I agree with most every review on here: this was an important film, an important story, the story is true. . . and, it is laughable, embarrassing, engrossing in that is so hard to watch, like a really bad, tragic accident.
I've always had some affection for really mediocre cinema and TV. That's enough to flag this with a spoiler alert in my book, although anyone not familiar with this story by now must have been a toddler when I was in my 30's. So there's that, and the incredibly inane music of this film; honestly, the movies from this period always contained music and songwriting that was 20+ years behind, if not belonging to another dimension that reflected sentiments that never existed in the most naive or plain mindset of anyone, anywhere.
As with many low-budget, and Christian, films (which are almost always low-budget), the attempts to portray "cool" "street" behavior, with a matching soundtrack, are a true exercise in futility. It is honestly hard to believe that the 1950's (when the actual story took place) were even that dumb.
Watching this for the first time in 2015, however, was a real treat, although it took me several attempts to actually go through with it. The initial fight scene reminds me of "West Side Story" (someone had to have mentioned this already), but Pat Boone and Erik Estrada both did far better acting jobs here than they will ever get credit for.
Of course, Pat Boone versus street gangs reminds me somehow of Pat Boone singing heavy metal. . . it just ends up sounding like Pat Boone singing Pat Boone.
For the record, I am a Christian, one who is perpetually disappointed with most Christian art of any kind. But all things considered, this film is really not too bad. But if I'd seen it when I was 12 (when it was released), I may have found it believable. Much older than that I would have seen right through it, much like "Lost in Space" or the Billy Jack series.
I've always had some affection for really mediocre cinema and TV. That's enough to flag this with a spoiler alert in my book, although anyone not familiar with this story by now must have been a toddler when I was in my 30's. So there's that, and the incredibly inane music of this film; honestly, the movies from this period always contained music and songwriting that was 20+ years behind, if not belonging to another dimension that reflected sentiments that never existed in the most naive or plain mindset of anyone, anywhere.
As with many low-budget, and Christian, films (which are almost always low-budget), the attempts to portray "cool" "street" behavior, with a matching soundtrack, are a true exercise in futility. It is honestly hard to believe that the 1950's (when the actual story took place) were even that dumb.
Watching this for the first time in 2015, however, was a real treat, although it took me several attempts to actually go through with it. The initial fight scene reminds me of "West Side Story" (someone had to have mentioned this already), but Pat Boone and Erik Estrada both did far better acting jobs here than they will ever get credit for.
Of course, Pat Boone versus street gangs reminds me somehow of Pat Boone singing heavy metal. . . it just ends up sounding like Pat Boone singing Pat Boone.
For the record, I am a Christian, one who is perpetually disappointed with most Christian art of any kind. But all things considered, this film is really not too bad. But if I'd seen it when I was 12 (when it was released), I may have found it believable. Much older than that I would have seen right through it, much like "Lost in Space" or the Billy Jack series.