My mom bought this and lent it to my 5-year-old to watch on the trip back home. I let her watch it w/out previewing it since my mom is a Christian and the movie was supposed to be about an angel helping a girl in need. After hearing some of the dialog coming from the back seat on the ride home, I was not impressed and decided to watch it for myself. If the plot were meaty and the lessons rich I could overlook the poor writing and the bad acting. However, there is nothing in the text of this movie to recommend it to anyone for any reason. The best thing i can say is it has no profanity, but neither do a lot of other movies that are also intelligent, entertaining, and of high moral character. The character Peyton wears revealing clothing which I suppose goes with her role as the seducing protagonist, but is totally unnecessary. Rather than looking like a wily, intelligent con-woman, she comes off as a street walker with a phony accent. The father character is an idiot, which has become all too common in modern entertainment, undermining the role dads have in the life of the family. The daughter, Desi, is probably the best one in the movie but still is unconvincing. The role the 'angel' RJ plays is TOTALLY out of Christian context! I believe angels exist and I believe they do interact with us, guiding and protecting us. I've even seen one and have known other trusted people who have encountered them. None of them were insipid little girls sent down to play tricks on the 'bad' people. In several scenes, she causes playful harm to Peyton - the 'bad' person - sending mashed potatoes flying into her face, salad dressing on her head, being covered with cake and landing in a pool (twice). The second time Peyton is dunked, no one offers to help her out of the pool and they go on w/the birthday party like she's not even there. My daughter even cried out, "Are they just going to let her drown?!?" Not exactly Christian character in my book, and definitely not the work of Angels. I'm all for maintaining high viewing standards for my family, but I'd rather read a good book, go for a walk, color a picture, or sit and talk before watching drivel like this. Sometimes an innocent message - if it presents a distorted picture of God's creatures and his true nature - is not really so innocent as it seems. As Oswald Chambers put it, I demand the "utmost, for His highest" even in entertainment.
Review of Angel in Training
