the uproar of the concert and the death scene of one of the movie's main characters. One moment there was the tumult of a pop music concert and the next the quiet but desperate last moments of a dying man. IMO, the seriousness and drama of the death scene was completely confused and diminished by the raucous "worship" of the concert. Yeesh.

I won't be watching the Noah movie. Too many sources I trust have panned it. Even the poster for the movie put me off. It looks like its advertising a horror movie. There is just a looming, shadowed figure with an axe in his hand standing menacingly in the rain. Very Hollywood. On the plus side, Russell Crowe doesn't sing in this movie.

Selah.

Ah..see your point in the death scene and the rock worship concert with the Newsboys.

Yes, have to agree…although I didn't mind both parts (worship and death scene) but maybe separated and not flashing back and forth - what was that point?
Other than the fact that they were happening simultaneously.

Good point.

-eric

 

[ezeric]

I guess it depends on what you're looking for when you see one of these movies. If you're looking to be preached to or just have some feel-good moments, then you'd might enjoy them. If you're looking for serious, quality art that can stand up next to Hollywood films, I think they're generally sorely lacking. I remember watching the "Left Behind" movies and just... wincing... over and over.

When I was a teen at a christian school, they played the 'left behind' series for the students.

That produced such a fear in me, to doubt my salvation and fear that I was going to be left behind.

Terrible production of fear.
For me it did more damage then any good.

I agree…and hated it and although I trust GODS love for salvation, it did set me back and I can only wonder how many others?

-eric

 

[ezeric]

* I've only seen Noah and gave a "review" of it in another thread.
I'm sure there were people who were offended by it and or didn't like the movie.
Oddly enough, me and my husband noticed that no one left the movie as it
was being shown, no one was mocking it during or after it showed. Many
were talking about the different aspects of the movie I didn't hear anything
negative.

We have the book about Heaven Is Real, not interested in seeing the movie.

Not sure about God's Not Dead -- I love the song though!
I really haven't seen any movie trailers for it (we don't have cable TV)
and I haven't done any Christian movie trailer searches lately.

However, I'm looking for to Exodus: Gods and Kings
is suppose to be released in December.
Christian Bale is slated to play Moses.

Love the song "GODS not Dead" as well, great words and music.

Also want to see Exodus too, forgot that it was coming.
Should be good.

I guess my wife and my family likes to go to movies anyway (I know some just don't like to, but we do), and generally see any 'Christian movie' as a show of support and to see what they are trying to say.
With the idea, that we've thrown money at far worse things than that.

-eric

 

[ezeric]

i have watched quite a few that are netflix.. i also have a roku that on a couple of the channels that you can download i have watched about 30 different modern movies.. i see that steven balwin is in quite a number of them..
i enjoyed courageous and fireproof.. machine gun preacher.. well, i liked machine gun preacher.. i can only imagine the comments that it is going to get on here.. i will go see hollywood's idea of the flood account.. why not.. i think it will be entertaining..
although i don't like their idea of the new testament books, that they made a couple of years ago.. i mean they had love stories going on in every one of them.. it was a farce..

Have not seen 'machine gun preacher' but heard from others that its a must see?
Don't know much about it…others seemed to like it, from what I heard.

The Noah (hollywood idea) movie out now, I didn't like, there were some really wrong additions/subtractions that my wife and I hated.

For 1) Noah and his wife and their 3 sons and their wives entered the ark. (so 8
people in all) Genesis 7:7

The movie does something different.

2) We know that when GOD shut the ark door, nobody could enter or exit.
But in the movie version, that isn't what happened either.

Go see it, let me know, we kind of wished we didn't though!

-eric

 

[God Is Immortal]

I do not support most things on the television.



A lot of it is controlled by someone. 9/13

 

[setfreekb]

My wife and I saw "God's Not Dead" We both liked it. I wanted more at the end. Like how did the students at the college act about their professor? It just left you hanging at the end. It also showed what one person can do for Christ.