I am a Mormon and love the Book of Mormon. I think one day the text will be the basis for a wonderful movie (or several); this is not that day. Although the film remained true to the text (with minor adjustments for "flow"), the movie was neither inspiring, moving or, frankly, very interesting.
I was especially disappointed in the Northern European (read: Germanic, non-Middle Eastern) portrayal of ancient Israelites, the gross inattention to detail (e.g., the model of Jerusalem was wholly without ANY speck of greenery - where were the olive trees, fig trees, etc. so abundant throughout the scriptures?)and the dramatic (in places) yet hokey acting. The special effects were, well, special; in fact, the "angel saves Nephi from his brothers" scene and the "Nephi shocks his brothers" scene both moved me (and most of the other moviegoers in the nearly-empty theater) to laugh out loud.
The story upon which the movie is based is rich and inspiring; the movie simply fails to portray believability in the story line. For example, the older brothers of the hero (Nephi) keep having supernatural experiences (e.g., visits from angels), yet they almost immediately (so it seems) forget and go back to their bad ways. The movie portrays them as mentally ill rather than explore - at all believably - any plausible explanation for their hot/cold behavior.
God (or the Lord) speaking with a Utah accent was also a bit TOO much (I liked the mysterious, deep voice in "The Ten Commandments"); and I hope God doesn't ramble on and on like that in real life (although maybe that explains why so many fail to listen).
I HIGHLY recommend the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. As for the movie, well, it's better than the cartoon version (and the music isn't awful), but not as good as a bad Star Trek episode. I give it a 5 (it is, at least, a clean movie promoting good values). Oh, one last thing: PG13? Give me a break! The slight violence (even the most gory scene) is rather mild (almost amusing - such interesting non-staining blood). Hard to believe the original "Planet of the Apes" got a G and this got a PG13.
I was especially disappointed in the Northern European (read: Germanic, non-Middle Eastern) portrayal of ancient Israelites, the gross inattention to detail (e.g., the model of Jerusalem was wholly without ANY speck of greenery - where were the olive trees, fig trees, etc. so abundant throughout the scriptures?)and the dramatic (in places) yet hokey acting. The special effects were, well, special; in fact, the "angel saves Nephi from his brothers" scene and the "Nephi shocks his brothers" scene both moved me (and most of the other moviegoers in the nearly-empty theater) to laugh out loud.
The story upon which the movie is based is rich and inspiring; the movie simply fails to portray believability in the story line. For example, the older brothers of the hero (Nephi) keep having supernatural experiences (e.g., visits from angels), yet they almost immediately (so it seems) forget and go back to their bad ways. The movie portrays them as mentally ill rather than explore - at all believably - any plausible explanation for their hot/cold behavior.
God (or the Lord) speaking with a Utah accent was also a bit TOO much (I liked the mysterious, deep voice in "The Ten Commandments"); and I hope God doesn't ramble on and on like that in real life (although maybe that explains why so many fail to listen).
I HIGHLY recommend the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. As for the movie, well, it's better than the cartoon version (and the music isn't awful), but not as good as a bad Star Trek episode. I give it a 5 (it is, at least, a clean movie promoting good values). Oh, one last thing: PG13? Give me a break! The slight violence (even the most gory scene) is rather mild (almost amusing - such interesting non-staining blood). Hard to believe the original "Planet of the Apes" got a G and this got a PG13.