I used to like Christian cinema.

When I was younger, I had a blast with _VeggieTales_, especially the _Jonah_ movie. Though I never saw _The Passion of the Christ_ due to the graphic violence, I enjoyed other Christian flicks such as _Hangman's Curse_ (which, oddly enough, aired on ABC Family during their "13 Nights of Halloween" in 2004) to even _Thr3e_.

However, I've matured since then, and what used to enthrall me no longer does.

Case in point: I was an avid reader in elementary school, but fell out of love with literature in middle school thanks to being introduced to Pokémon/Nintendo, contemporary Christian music, and classic television. That trend continued when I became the Disney Channel guy in high school...until my junior year was nearly over, and I found a couple of _Star Wars_ books at a local garage sale. Lucas' space opera was a big deal at the time; _Revenge of the Sith_ had recently been released in theaters. I bought those novels on a whim, and ended up being enthralled by one of them, called _I, Jedi_. For years after that, I sang that book's praises...until earlier this year, when I read it and thought: What is this garbage? It was nowhere nearly as good as I remembered; that just goes to show how one's tastes can change over the years.

The same applies to other forms of media, including Christian cinema: What used to keep me glued to the screen no longer does; sometimes, finishing a movie over the course of a week--regardless of its genre--can be a chore...and that was the case here.

First off, the movie is rather edgy for a Christian flick, especially one rated "G". I was disappointed to hear a usage of the h-word; it was only one, but it was still unnecessary. Other unfortunate exclamations included two crude uses of the term "suck," one of which was by Joshua. Another letdown was the character of Maggie; most of her outfits were either low-cut or too tight.

The biggest problem, however, is with the plot: It's just inane. While Jesus is going to return to Earth, He isn't going to return the way this movie portrays; one reading of the Biblical book of Revelation shows that Christ will return as King, not a humble carpenter. While this film could be taken as a parable, there doesn't seem to be much of a lesson here; this is no Prodigal Son story or anything in that vein.

It's a shame; with A-list talent, including Oscar nominees/winners, a movie like this could have had serious benefit for the Christian faith. Instead, all it does is make people of the Way look bad.