Pilgrim's Progress

This is a very poor adaptation of a Christian analogy (and classic English literature) about the journey of a man from destruction to salvation. Written in the late 1600s, it was written by an ordinary man for ordinary people. The names of people and lessons learnt were blatantly obvious to help ordinary people understand the underlying message of John Bunyon. This version seems to have been "dumbed down" even more so, with Bible passages directly quoted. This causes a problem as God and "The King" are actually one in the same person in the book, but their names are mixed, so separating them. By doing this, it's more of a turn-off than an attraction. Although the acting is okay, the poor script and setting makes it difficult to watch. I have to recognise that, because of the analogy style of the book, it is hard to adapt such a book without it coming off a little awkward.

I read Pilgrims Progress when I gave my heart to Jesus 16 years ago. It helped me understand so many things at the time. Recently I came across the DVD in the Christian Bookstore and purchased it this evening. I just finished watching it and though it isn't the quality of a multi million dollar movie I felt it was well done with the telling of the story and the examples given. It has brought me closer to Jesus this evening. I suppose the person watching will see what the heart is willing to see or what they allow Jesus to show them through this movie. May God bless everyone who watches Pilgrims Progress. Thank you for making it!

Writer, Producer and Director Danny Carrales has again demonstrated that Christian movies are getting better and better. This is an example of an independent film that has a "big budget" look. The acting is very good, which is usually the first sign of a low budget movie. Carrales has the ability to be very creative and resourceful with what he has to work with, as he has done in his other films such as, "The Gathering," and "Escape from Hell." In this case, he delivers a very dramatic, well told rendition of the John Bunyan classic. The cinematography and special effects are wonderful. This thought-provoking story is powerful and is sure to draw emotion. If you haven't read the story lately or not at all, this film is definitely worth checking out. I highly recommend it.

If you are a fan of the original Pilgrim's Progress book then you may find this movie to be one of the best film adaptations of the book. Books use different methods to tell a story than films do. So, you will find small differences between the two but it is very true to the original story. The director does a great job of allowing you to experience the story from the book in the form of a film. I wouldn't say this film competes with the book but rather that it is a companion to it.

I'm done with the review but since I must write 10 sentences, let me offer a warning about people that seem to enjoy being critical of other people's work. The negative nature of such reviews should cause one to question the maturity of the people submitting a review as well as the quality of their work (don't think that doesn't matter - it always matters).

A great filmmaker was once asked who his favorite filmmaker was to which he responded "anyone that finishes a film." Those are words from a person who truly knows what he is talking about.

This is a great rendition of John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress"... this book was written in the late 1600's... during a tumultous time in Christian history... This book is the result of years of telling stories to his children when they would come and visit him in prison... he was imprisoned for preaching without a license... you had to be licensed by the Anglican church, yet Bunyan's beliefs were not in line with that church, and he wanted to preach... many of his fellow Puritans fled to America for religious freedom... yes, I'm talking about the Pilgrims... Yet Bunyan felt like his calling was there in England, preaching to the people... so he stayed... he was imprisoned for 12 years... he would have been released at any time, if he'd promised to NOT preach the Gospel... he would not do that... During his time in prison he supported his family by writing books... He wrote 59 books... The Pilgrim's Progress was an allegory of the trials, tribulations, and temptations that come against Christians on their quest to "endure to the end"... Its a really neat book, and very relevant to today...