The Messenger's Box

source: The Messenger's Box

I just watched this movie with my wife. We are always on the lookout for good, well-acted films that present our faith in a realistic, believable, and God-honoring way. This film is clearly made with very good intentions. Unfortunately, that is the only good thing I can say about it. I have seen many, many Christian films. Unfortunately most are poorly made, though there are some exceptions. Many a film has some bad acting but there are one or two exceptions among the cast. In some the story is pretty good, while the budget was clearly a limiting factor and while not great, can be appreciated at least by a Christian audience as uplifting and life-affirming, or as something that challenges them to a closer relationship with God. This movie, I am sad to say, has none of these redeeming qualities, though the participants all try really, really hard (and that is part of the problem!). The acting is the worst I have ever seen in a Christian film, without exception and I have seen hundreds in my lifetime, many of them very poorly acted. Every single "actor" if you can call him or her that is no better than an amateur, and even that is being generous. The acting is wooden, forced, overdone, or so silly we kept breaking out into laughter in places it was clearly not intended. In addition the script was probably worse than the acting. People spoke in ways no one would actually speak in real life. The non-verbal communication was equally bad, the way people walked was unnatural, the way people interacted was in EVERY case unnatural and stagey. The worst was the final hospital scene with the "Messenger's Box" which was as terribly campy as it gets. And what was the message in the end? That this box heals people, but only those who can feel something special? So others who aren't "chosen" are not affected by what amounts to a magic box! The pastor and parents pray for the sick kid and nothing happens (he dies in the bed) but somehow, miraculously the box makes it to the room and then it is the box that heals him, because somehow it is linked to Jesus. It reminded me of the relics people in the Middle Ages used to try to connect to God, such as a sliver of the true cross, or the Holy Grail. Our Lord is real and heals people, certainly, but the message here was really "lost in translation." This is a movie that, while well-intentioned, will have a very negative effect on any unbeliever who watches it. It presents our faith as out of touch with reality. It presents Christians in about as unrealistic a way as possible, and in its utter lack of excellence, it does God and His Church a great disservice. I am sorry to have to say this, but this movie belongs in the trash heap!

A simple wooden box is given by Jesus to a young boy containing a nail from the crucifixion which presumably happens after the resurrection before the ascension. Flash forward from the 1st to the 21st century and the box falls into the hands of young Luke Hodgson. To Hodgson and to only a few others visins of the events of Calvary occur. Includimjg to Dick Anthony Williams, another young man who has had his leukemia come out of remission. The Messenger's Box was a sincere effort, but too much has been proven false about religious relics the past to have anyone realy believe these evets. Most prominently the Shroud of Turin which covered the dead and crucifed Jesus presumably. It got to Italy somehow as this got to Middle America. This film won't get out f church basements.

This was a good fantasy film that the whole family will enjoy.

There's little positive to say about this movie. It seems like someone tried to convert a short story or a hastily conceived concept into a full feature film. I can't even give it points for promoting Christian doctrine since it's only tie to the faith is an attempt to attach magic qualities to fictional relics of Christian symbolism. Even graded on a curve against other low budget films, this one is worth avoiding.

Just as the title implies, this movie is a faith based movie about an old wooden box that the main character calls, "the messenger's box". The main character, Jake Casper, is a typical teenage boy who gains possession of a wooden box he finds in his recently deceased grandfather's shop. He becomes intrigued by the box when he discovers it contains some kind of power and carries it with him everywhere he goes. Strange things happen when he opens the box, and Jake questions the origins of the box itself. Jake is the object of a bully, and this bully plays an important part in the story line. The Messenger's Box" contains elements of friendship, bullying, boy meets girl, and mild violence involved with the bullying. As an adult, I found this movie very enjoyable and would recommend it as a movie that could be used for family night. I think that I would not show it to a child younger than 10-12 because of the mild violence in the bullying element. For adults, there are enough adult characters in the movie as well who play more minor roles.

Trailer—The Messenger's Box

The Messenger's Box