Legacy Peak

I wanted to like this movie. There are far too few movies today which are clean and innocent. Far too few films with a redeeming message.

But this movie was just bad. The main guy was trying way too hard. The kids' personalities were completely back and forth. There was no natural progression in how the daughter's attitude changed. The main villain being a pack of wolves was just laughable. And the Grampa at the end, what a random personality he had. I felt like this movie was made by a youth group and rushed before they had to go home from camp.

This is the film that made me realize it's past time to cancel the pureflix account. I wanted to like this movie.

Jason (Lucas Black) is flying his girlfriend Noelle's two kids Sam (Kyleigh Bakker) and Ben (Roman Engel) to their grandparents' cabin. They have a bird strike and forced to land in the middle of the woods.

Kids are the worst. There is a life-and-death wilderness situation and the girl is all about the family melodrama. They leave the relative safety of the plane. I certainly understand him going to the ranger's cabin by himself. Of course, kids are the worst and they can't take care of themselves for a few days. The little one is even worst. "I got bored." Really? Almost every problem except the bird strike can be traced back to the kids. They burn down the cabin. They wreck the ATV. They keep almost getting themselves killed. Kids are the worst. Aside from that, this may be a Christian film. It's the undertone without being too preachy.

Faith-based movies do not get the respect they deserve. Given the current state of civilization, we could do with more of them. A lot more. Tracked down this one to see the performance of Lucas Black. Black as a child actor was one of the best things in the classic TV series American Gothic. He stole every scene he was in, and read each line of dialog like his career depended on it. Which, arguably, it did. Here he is merely adequate as a father figure trying to connect with kids. The script wobbles. A lot. Runs the gamut from forgettable cliches to legitimate zingers. ("The cabin has electricity and running water." "So does a thunder cloud, but you wouldn't want to live in one!") In its class, Legacy Peak is above average, guaranteed to please its target audience. And the "survival" portion will hold interest for the broader audience. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

A man (Lucas Black) takes his fiancé's teen daughter and kid boy on a plane ride to win their favor before the marriage, but they end up having to take a long cold hike to the family cabin.

"Legacy Peak" (2022) has great locations and good intentions, but takes a wrong turn at the midway point with the scene involving a ranger station and, unfortunately, never recovers. I don't blame the actors. The flick needed more time on the script level; and then the actors needed more time working together to make their dialogues & actions feel organic. Worst of all, the thrill-sequences come off unconvincing and klutzy. With 25-30 minutes to go, I just wanted it to end.

That's too bad because, underneath the amateurishness, there's a meaty story about a good man overcoming his difficult past and rising to the challenge of righteous fatherhood on the family path. With a little more money and time, this could've been a worthwhile production.

For balance, my wife was able to roll with the flick's flaws and somewhat appreciate it; at least enough so that she didn't feel like she wasted her time.

It runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Loveland and Estes Park, Colorado, both of which are an hour's drive north of Denver, the latter in the mountains and 20 minutes further.

GRADE: C-/D+

I love seeing awesome actors like Lucas Black in really, truly, GOOD movies about GOOD things!! Especially movies that have been done really well!

There are a lot of great things about this movie, not the least of which is: the ultimate reality of blended families, aviation, wilderness survival, life lessons, the necessity of high quality parenthood, great cinematography, movies about fatherhood (or lack thereof), and many others.

It's just a great story! I plan to buy it on blu-ray as soon as it comes out!!! I want this one in my collection - digital and physical. I hope that the writers, actors, producers, and directors keep making more good stuff like this. THIS is an essential component of human existence - movies/stories/myths/examples of what GOOD is.... especially in an imperfect, cynical, apathetic, corrupt, and fallen world.