The Kendrick brothers are a paradox. They aim for realism, but script like an apologetic debate. They want to reach out to seekers of Christianity, but make films for Christians. In many ways, they miss their mark as filmmakers, constructing sermons instead of stories. For anyone who has read my reviews, you will quickly see that I am for the most part disappointed with modern American Christian film productions. They lack good script writing. They deal with complex problems superficially. Courageous, unfortunately, follows the trend. In many ways, it is an expanded version of their last film Fireproof. We delve into the lives of more characters and in more detail. But the Kendrick brothers do not break out of their financially successful formula. You have the born again believer (in fact, the same African American actor from both films). You have the skeptic who converts. You have the comic relief character (though this time given more depth). You have a resolution made by the characters. You have the sermon at the end of the film to make sure you get the point. What the Kendricks do, however, is turn out a deeper story and up the stakes. What you wind up with is a better version of Fireproof, but not one that breaks free of the weaknesses of that film.
The Kendricks choose here to tackle integrity and being a godly father to your family. These are noble and important subjects. But as always, they want to weave in the salvation message into the film. While this is good, it requires a delicate touch to make it real and not just a concept. But the script pounds you in the brain over and over again about God being the focal point to being a godly father. While that is true, the heavy-handedness of it makes for little way in for the skeptic. So, like Fireproof, I find this film more appropriate for Christian groups than secularists, at least in an American context. This film was shown at my church in Germany to both Christians and non- Christians. Ironically, the non-Christians seemed to like it as well. But I chalk it up to it being a foreign film to them, which makes it more appropriate to challenge the German secular world view. Had it been a local German production made by Christians, it might very well have been ridiculed just as I have seen American secularists deride it on this website. So have discernment before showing this to your American secular friends.
More pros and cons:
Pros: Decent acting from a mostly amateur cast. A final chase scene which despite its low budget was actually riveting (I cared about what happened). Deeper characters. Nice lighthearted touch with some really funny bits. Competent technical production values. A very touching scene between a father and daughter at a restaurant.
Cons: Pedantic, overbearing script. Oversimplifying solutions to complex problems. Racial stereotyping (though not mean spirited). The only women characters are completely dependent on their men characters (no variety). The sudden downfall of one of the main characters (plot twist with no real previous reason for it). Laughable scene with a gangster initiation.
The Kendricks choose here to tackle integrity and being a godly father to your family. These are noble and important subjects. But as always, they want to weave in the salvation message into the film. While this is good, it requires a delicate touch to make it real and not just a concept. But the script pounds you in the brain over and over again about God being the focal point to being a godly father. While that is true, the heavy-handedness of it makes for little way in for the skeptic. So, like Fireproof, I find this film more appropriate for Christian groups than secularists, at least in an American context. This film was shown at my church in Germany to both Christians and non- Christians. Ironically, the non-Christians seemed to like it as well. But I chalk it up to it being a foreign film to them, which makes it more appropriate to challenge the German secular world view. Had it been a local German production made by Christians, it might very well have been ridiculed just as I have seen American secularists deride it on this website. So have discernment before showing this to your American secular friends.
More pros and cons:
Pros: Decent acting from a mostly amateur cast. A final chase scene which despite its low budget was actually riveting (I cared about what happened). Deeper characters. Nice lighthearted touch with some really funny bits. Competent technical production values. A very touching scene between a father and daughter at a restaurant.
Cons: Pedantic, overbearing script. Oversimplifying solutions to complex problems. Racial stereotyping (though not mean spirited). The only women characters are completely dependent on their men characters (no variety). The sudden downfall of one of the main characters (plot twist with no real previous reason for it). Laughable scene with a gangster initiation.