Review of The Adventures of Chris Fable

First off, I am definitely NOT saying this film is good. It's terrible and we all know that. But honestly, making this film can't have been easy. The Pilgrim's Progress is a 17th century text, so it's understandably difficult to adapt it for a modern audience. The problem they have with this is that some of the dialogue is directly ripped from the novel, which doesn't work as it doesn't match the rest of the dialogue in style or tone. The bad actors certainly don't help the situation either. Oddly enough, the scenes which are the most exciting to watch are the ones which have the least to do with the film's religious overtone. So, honestly, why not scrap it altogether? Especially seeing as the scenes which ARE important to the message are stale and boring. I mean, watching a 15-year-old kid walk through fields and woods with a bit of music added is just not entertainment. To be fair, this could also be put down to the source novel. I mean, as an atheist I've never read it, but it seems like it could be a pretty difficult read for multiple reasons. The film might not have made me a Christian overnight, but it has taught me one thing: that amateur filmmakers should think realistically before the cameras start rolling. I don't think Wiest is a bad director (as some of his other works actually don't look too bad), but I think his abilities and resources just didn't match his vision. It's something that all would-be filmmakers should think about. It's a shame honestly because, if they had spent a little more time rewriting the story, and if they didn't make nonsense decisions such as the "electra city" part, it might have almost been passable. After all, Chris is a somewhat plausible character, and his actor is decent in comparison to the others, and they could quite easily have built a sensible story on him. Unfortunately, they made all the wrong decisions. From the blatantly obvious religious agenda to the convoluted mess that is the story, this film is, as 30+ other people have also said, a stinker. But, with a little work, it might not have been. It wouldn't have been great, but if they had just taken more care with it, it might have ended up a somewhat watchable film.

EDIT: I also must add that it looks like a lot of the reviewers here were deceived by the packaging. I mean, not to be rude, but you're not getting any sort of Harry Potter type film for £3. You're just not. Although, to be fair, even £3 is too much to pay for this film. The 106 minutes you waste watching this film are a fair price.