I found this little 'gem' on Amazon Prime. It wasn't what I expected or what the description suggested. Parents who are thinking of watching with their kids need to know a couple of things. The first is that this is basically a propaganda exercise to support the Biblical account of Creation as opposed to the secular theory of evolution. Moreover, it puts forward the young-earth creation theory, which not even all creationists adhere to. Now, some parents will not have a problem with any of this and that's fine. For other parents, this will be a big turn off. At least you've been warned. The second thing you need to know is that this movie isn't really that bad. Yes, it gets a bit corny in places, sometimes it's a bit preachy and it often has the kids saying things to one another that no kid would ever say - such as when the other kids counsel Mikey to be kind to his enemy thus heaping 'coals of fire' upon his head and to act more 'Christlike' (these are 13-14 year old kids remember) - but the basic story is one many kids will be able to relate to and the kids involved are reasonable actors for the most part. The kid who plays Mikey in particular seems to be an intelligent young actor. Sadly, that can't be said for any of the adult actors. To top it off, this movie is just an hour long, so it doesn't really outstay it's welcome. That being said, if you're expecting a rollicking adventure film with kids running around digging up a profusion of dinosaur fossils and, possibly, staying one step ahead of the local bad guys, then this ain't it.
Poor Mikey has a problem. His intended exhibit for the upcoming science fair has not lived up to expectations. Very fortuitously, at that moment one of his friends happens to stumble upon a dinosaur bone, buried on a hill side (pretty lucky, eh?). Mikey decides to build his science fair project around the bone and starts writing a paper on dinosaurs etc. When he shows his paper to his friends they are shocked to discover that Mikey's paper is centred on the Theory of Evolution and not Creationism. The movie takes pains to point out that this is because poor, deprived, misinformed Mikey attends a public school (the horror!) and is not home schooled like his mates. The main part of the movie revolves round the correction of poor Mikey's misguided faith in evolution and getting him to appreciate that Creationism is just as scientifically based. I won't spoil the story by telling you if Mikey sees the light or not. There is also a sub plot about the nasty Simon and his sidekick, Edgar, who are Mikey's nemeses and competition in the science fair. You can tell Simon is a bad egg because he keeps referring to himself in the third person. (This is a sure sign he is potential future James Bond villain material.). Will Simon sabotage Mikey's prospects at the science fair? Will Mikey win out at the end? Will Mikey be rescued from the ordeal of a public school education? These are the questions that will keep you on the edge of your seat during this flick.
I'll say it again: this is not the worst Christian based movie I have ever seen, not by a long shot. It's not the best either, but it's ok. This will never be nominated for an Academy Award or an Emmy but there are probably worse ways for you and your kids to spend an hour.
Poor Mikey has a problem. His intended exhibit for the upcoming science fair has not lived up to expectations. Very fortuitously, at that moment one of his friends happens to stumble upon a dinosaur bone, buried on a hill side (pretty lucky, eh?). Mikey decides to build his science fair project around the bone and starts writing a paper on dinosaurs etc. When he shows his paper to his friends they are shocked to discover that Mikey's paper is centred on the Theory of Evolution and not Creationism. The movie takes pains to point out that this is because poor, deprived, misinformed Mikey attends a public school (the horror!) and is not home schooled like his mates. The main part of the movie revolves round the correction of poor Mikey's misguided faith in evolution and getting him to appreciate that Creationism is just as scientifically based. I won't spoil the story by telling you if Mikey sees the light or not. There is also a sub plot about the nasty Simon and his sidekick, Edgar, who are Mikey's nemeses and competition in the science fair. You can tell Simon is a bad egg because he keeps referring to himself in the third person. (This is a sure sign he is potential future James Bond villain material.). Will Simon sabotage Mikey's prospects at the science fair? Will Mikey win out at the end? Will Mikey be rescued from the ordeal of a public school education? These are the questions that will keep you on the edge of your seat during this flick.
I'll say it again: this is not the worst Christian based movie I have ever seen, not by a long shot. It's not the best either, but it's ok. This will never be nominated for an Academy Award or an Emmy but there are probably worse ways for you and your kids to spend an hour.
