Camp Manna

Camp Manna is a Christian comedy that manages to poke fun at some of the ridiculousness that surrounds Christianity, yet it never loses sight of the important messages it succeeds in getting across.

Set in the 90's, poor non-believing Ian Fletcher gets shipped off to a summer Christian camp by his religiously obsessed aunt and uncle, where he is (somewhat) forced to compete in the hilarious-Biblically-themed Olympiad known as the God Games.

From the hilariously titled cabin names to the crazy bible themed challenges to the weird but wonderfully entertaining counsellors, Camp Manna perfectly captures the fun side of Christianity and summer camps.

The goofy score, hilarious outfits (I use to wear), and the sensational performances from Jimmy Tatro (American Vandal), Gary Busey, Joey Morgan, Evan Koons and Luke Klein, all make you feel as if you've been transported back in time to the lighter days of your childhood, thus, (in my eyes) perfectly nailing the 90s vibe.

My MVP has to be Evan Koons, I've never seen him in anything before now, but every-time he was on screen, I couldn't help but laugh, wether that be because of his hilarious one-liners or because of the pure energy he pumped into the flick, either way he did a bang-up job constantly challenging the brilliant Jimmy Tatro. Kudos Mr. Koons!

The only problem I have lies with the kid cast, everyone of them, including Ian Fletcher (for the most part) were little brats and that made them hard to like, but, then I thought... Sh**! I was a little brat at that age too!

All in all, this low-budget indie flick is a god-send that the whole family can sit and enjoy, and who knows, it could even teach the children some valuable lessons while having some valuable fun!

From the cheesy cabin names to the crazy bible themed challenges, Camp Manna perfectly captures what it was like going to camp run by intense and 'spirit filled' counselors. But the film also remains tame enough to keep from being a total critique of a religious upbringing, making it worthwhile for Christians and non-religious folk alike.

It was very, very poor in many aspects. Acting was terrible. Script was very bad. The characters being portrayed were pitiful and demeaning to teens who were overweight, African, Oriental, young and small in stature. Supposed to be a Faith movie but it was more insulting to God than revealing God. I would never tell anyone about this movie unless it was, "Dot waste your time by watching it. I hope every actor in it was able to do much, much better in another movie. Or send them back to pizza delivery. It is the worst movie I've ever watched. The only good in it was the last 5 minutes. I do not recommend anyone wasting 1 hour and 26 minutes and 33 seconds.

If I were to recommend one Christian film this year it would be this one; not only because I believe it can be enjoyed by Christian and secular audiences alike, but also because it breaks with conventionality, it tells a story that has lots of humor for both adults and children, and most importantly it doesn't shove a corny message down your throat; it presents a situation and lets you the viewer make your own decisions about where Ian's journey of faith will go from here. Take a trip to Camp Manna- I guarantee you won't regret it.

Camp Manna has to be the best Christian movie, seriously. So funny with so many little jokes but still has a great message without being forced. It was so refreshing to see a Christian movie be able to poke fun at the some of the ridiculousness found inside Christianity, while pointing in the direction of what followers of Jesus should be about. This absolutely is a must watch if you have been "in the church" for a while or ever been to a Christian youth camp!