Ladies & gentlemen, for the first time in a long while, we are going to be diving into the world of movies that were, and have been made by Christian people, and companies. And not just any Christian company! The movie that we are reviewing today was made by a movie makers from a church in Albany, Georgia by the name of Sherwood Baptist Church. People from this church made full-length movies like Flywheel (2003), which went directly to video, and theaters at least in a few states, Facing The Giants (2006), Fireproof (2008), and Courageous (2011), which is the movie that we shall be talking about today. Oh, and not only that, but the Kendrick brothers Alex, and Steve Kendrick, also split off from Sherwood Pictures, and made their own company call Kendrick Bros. Company (or something like that), and further made films like War Room (2015), Overcomer (2019), and films like those. Anyway, let’s talk about the 2011 film from these guys, Courageous, which got a rerelease recently, and was renamed Courageous: Legacy, and had some additional scenes around the end of this film.
Plot: When tragedy strikes Adam Mitchell (Alex Kendrick), his wife Victoria (Renee Jewell), and the rest his family, Adam decides that he wants to make a resolution with three other officers (who are played by Kevin Downes, Ben Davies, and Ken Bevel respectively) that he has close friendships with, and make a resolution to be the best fathers that they can be to their children. Will the officers, and their families do their best to honor this commitment?
Wow, okay, as far as the early days of these films go, Courageous/Courageous: Legacy may be the best of this bunch. Oh yes, Flywheel, Facing The Giants, and Fireproof were very good too. Still, whereas those three seem to address specific topics like marriage, troubles in careers, or whatever else that targets specific groups, Courageous does dive into the world of police officers, and some of their struggles too. Not to mention that fatherhood is one of the major themes of this particular film. Still, the filmmakers not only seemed to improve in terms of picture quality, or how good the storylines were, but they also seemed to learn how to make a film that easily seems to be relatable in nearly every way. Yeah, one of the ways that Courageous seems to stand out in this group of at least four films is that most, if not everyone can most likely relate to any of these characters in one way, or another. Oh, but it gets even better. The characters are so well written, maybe a little more so than some of those in Facing The Giants, or Fireproof. Did I also forget to mention that the characters are all likable, as well as there being there some of those characters that one would love to hate? Besides there being a major villain in this film, it’s also interesting to see characters who have good hearts, but sadly do make wrong choices because they either are ignorant, feel they don’t have any other choice, or something along those lines. Another thing to mention is that it is understandable as to why Courageous was given a PG-13 rating, unlike films like Flywheel, Facing The Giants, and Fireproof, which all received PG ratings. Courageous is very mature, has very mature elements, and subjects, and is very dark, and violent at times. But you know what, it works beautifully in this case, especially since we have police officers, and they have to deal with violent criminals all the time, you know? What’s more is that Courageous does a fantastic job of incorporating God, and Christianity, and difficult real life situations, and putting them together brilliantly in a movie like this one. Yes, Facing The Giants, and Fireproof did a good job of doing that too. Even so, Courageous seemed to do better in that area. So much so that more people might be more likely to drawn to it, and enjoy it more. It wouldn’t be surprising if even non-Christians, once told by Christian people how good, and relatable this film is to a wider audience, then even they would give this film a chance. That reminds me! I have something really great to mention in this review as well. After seeing the trailers before this film, and right before the rerelease of this film was about to officially play when a friend, and I saw it this past weekend, the Kendrick brothers had a discussion with those of us who were watching the movie, for a few minutes, and why they decided to make the film in the first place. Well, while they talked, they also talked about how much of an impact Courageous had on the world. Not only did this film get shown in America, but this film went too far as being shown in other parts of the world like Ecuador, the Philippines, either all of Africa, or parts of that continent, Argentina, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries, and regions. Yeah, I don’t recall the Kendrick Brothers other films, prior to this one, having that big of an impact on the world. People in other parts of the world had even talked about how much Courageous impacted their lives, and how many people got saved through watching this film. Let’s hope, and pray this film continues to leave that big of a legacy. Additionally, there is some surprisingly clever comedy that’s scattered throughout this film as well. Yeah, that’s another element that works really well. Not only does Courageous/Courageous: Legacy have really good drama, and action in it, but the movie is superb of mixing those in, and then inserting comedy in the mix as well. Best of all, the comedy doesn’t even fall flat. Instead, the comedy is genius. You will most definitely be laughing on the edge of your seats, especially with certain noteworthy comedic moments. Man, no wonder this film worth watching over, and over again! Finally, there are not only good themes in this film about being a good mother, or father, especially the latter, but also great themes about integrity, honoring commitments, learning to be courageous even in the most difficult, and dangerous situations, and overall learning to love others the best way that we can.
And that’s my review for Courageous/Courageous: Legacy. Wow, after seeing this film in theaters, a few times on video, and of course the rerelease of it in honor of it’s ten year anniversary, I’m still amazed by how great this film, maybe more so than I was ten years ago. Courageous is a great Christian film, as well as a great movie about life in general. The story is phenomenal, the characters are likable, and relatable, and the themes of this film are amazing as well. If you haven’t seen this film even now, not saw it ten years ago, this is one that you need to see ASAP. In fact, definitely see the rerelease of this film at your local movie theater as quickly as possible. That is especially since there are additional scenes that are shown after the original ending of this film. You will be blown away by how well put together this film is, and how timeless this film is likely to become. Honestly, if this film has had a great impact around the world, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a great revival in the world, and maybe even in America, you know? Well, again, definitely go see this film, and the ten year rerelease of this film ASAP, and see what you think!
Final Grade: A+
P.S. I say one last time, happy ten year anniversary to Courageous!
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