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I thoroughly enjoyed this film and my movie-going friend and I emerged from the theater completely satisfied and feeling good. Now it's three hours later, and that feeling hasn't gone away. We're going to see it again, next week.

What is so endearing about this flick is that it takes a familiar story and makes it human, clever, glorious and entertaining. The shy love story between Joseph and Mary is very real and not contrived, at all. And the three wise men have some great schtick - which adds to the story, because their characters are so clever. Some of the lyrics are absolutely brilliant. And it has an absolutely standout performance from Antonio Banderas - who definitely out-Herods Herod. A great family film - good for adults and kids, both.

I just read many reviews and decided to add my view. When the tornado is upon Sam and Elsa, hovered together in a shallow gully, Elsa is absolutely terrified, something which is very out of character for her. And that terror absolutely compels her to seek safety and comfort in Sam's arms and mouth. Not only does he personify strength and safety, but Elsa already knows the euphoria of sex, a powerful drug which can bring heaven to earth. And that's why that clinch lifts them both above clear and present danger, and the entire scene shifts from hell to heaven. If I were facing death, I wouldn't have held back, either. And the way this particular scene was portrayed, cinematically, was one of those rare cinematic experience I will never forget. Ever!

The whole series of scenes around the tornado is brilliantly conceived and brilliantly produced. I, for one, am happy to suspend disbelief and go on Elsa's journey with her. Maybe that's because as a child, I role-played many different personas in my imaginative play, but my two favorites were the seasoned cowgirl and the knowledgeable Native American warrior.

Of course their romance moves quickly! Their world is basically a war-torn world, where people must hang onto love when they find it - and never let go. Elsa is a warrior in training. So when she meets a seasoned warrior who values, mentors, loves, and totally gets her, she doesn't look back. What a great spin this episode is on empowerment for women!

What's not to love about this film? Pure fun and great entertainment. Lots of unexpected twists and turns, and great acting. Winslow. Fegley is a refreshing new face in the world of cinema, and Constance Wu is wonderful as his worried mother. But whenever Javier Barden's in a scene, he explodes with life and energizes the entire story. Who knew he was a triple threat - dancing, singing, while portraying a great lovable rascal in this movie? This is as as good as The Greatest Showman, with the addition of a singing, dancing, but otherwise shy crocodile whose love language is. . . Food! If you missed this on the big screen, you missed seeing a classic in the making. I don't understand why the Box Office is so low, even though the film's been out for three weeks, as I write this. All I can guess is that Sony didn't market t as well as they should, so most folks thought, "Well, I've read the book, so why see the movie? WRONG!" Do yourself a favor and watch this film with people you love. It will leave you feeling free and wonderful. And make you want to celebrate for the rest of the day. How I wish there were more films like this one to revel in!

Forget all the intellectual hype and criticism. Ignore all the expert advice. Just go see this flick and be entertained by something Hollywood rarely brings us - an A list actor in a truly unique role. Viola Davis' performance is well worth the price of admission. It's not very often that women get to portray such complex characters. I saw this on a Tuesday night and the theater was packed. In addition, EVERYONE clapped at the end. How many movies have you been to recently, where that happened?

Final comment - I haven't been a big fan of female combat flicks in the past. None of the combat sequences seemed real - or even necessary. Mostly just "Well, it was trendy to show women kicking butt, so we did that." Not in this flick. These women are whole, complex people who fight with passion to defend hearth and home. Just go see the movie, and decide for yourself! :-)

A person's world view affects how they rate this film. Believers are glad to find a fast-pace, engaging story, with a decent plot and a biblical world view. However, non-believers tend to be offended by the blatant Christian message and less forgiving of the low-budget CGI. Basically, the ratings are pretty much driven by each reviewer's worldview.

My two cents' worth? As a Christian screenwriter, I tend to be more objective than the average Christian viewer. Basically, going to film school took away a lot of the fun I used to have watching ANY film. Now I notice all the plot holes, pay-offs without set-ups, on-the-nose dialogue, character arcs that do not grow organically from the plotline, and a thousand other things that can go amiss in any poorly-crafted film. So, for me to rate this film a "6" is my way of saying, "Wow. Pretty good job!"

I don't know if this film will help anyone make a decision for Christ - wish I could know that. But as a Christian and a filmmaker, I found this fun to watch and uplifting. Not the best film ever made, but definitely not the worst! And that, I think, is the closest this film will ever get to having an honest review. IMHO, that is.

I would have given this 6 stars, but felt I needed to rate it higher than that, in order to make up for two ridiculously low votes this film received. I am glad I watched this film because the subject matter is serious, yet it doesn't drag us through the seriousness of the situation - - how two "throw away" kids in a dysfunctional family, in a dysfunctional universe, have learned to cope against all odds.

I enjoyed watching the writer/actress India. She has a strong screen presence and I will look for more from her in the future. Her character, Scout, is brave and clever. And even though so many people in her life have betrayed her and let her down, she still has the discernment to be able to trust someone who is emotionally handicapped, but with good reason.

I enjoyed seeing Scout and Sam connect, in a series of scenes that showed the progression of trust and care between the two of them. And I appreciated that friendship was the core of their connection. To have one friend in this life who truly cares about you and whom you can truly trust to look out for your well being -- well, that trumps just about anything the world can throw at you.

In ABOUT SCOUT, a serious subject has been handled with enough truth to make it believable, enough heart to make it endearing, and enough hope to make it inspirational. Yep -- definitely worth watching.

Rating this film is a complex issue. If you read the very negative reviews and read between the lines, you will discern that those reviewers are politically-motivated. They are not rating the film; they are rating its message, that message being that the holocaust did happen and it was monstrous.

This film is well-written, well-acted, and well-directed. It has some of the best one-liners I've heard in a long time -- only some of which have shown up on IMDb's 'Quotes" section.

The thing I most enjoyed was the conflict between Ms. Lipstadt (the American defendant in the libel suit) and her team of Britian's best lawyers. Her passion vs. their logic. Her desire to be heard, vs. their desire to win. And they were both on the same side. Oh, the angst!

Such a shame that this film didn't get a wide release at the theaters. I found it by accident, looking for something to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I wish I'd seen it in a theater, but I wasn't aware of its existence until it was way too late to view it on a big screen. How did this riveting tale escape the notice of the general public?

Watch it and tell others to do the same. It's too good to pass up.

I write this after this film's opening weekend and the rating is currently 5.7. Son of God is much better than that, but some people rated it ridiculously low because they were upset for one reason or another. That brings the overall rating down. And when a film receives below 6.2 on IMDb, many people decide NOT to see it in the theaters.

When that happens, then the box office revenue drops - and this is IMPORTANT because then the major studios in Hollywood decide,"We are NOT going to make Christian films because they don't make money!" Hollywood is in the business of making money. It's show BUSINESS. If the studios think that Christian films will make money, then they will re-open all the Christian departments - that they originally opened after The Passion of the Christ struck gold, back in 2004 - and start making Christian movies again. They stopped making Christian films in about 2008, since the Christian movies they did make didn't strike the mother lode, like The Passion did.

Bottom line? If you want to see more Christian movies coming out of Hollywood, then you have got to VOTE FOR THEM WITH YOUR DOLLARS. That is the only thing that studio bosses look at. Sad, but true.

So, if you've seen Son of God and you object to something in it,then please DO NOT BE HASTY in writing a scathing review, and do not be hasty in giving it a ridiculously low score. When Christians do that, they are damaging the prospects of getting any more Christian films out of Hollywood in the future.

When I saw this movie, the trailers that preceded it were for other Christian films which would be released soon. Now, why did Hollywood suddenly make Christian films this year? BECAUSE THE TV SERIES, "THE BIBLE," HIT THE MOTHER LODE, LAST YEAR! Get it? The studio bosses wanted to get in on the pay dirt, so they approved Christian projects that had been stalled for years.

But this resurgence of Christian films will be short-lived if Christians do not support those films IN THE THEATERS and vote for them with their dollars. And please, if you review a film on IMDb, don't be hasty in assigning it a low score. Be circumspect, and be fair. I would have given this movie an 8/10, and not a 10/10, if I did not feel the need to make up for some of the ridiculously low scores it has received, to date. It's not perfect. The CGI is so-so and the editing is clunky at times.

But the acting is SOLID. And I like how the supporting characters are portrayed. We understand the political and doctrinal dilemmas that Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest, faces as he tries to figure out what to do about this "false prophet." Similarly, we also witness Pontius Pilate's political insecurities, as we see him squash any Jewish rebellion early, in order to ensure his own climb up the Roman career ladder.

In addition, the script introduces us to Barabbas early on. It's poetic license, but it's a brilliant move because then Jesus and Barabbas already have a relationship when the crowd chooses Barabbas, instead of Jesus, to go free. That adds much emotion and pathos into that scene, and it works. Also, this is the only movie I've seen about the life of Christ where Judas is portrayed as a complex human being, with conflicting emotions. I appreciate that! And Thomas - who in most Christian circles has been a bit of a black sheep because he doubted the veracity of the resurrection - is also portrayed as a three-dimensional character, whose doubts Jesus addresses with love and compassion, and never judgment. Wow, I want and need that in my Savior. We all do.

This brings me to the heart of this film. This movie portrays only enough miracles to encourage us that Jesus is the Son of God. And it sacrifices a letter-perfect delivery of the contents of the Bible in order to achieve a more-excellent goal - to show us the heart of the Messiah.

In one scene after another, Jesus is the embodiment of joy and compassion. And when He first has to shoulder the cross, to carry it to Golgotha hill, he kisses it. It's a subtle moment which some moviegoers might miss. But it's in there, and it shows us His heart. He is willing to suffer the agony of the cross, "for the joy that was set before Him," namely - being the perfect scapegoat who would pay the price for our inadequacies, so we could become acceptable in the sight of the Father, and have fellowship with Him in this life and the next.

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE FILM'S MINOR VARIATIONS FROM THE FINE DETAILS OF THE BIBLE. Instead, let it show you the true nature of the Son of God.

Jesus loves every one of us - believers and non-believers - with all of our shortcomings. That is why, in this film, Jesus was able to point out to Nicodemus that he was a hypocrite in such a way that it helped Nicodemus examine his own legalism and find it UNSATISFYING! Later on, when Nicodemus sings the Jewish burial service over Jesus, it is moving because we see that Jesus has set Nicodemus free to love. Wow. That really IS good news!

If you want to see a completely accurate portrayal of the life of Christ, it will not be in a 2 hour film. It would take a long mini-series to cover it all. I, for one, am glad that this movie chose to focus on THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL, and not the letter of it. And I say, "Keep 'em coming!"

I just saw this at the George Lindsey Film Festival in Florence, Alabama -- right across the Tennessee River from Muscle Shoals. I rarely give 10/10 but this film is a gem. Photography, editing, sound values, emotional through lines, entertainment value -- this film has it all. Lots of great interviews and a kaleidoscope of personal memories from great entertainers, as well -- including Mick Jagger, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Picket, and Alicia Keys, to name just a few. This film pulls you in and puts you there, back when a handful of friends got together and made music history in their own back yards. You'll be amazed at how many number one hits came out of humble little Muscle Shoals.

I am a professional screenwriter, and when I see something brilliant, I find myself thinking, "Gee, I wish I'd written that script." I just saw this at the EIFF and had those exact thoughts. A brilliant script, directed well by the writer, and it looks like his first feature. A gripping tale that is entertaining, funny, and thought provoking. The R rating it will receive is both necessary and appropriate -- even though I'm not a fan of R movies, I am a fan of this one. Great message, to boot, but never heavy handed or on the nose. I hope this gets wide distribution -- it deserves it. Only distraction for me is that the Scots accents are quite strong and may not sit well with American audiences who don't have the ear for it. Perhaps it will need subtitles for that crowd -- hah! Great acting, BTW. A solid, different, great film. yh