the_silver_angel_13
Don't let the description fool you- this film is slow moving, boring, and with little climax. With the back drop of a "home-movie-feel" and poor acting, this film took me back to remembering when I went to theaters and saw "Time Changer" in 2002... I walked out on it after 30 minutes. (However, this film I didn't have to pay to see. Luckily.) This film would be better set up for church youth to watch, as it would be a more appropriate film there- or a "family movie night" on a Sunday- if you get my drift. But don't expect tears or leaving with a warmth in your heart from everyone. (And if the "christian propaganda" is more your speed, I would try the book it's based on before spending cash on this... js.)
pedrobnb
Deceptively marketing itself as an honest low-budget alternative to Harry Potter and Percy Watson, AoCF is nothing more and nothing less than badly acted, horribly paced, amateurishly shot, laughably put-together Christian propaganda. And not even subtle Christian propaganda, a la Narnia; no, this is the type of movie where the two female leads are called Faith and Hope, and where every other sentence reminds us to "keep following what the book tells you", because "it is a good one". No prizes for guessing what book this is...But even without the sickeningly unsubtle Christian brainwashing (erm, I mean message), Chris Fable would still be a painful viewing experience. How bad is it, you ask? It is worse than the worst movie you can think of. It is worse than Norbit. It is worse than Eraserhead. It makes Batman and Robin look like The Godfather. It out-sucks anything The Asylum ever put out. Heck, it is worse than Plan 9 From Outer Space - and, as movie buffs will certainly know, that is, indeed, saying something.The overall look and feel of this pathetic excuse for a feature film is that of a glorified high-school play. Imagine someone took that slightly embarrassing taping your Mum made, added some crummy special effects on AfterEffects, then posted it on YouTube for everyone to have a laugh over. Look! There's Mr. Davies the Science teacher in a goofy costume! And Coach Ryan doing a goofy accent! And ha-ha, it's Shawn's little brother in a park ranger costume! Sounds funny, right? Well, yes...until you realise that this is not your high school play, and that someone is actually marketing it as a serious family fantasy film. The whole thing looks like it was directed by a sixteen-year-old with only the vaguest idea of how to make a movie (you make sure the camera's in focus and, uh, you point it at things, right?). Elements like pacing, narrative cohesion and character development are entirely non-existent, and one doubts the director even knows what "subtlety" and "nuances" mean. Characters are introduced, then literally dropped one scene later, never to resurface (I guess, like good Christians, they wanted to include everybody...) Villains have "BAD GUY" written on their forehead. And not a word from anybody but the protagonist sounds even remotely like something a real person would say in normal conversation - even within a fantasy universe. The 'high-school play' analogy is further helped along by 'actors' who look like they may actually be high-school teachers putting on sub-carnival-kiddie-show performances, each and every one hamming it up for all they are worth for extra cringe points. And the least said about the (not so) 'special' effects, the better - just wait until you see 'Electracity', or the lead villain's 'destroyer robot' (otherwise known as a sub-1950's "metal' suit, with a cardboard box for a head, which shoots bad AfterEffects flames). Somewhere, Chris Bores is using this as evidence to sustain that he is a legitimate film-maker.All of this would of course be fine, if this movie was explicitly aimed at eight-year-old children, or if it was played for laughs, as a straight out spoof. The problem is, eight-year-old children will be bored to tears with a story where half the time is literally spent watching a teenager walk around some fields, and the whole thing is played with cringe-worthy,morose seriousness. As a result, the movie ends up appealing to absolutely no-one, other than Christians - and, as Sunday School Musical abundantly proved, Christians will watch anything (last Christian joke, Scouts' honour!)What's even more frustrating is that Chris Fable could have been so much more. Based on a 17th century text, and here and there hinting at something broader and more interesting (Chris does not know what a book is, indicating some sort of apocalyptic future), the film does have a reasonably likable and believable lead, and could, with a little work, be made into an unassuming, watchable family movie. Unfortunately, the ineptitude of all involved ensures that this is never anything but a laughing stock for serious film fans, and an embarrassment for anyone associated with it (including the poor leading kid, which can only dream of an acting career after this). Unless this turns out to actually be an accidentally released Church camp film project, it firmly deserves the title of worst movie of all time.
djbarryb
Got the movie at Walmart for 5 bucks. Even if they were giving it away it would have been a crime. It looks like the movie was made for about $100 bucks. I hope they didn't pay the cast much money. They couldn't act even if they took lessons. The only good reviews of the movie on here were probably from people involved with the film. Someone learned how to use a cheap camera and thought they could make a movie. The special effects made me almost cry. I could have done better myself. The only one that has a chance of a career might be the boy who played Chris. There is a slight chance if he takes a few more acting lessons. As for everyone else, keep your day job. There is more to come from this studio, so keep an eye out so you don't get let down again. Special effects, acting, and story all awful! Save your money and time!
