Courageous

At just over two hours, this movie feels a bit long.

Other than that, Courageous is the best yet from Alex Kendrick and Sherwood Pictures.

First we had a used car salesman, then a football coach. Next came Kirk Cameron and the firefighters and now we have police officers.

Like a television sitcom from the 90s, the main theme of this movie is handed to you in a very obvious way early on - this story is about being a good dad. The focus is on four officers who must deal with how to be good dads. Many of the plot lines are telegraphed early. There won't be the twists in many of today's films but this movie is actually quite solid.

The acting is great. (Coming from Sherwood Pictures this is amazing!) The humor had me laughing out loud multiple times. (I loved the Snake King in the back of the police car!) I really liked how they dealt with the father and his teenage daughter. It was your typical, "she likes a not-so-good boy" and with her dad not agreeing with the relationship until trust is earned, I was expecting a brooding, hostile teen. But the father/daughter scene in the restaurant was exactly how it should go.

Unlike Facing the Giants in which everyone got what they wanted in the end, this movie has some real-life consequences. Not everyone gets what they want.

I was impressed about everything in this film. It just proves that you can make a fantastic movie without having to resort to graphic nudity or language. While God, church, and Jesus are mentioned and they do come up in conversations, the religious aspect didn't feel shoved in my throat. It may have been that I knew what it was coming into the movie so it didn't catch me off guard.

This is a 4-star movie with great lessons for dads in our society. A guilt trip? No, it's a call to integrity.