Legacy Peak

I really enjoyed watching Legacy Peak. Not only is it a movie of fighting for survival, it is so much more. It is a beautiful story of learning that everyone has a painful past that they need to overcome and not letting it define you. It, also, shows the power of forgiveness, redemption and faith. I liked taking this adventure through the wilderness with Ben, Sam and Jason. I was on the edge of my seat wanting to find out if and how they would survive. I thought it was great to watch with the element of faith.

I am giving Legacy Peak a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for families of all ages.

I received an early screen link of Legacy Peak from Pure Flix, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

A man (Lucas Black) takes his fiancé's teen daughter and kid boy on a plane ride to win their favor before the marriage, but they end up having to take a long cold hike to the family cabin.

"Legacy Peak" (2022) has great locations and good intentions, but takes a wrong turn at the midway point with the scene involving a ranger station and, unfortunately, never recovers. I don't blame the actors. The flick needed more time on the script level; and then the actors needed more time working together to make their dialogues & actions feel organic. Worst of all, the thrill-sequences come off unconvincing and klutzy. With 25-30 minutes to go, I just wanted it to end.

That's too bad because, underneath the amateurishness, there's a meaty story about a good man overcoming his difficult past and rising to the challenge of righteous fatherhood on the family path. With a little more money and time, this could've been a worthwhile production.

For balance, my wife was able to roll with the flick's flaws and somewhat appreciate it; at least enough so that she didn't feel like she wasted her time.

It runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Loveland and Estes Park, Colorado, both of which are an hour's drive north of Denver, the latter in the mountains and 20 minutes further.

GRADE: C-/D+

I really wanted to give this movie a 4. The lead guy's acting was pretty good. The storyline has great potential. It's the kid dynamic that ruins things. Lucas is humble and trusting God. The kids are disrespectful, selfish and unruly. He should think about marrying a widow who does not know how to parent. Obviously the mom is not Christian. Her kids have no clue about the Bible or faith. The message seems to be that it's ok to be nasty, disobedient and arrogant kids - because they lost a dad.........so WRONG! The Director wanted to show team work but the boy acts like he knows better than the adult. So annoying! All the wilderness problems are because of the kids. The story is supposed to be about Luke's journey, going deeper with God and accepting himself...... but the kids are a distraction. There is no significant moment the kids experience true remorse for actions. Recognize the impact of their selfish actions on others. Take responsibility for their actions. Inquire about God. No growth from the kids other than accepting Lucas as a new daddy. The movie would have been better (more realistic) without the kids and Luke fighting the wilderness alone. I don't think I would recommend this movie - sorry!

Jason (Lucas Black) is flying his girlfriend Noelle's two kids Sam (Kyleigh Bakker) and Ben (Roman Engel) to their grandparents' cabin. They have a bird strike and forced to land in the middle of the woods.

Kids are the worst. There is a life-and-death wilderness situation and the girl is all about the family melodrama. They leave the relative safety of the plane. I certainly understand him going to the ranger's cabin by himself. Of course, kids are the worst and they can't take care of themselves for a few days. The little one is even worst. "I got bored." Really? Almost every problem except the bird strike can be traced back to the kids. They burn down the cabin. They wreck the ATV. They keep almost getting themselves killed. Kids are the worst. Aside from that, this may be a Christian film. It's the undertone without being too preachy.

From an adult's perspective, owning a light aircraft may seem like something only wealthy people do. But for kids, they may not understand the value of this kind of experience. Starting from being strangers, teenagers don't perceive adults from the perspective of wealth and looks. Teenagers have their own perceptions, and respect is earned through actions. In the first half of this movie, to be honest, I found teenagers hard to please. However, it's in the middle of the film, during the hardships, that Jason never uttered a harsh word and consistently acted as a role model, overcoming challenges related to food, water, and animals. Going through these experiences together with children and ending up hand in hand, cherishing everyone's safety, is a valuable lesson. For parents still struggling with teenagers at home, consider signing up for a camping trip or joining the same team in a competition. Turn opponents into teammates, strengthen your bond, and I wish you the best.