Escape from Germany

The writing was drab and stiff. The idea of 'Show Don't Tell' falls flat. The script could have used another 3-4 full revisions before going to production. So many dialogue elements could have been cleaned up. The acting was horrific and hard to stomach. The protagonist's constant 'smoldering' looks and dry delivery was nauseating. I laughed out loud on a few parts only to realize they were not meant to be funny.

I understand it is low budget and for a specific audience but this one was a hard pill to swallow.

2/3 of the movie was unbearable. The latter half of the 3rd act was redeeming and interesting. I enjoyed the end credits and the stories about the real people.

I got a big kick out of this and qualifiedly recommend it over the streams of crappy films to be found on Freevee, Netflix, and Tubi. However it has to be said that a really interesting story has been poorly served by a somewhat careless script and intermittently inspired direction. The acting is all over the place. However if you can't get past all that you may be missing something fun and even important.

Mormons (LDS: Latter Day Saints) are an evangelical sect and LDS teenagers are sent abroad on a missionary year to proselytize while living with local Mormons. There have to be many amazing stories of culture shock and personal development, but this film somehow doesn't convey that, in spite of the fact that it's set in Nazi Germany in 1939.

Shortly before the German invasion of Poland, the president of the European LDS organization has a premonition that war is about to start and, despite the denials of the U. S. Embassy, orders the German mission to close and repatriate its missionaries. Chaos ensues since German Mormons are being drafted, the Nazis are requisitioning transportation and food for the military, and neighboring countries begin closing their borders. Mission personnel struggle to leave behind some kind of church structure, convince at-risk parishioners to leave the country, and account for nearly thirty young missionaries who are stranded somewhere in Germany. One young missionary, Norm Seibold (Paul Wuthrich), is given some cash and sent to go find the boys and help them out. Meanwhile the mission personnel try to escape the Kafkaesque Nazi maze. Inspiration, determination, and faith struggle against bureaucracy and inhumanity in the kind of story Hollywood can't seem to tell except as a children's movie.

Comparing this movie to big-budget Hollywood films with A-list actors is impossible. So within the genre of modest-budgets with aspiring actors, this movie shines bright. Based on the true account of missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who are forced to flee Germany before the advent of WW2, Director/Producer TC Christensen weaves a story with suspense, humor, and limited political context.

Some of the one-line actors (Elders) could have been better coached, and I didn't care for the delivery from some of the primary characters.

Despite these shortcoming, the sets were fantastic, scenes were realistic, and the overall atmosphere was beautifully done. Beyond that, the core message of God supporting his missionaries in a period of crisis was spot-on and inspiring.

The additional details, during the end-credits were a huge bonus. I will watch this again, and I'll recommend this to others who wish to know the true 1939 account.

A good time for this movie which accurately represents the holy spirit and the goodness of those close to God. I am not a Mormon I'm a Christian and at times am concerned by those in the more cult like Mormon churches, however I felt this movie was well done and that God did reveal himself and provide protection to a group of good people doing good, it is at times of violence such as we have now that we all - Christian and those without faith must raise our heads and pray for peace and do what we can to do good. I believe all should watch this with an open mind and heart and see how God provides for us even in dark times.

That may have just been the longest 1 hour 37 minutes of my life. The dialogue is horrendous and the scores are abysmal. I understand that it did not have a large budget but the money that they did have was not put in the right places. The cast should have been hired. The lead was alright but the rest of the main characters looked and talked like they had never been in front of a camera in their life. Part of this was the script and how badly written it was but the delivery was not it. I wish they would have explored the theme of each character because the true stories in the credits were semi interesting. Please don't waste your time like I did.