Joshua

It's not about what church you go to, it's not about doing good or

doing bad, it's not about who likes you or how 'important' you are.

It's all about love. We love others because God first loved us.

That's the message this movie portrays as Joshua comes in this

completely hypothetical portrayal of Christ coming to modern,

small town America. He reminds the townspeople in plain, simple

ways what it means to truly care for people. It's not trying to be a

prophetic second coming film, only a fictional story designed to

prove a point.

Maybe the film's a little idealistic, maybe it's a little corny in a

couple places. Who cares? I felt better after watching this movie

than I have after any movie in a while. It's a nice change from the

normal film of today's market which glorifies hatred and revenge.

8 of 10

The purpose of the film is clear: portray what Jesus would be like if he was doing his ministry today. How Joshua treated the people around him, how he lived his life, the miracles, how he spoke to blasphemers, his enemies, and everything, it was a great portrait of what we know and imagine Jesus to be like.

The film crossed all of the denominational boundaries - reaching to evangelists, revivalists, Catholics, and others - with the message of God's love. And the film did a great job of using Tony to portray what Jesus' love would be like today.

What you can take away from this film is a glimpse of what a Christian should be and should portray. As a Christian, your goal is to be more Christ-like. One of Christ's main teachings was love and he demonstrated that in his ministry. This movie gives you a glimpse of one of what an outward appearance, evidence, of a Christian should be. I mean, doesn't make sense that a Christian should be nice, friendly, loving, helpful, and show humility?

I think the movie did a great job showing that. As for the miracles of the movie - they were similar to stuff from the gospels. Take that with a grain of salt. This movie isn't about the second coming of Jesus or retelling the Jesus story. It's a fantasical conjecture to the question of "what if Jesus came to earth again to reiterate His message and work? what would that be like?"

This movie isn't supposed to be deep or evoke something like the Passion. This movie is supposed to make you stop and evaluate, take stock of yourself - to invoke in your heart. If the movie stirred your heart, then you should seek to find out more about this Jesus.

As for the music - according to the first commenter who is clearly not a believer - the music is secondary. The movie featured Third Day, a pretty well-known CCM music band. The music served its purpose.

Whoever the first commenter was, he/she missed the point of the movie entirely. He/she might not even be a believer, or is a believer who is so caught up with him/herself that he/she has no idea what he/she is talking about. The first commenter used the word blaspheme - stop using such big words, you're giving yourself a headache!

Don't miss this film. Let the message speak to your heart.

Well, I'm very glad that I didn't look at the IMDB entry before I made the decision whether or not I should watch it. I wouldn't have watched it. The movie was nice for a lazy Sunday morning. The message was uplifting and should be to any viewer, regardless of his/her religious affiliation. A stranger comes into town and turns it upside down by being helpful, polite, friendly and courteous. He teaches various characters lessons that are appropriate to the listener. And he seems to have some sort of otherworldly power. The message, that the community would be a much better place if people would drop their prejudices, stop being so selfish, and help one another, is one that all people, regardless of religion, color, nationality, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or whatever difference one may chose to emphasize.

To bring myself to my point, I'm a non-Christian, and I felt this movie was entertaining, educational, uplifting, and had some valuable things to say. It would be really too bad if the fact that it has been labeled a "Christian" movie, caused non-Christians to ignore it, or dismiss the lessons taught as Christian propaganda. I, for one, am glad I took the time to watch it, but not because of the "Christian" message, but because of the message of love. If it hadn't been for the comments made here, I would not have considered it a Christian move, but a movie about Good.

So, for you non-Christians out there, Don't ignore this movie. It's got a great message. There are other explanations for the things that happen in this movie, but the core message, that of community and love, is important for all.

There are a few holes in this movie, both theologically and cinematically, but I must say I was touched by it. For a moment I felt Christ's love for us. And while we cannot forget that His love is also a part of His holiness, it was nice to get a brief glimpse of that perfect love. Kudos also to Michael W. Smith, who took on the task of writing a decent score for the film. Fans of the Christian group Third Day will also be pleased to see a nice cameo as well. And on the DVD there's a nice documentary that exhibits the filmmakers' desires to share God's love with the viewer. And if you enjoyed the movie, there's a whole series of Joshua books out there to continue the exploration of "what if Jesus came as the Joshua character"...

This isn't a great film, but I did go to bed last night feeling grateful to be a Christian, and grateful to feel His love for me in a simple movie.

This isn't a movie about the end of the world or the second coming. There is no violence and minimal character development. Yet, this film is captivating. What if Jesus were to come back as a human being? Would he be recognized? Would he be more easily accepted? Or would the same prejudices and arrogance lead to his rejection?

That's the premise behind this movie and the novel by Joseph Girzone. It's not as good as the book (no real confrontation with the Vatican in the film), but is still a film that touches me. I find myself watching it time and again just because it's special and I can't quite put my finger on why.

So watch it and decide for yourself.