The Fighting Preacher

It is a tender movie! It is a feel-good movie. I liked the acting and the music. I feelt peaceful (good) feelings. The fighting aspect is not the main focus. The main focus is the fight of life, and trying to follow what you believe in. The movie put a smile on my face quite a few times, and I cried some too. I Learned more also. I recommend it! (A 10 speaks for a "I recommend") (:

"The Fighting Preacher" benefits from a slightly fresher style than other Mormon films of its kind and definitely shows more promising production value. Still, the performances are one-dimensional and the script is incredibly predictable.

It's a boring piece that feels just like the other propaganda stories of its kind and Mormon films still feel that its fair to predict "outsiders" as one-dimensional bullies that in order for them to become a decent person, they must convert to the religion.

I found the film to be generally poorly done considering the time it was released and felt that at this stage, there should be no excuses anymore to prevent Mormon cinema to reach a new standard. Unfortunately, the genre is trapped in a never ending "early saints" setting, determined to portray Mormons as perfectly kind hearted people being victimized by everyone in the country.

The main lead's performance is the only thing that grounds the film for me in some kind of reality. Unfortunately, everything else fails.

Great for leaning the value of living others despite differences

THE FIGHTING PREACHER is a clean, family-friendly movie, with its major issues being the false Mormon theology and history and the violence. Because Willard is a boxer, there are many scenes not only of sports related violence, but also violence outside the ring. I absolutely love this movie 🍿. This is based on a true story with extreme liberty taken with dialogue and events. Willard and Recca Bean have been selected by the Church of the Latter-Day Saints to occupy the Joseph Smith farm in Palmyra, NY. Willard is a former boxer. They are not wanted, but all ends well in a hokey story. Preacher Willard Bean becomes the world middleweight boxing champion in 1905, but when Joseph F. Smith asks him to step away from the limelight and serve a five-year mission in upstate New York, the Beans immediately pack their bags and travel to the East Coast.

What a great story! There are not very many films that tell a really good story well, but this is one of them! Treated with love and kindness it fills you with love. This is not really a religious story but one of belief. Great family watch!