Movie Review: “Saturday’s Warrior” is LDS comfort food

MOVIE REVIEW: SATURDAY’S WARRIOR (PG)

There’s been quite an influx of religious-themed movies as of late. “Miracles From Heaven,” “God’s Not Dead 2,” and “Risen,” just to name a few. Now the LDS-themed “Saturday’s Warrior” jumps into the ring. Based on the stage play by Lex de Azevedo and Doug Stewart that made its debut in 1974, this take on “Saturday’s Warrior” will, no doubt, appeal to fans who grew up on the popular filmed version of the play that started making the rounds back in 1989.

In “Saturday’s Warrior,” a group of souls are sent to Earth circa the ’70s where they ultimately lead mortal lives and take part in a series of life-filled trials that include contention, temptation, and sickness and are instrumental in their spiritual growth. Despite a handful of bittersweet bumps in the road though, this is more of an upbeat affair.

There is no doubt that “Saturday’s Warrior” has the most earnest and noble of intentions. It wears those intentions proudly on it’s sleeve. Unfortunately, the film as a whole is a bit on the cheesy side, and the musical numbers lack real dynamic flair. The cast — led by likable performers including Kenny Holland, Monica Moore Smith, Mason D. Davies, Anna Daines, and scene stealing Utah-based musician Alex Boye — is filled with capable vocalists, but the songs themselves are not entirely memorable, and the overall technical approach to the material sort of lets the cast down.

“Saturday’s Warrior” was directed by Michael Buster, and while the film will likely tap into that sense of nostalgia that fans of the source material are probably yearning for — this much is certain as is evident by the film’s hefty box-office take in the state of Utah — it probably won’t do much for viewers looking in from the outside. Much of the contention in this picture is of the Brady Bunch variety, and while “The Brady Bunch” certainly had its charms, it was made up of 25-minute episodes. “Saturday’s Warrior,” by comparison, is pushing the two-hour mark.

Too much of the confrontational elements in this picture feel labored and over the top. The lack of cynicism is fine, but there are too many hammy moments that keep the proceedings from being genuinely moving. Having said that, there are a few dramatic scenes that do work, high among them a reunion between a father and his son.

“Saturday’s Warrior” offers up a fantasy element and a much-welcome undercurrent of intentional humor, but said fantasy and humor often feel at odds with the more serious aspects of the movie. Lead character Jimmy’s trial and journey of self-discovery feels all too artificial when it should come across as far more meaningful. There’s certainly an interesting concept at play here, but the lack of budget and the refusal to get too serious keep “Saturday’s Warrior” from reaching the heights of something like “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Instead, this film is more akin to that Johnny Bravo episode of “The Brady Bunch.”

There have been a handful of LDS-themed films that have proven to be thought-provoking and powerful (see “New York Doll” and “Saints and Soldiers”), but those particular movies transcended the LDS theme, leading to deeper, more universal messages about hope and faith. Again, “Saturday’s Warrior” certainly isn’t without its charms. But clearly, this is a movie that is most likely to appeal to its target demographic. Translation: This is really the kind of film meant to be watched during Family Home Evening. In short, “Saturday’s Warrior” is LDS comfort food. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. We all need our comfort food from time to time.