Emile Petruk

The film was not able to cover all of the scenes and characters that were found in the book but they also added a few scenes and characters that were not in the book. They added a ruler/boss of the City of Destruction that answered to Apollyon (Satan) and had his minions try to deter or ensnare Christian from his Way. I think some of the added scenes tried to create a “good guys verses bad guys” mentality that is depicted in a lot of children’s movies. I do not think this was the author’s intent. Some of the scenes with Satan and demons in them were a bit frightening, even to me as an adult, and I would not show my own kids the movie until they are past the age of ten or so. There was also a major deviation from the book when the film depicted the Interpreter as female whereas in the book he was a man. I think this is misleading especially since I understood the Interpreter to be a function or representation of the Holy Spirit who is referred to in the masculine in the Bible. Or the Interpreter is also supposed to represent the Preacher, which is biblically supposed to be a man. Some reviews that I read online said that the animation and effects were good, but I noticed they were poor. Some of the movements and mannerisms of the characters were unnatural and unprofessional looking. If it were being compared to Disney in animation quality (because that is what I can compare it to in my mind) it would not fare well. They also left out the scene of the Valley of the Shadow of Death from the book which I was disappointed in. When Christian enters the Celestial City in the book, it is all about him finally coming to meet Jesus face to face. In the film Christian in effect, runs right past Jesus to go and greet his buddies Hopeful and Faithful in heaven. I think this is a misleading representation that we should tell children and other people we evangelize that they should want to go to heaven because their friends and family will be there. Heaven is only paradise because of the presence of the King, and meeting Christians on the other side is a secondary perk and should not be the reason why the Christian so enthusiastically runs through the pearly gates. Another deviation from the original book is that in the book Christian reads a book that awakens him to the reality of his sin and the coming judgement of God on the City of Destruction. In the movie it shows him reading about a coming war that Christian is afraid of and so he flees to the gate out of fear. Fear of God and the knowledge of our sin lead us to true repentance and salvation but merely fear of hell is not enough to bring about a true contrite conversion. The overall message of the movie remains true to the book and to the Christian life while some theological points were skewed in the lieu of artistic license and interpretation. It does depict the despair caused by legalism, the grief of sin and failure, the grace of God, the hope of the gospel (Hopeful), and the unseen reality of the true love a Christian has for the King of Kings. The Christian life consists of valleys and mountaintop experiences as well as triumph, exhaustion, and respite. I would still show this movie to children but I would prefer to use the book to help them use their own imaginations with more variety and taste.