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Rating:  - The Second Chance
Entertaining movie with a very good message. Highly recommend watching this especially in these times.
Rating:  - Well intentioned low key Christian drama
In execution this movie tries in turns to be edgy (gang turf issues! Prostitutes needing help!) and hip (Michael W Smith sings!) but the underlying message is actually quite low key, as is the acting.
Michael W Smith plays the son of a highly successful pastor, being groomed to take over a large affluent church, with its large international outreach program. He helps the pastor of their sister church, called Second Chance, which is where his father started - it is in the slums, with outreaches to the poor and needy, the prostitutes and gang victims. He is admonished for giving the pastor of the poor church a chance to speak his mind on live television, and as discipline, is sent to the Second Chance church for a time, to observe and report. Naturally, in doing so, he starts to gain a realization of his distance from real life and genuine outreach, and becomes a better person..
Some of the efforts at getting a message across are a bit clumsy - Michael Smith has his fancy BMW damaged and trades it in for a small cheap car and is happier as a result. However, some of the underlying themes of where church politics can lead are prescient and worth raising. Should affluent churches from wealthy neighbourhoods really invest so heavily in African outreach, when poverty and destitution are creating huge problems on their doorstep?
In answering these questions, the movie comes across a little one sided and heavy handed, but the point is well made, if lacking punch in the finale.
A worthy effort and well shot and acted. Michael W Smith won't win any Oscars and still looks happiest when singing rather than acting, but the end result is well worth a view, and good family entertainment. In fact, it occurs to me, that with the interesting milieu of characters, this would have made a better TV series!
Rating:  - A LET DOWN...
If you want to watch a movie that leaves you hanging at the end and comes to no real resolution--watch this movie! If not, pick another movie.
Unlike most Christian films, this film appeared to have a decent budget, but decent budgets don't mean super movies. Some of the singing in the movie was nice, but besides that it was a giant disappointment.
If you want to see a nice Christian film that doesn't leave you hanging, I suggest either "Facing the Giants" or "Flywheel."
Rating:  - If you are a follower of Christ, this is a good reminder.
This movie is a modern version of a number of parables shown in today's setting. It is bold and speaks directly to Christians who are that in name only. I'm not sure how non-Christians will respond to this movie, but if you are, you should watch it.
Rating: - the second chance
I only gave it a four instead of a five because thae cusing that did not fit this type of movie.
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