Don't Believe the Hype

An Exercise In Nonsense

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

The acting in this movie is superb. And the dialogue seems quite natural - at least most all the time. Very well scripted and directed. And John Ratzenberger is amazing. (I kept finding myself amazed this was the same guy who played know-it-all windbag Cliff Claven in "Cheers." The range of emotion he displays in this movie really shows the depth of his acting. Kind of like comedian/comedy actor Robin Williams did in "The Dead Poets Society.")Possible SPOILER ALERT here, but what I think really sets this movie apart from other faith-based movies is that in the end not quite EVERYthing ends up hunky dory. I'll leave it at that, but it added a sense of real world realism to the movie.But, I'd have to give it an A+ overall. Very well done film and very uplifting story to watch. Full of good instructional points for youth OR adults.

I should probably begin by saying that I'm not the target audience for a Christian propaganda film like this. That said, The Woodcarver managed to occasionally catch my interest, due in a large part to the acting skills of John Ratzenberger and the honest beauty in the woodworking highlighted in the movie.The plot of the movie is fairly straight forward, without any real surprises. The plot is focused on Ernest, an elderly woodworker played by the talented John Ratzenberger, and Matthew, a troubled teenager who begins the movie by vandalizing the church that Ernest is working to rebuild. The pastor of the vandalized church convinces Matthew to work with Ernest in order to repay the damage he caused. In the process of working with the boy, Ernest manages to impart his work ethic, values, and beliefs onto the boy, simply by living well and asking Matthew to stop before doing anything and first asking "What would Jesus do?"Before I complain about the lackluster plot and acting in the movie, I should first give the praise where it is due. John Ratzenberger acts his role well, and I found myself most interested in the movie when he was on screen. The director also seemed to understand the beauty in the woodcarving scenes, which were lovingly filmed and liberally sprinkled throughout the movie. The sets are well-designed, and Ernest's house is filled with the little touches that mark it as the home of a skilled carpenter.Unfortunately, that's it for the praise. The plot isn't bad, but is boring and predictable. Ernest, the 'good Christian', never seems to do anything wrong and has no flaws in his character to speak of. It's only due to the previously mentioned skills of Ratzenberger that the character manages to be at all interesting. The other actors deliver their lines without the conviction that you would expect from trained professionals, and sound more like a high school theatre troupe that has yet to come into their talent. The Christian message isn't heavy handed, but the movie still manages to avoid any challenging subject matter by having everyone simply accept it without any real internal debate or struggle. The questions they ask about Ernest's Christian message are simple and foolish, but the movie still doesn't bother to properly address them.All told, if you are a Christian family looking for something to affirm your values, this movie will do the job. If you are looking for anything thought-provoking or at all interesting, look elsewhere. The movie never manages to be bad, but in the sea of cinema available, it commits the worst sin of all: mediocrity.

As a celebration of individual craftsmanship The Woodcarver is an interesting film. But it's failure to really find a reason young Dakota Dalby's rebellion it falls way short of the mark. I'm still not clear if the young man in his own mind committed these acts of vandalism for sufficient reason.But vandalize his former church he did and the pastor Anthony Harrison calls in his estranged parents, Woody Jeffreys and Nicole Oliver. They spend more time sniping at each other than paying attention to their son. In fact Jeffreys sees the vandalism as an opportunity for work for his contracting firm and their prefabricated material.The thing is the original carver of the woodwork in the church is still with us and as a craftsman John Ratsenberger takes a great deal of pride. Pride in yourself is a sin, but pride in what you do with your own hands if you're blessed with such a creative spirit should be encouraged.Which is the lesson taught to young Daulby. With a leavening of those initials that have become so popular, WWJD, what would Jesus do? There's considerable debate in our society about that proposition.The Woodcarver is a good tribute to pride in your work and the dignity of a craft well learned and practiced.

In WWJD II: The Wooodcarver, John Ratzenberger plays Ernest, a hard working, decent and faith filled man. It could be my Dad or many other people's Dad, Grandfather, brother or husband. I wouldn't say that the movie is perfect, but nothing is. That's why I liked it. It's just down to earth and shows the messiness that exists in this world. I don't think the film is overly preachy. Yes Jesus is mentioned, but in a way that shows hurting people that if they want a fulfilled life like Ernest has, they might try putting God first. And just because they do, it doesn't cause everything in their life to be rosy--just meaningful. Of course, a lot of people become bitter and miserable when life seems to fail them. This movie shows how prayers often need humans to act unselfishly in order for positive change to occur. In that sense, I believe that prayers are answered. This movie affirms my belief.