ChanFamous
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Stephanie
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
atlasmb
I am a fan of Anne Hathaway. That was the primary reason I decided to watch this film. Unfortunately, her part is small and one dimensional. That is not her fault.A story of a missionary bringing his "truths" to the (spiritually) ignorant savages is, of course, built on a faulty and culturally biased premise. This story trips over all the basic clichés. The fact that it is a true story makes it worse and not really special. Millions have gone to other lands to proselytize for many different churches, often in primitive circumstances.But primitive or "undeveloped" societies are not necessarily deficient. I appreciated the scene in the movie where the villagers sit around a radio and John leaves. He finds one villager playing a guitar beautifully and seems to realize that the changes being introduced to this island society, including changes brought about by his church, come with a cost.The production values were fine. The depiction of the storm on the water was well done. And I appreciated the acting, which seemed genuine. But all of these were hampered by the script. A few scenes were enjoyable, I thought, but not enough to make the entire worth viewing.
familyologist
One side of love: the pure and virtuous love the boy has for the girl he left at home. Any missionary, many servicemen have felt this to some degree. The best part is they sincerely want the best for each other...The other love story is the unique kind of love he develops for a people, this is a Christ-like love that defies description. You can kind of understand if you watch, but if you've ever been a missionary or dedicated yourself to a charitable work... you'll know. It's a beautiful thing.I've read reviews that people thought it was creepy and I just shake my head. The part where the boy was supposed to be dead is a perfect example of a prayer of faith followed by inspiration to do something like CPR. "Out with the bad air, in with the good air" is an old-fashioned first aid mantra. You'll hear Minnie Mouse do a similar thing in a short where she practices first aid on Pluto and Figaro. There is nothing creepy about that.The fact that the story has some LDS flavor is only secondary. This is an incredibly inspirational story, period.
Xander Seavy (RiffRaffMcKinley)
"The Other Side of Heaven" is a movie that I liked as a younger person with much less appreciation of what appeals to my particular film tastes. But even then, I only would have given this a 6 or a 7 (tops).The performances by Anne Hathaway and Christopher Gorham are disturbingly incompetent. Kevin Kiner's bizarrely typical music is just not interesting enough to bind the movie together. And, as far as themes go, the plot line of this movie is terrifyingly generic (guy comes to a "backwards" civilization to bring "enlightenment" to the "ignorant savages").Honestly, I don't believe in missionary work. After all, didn't some of the people who conquered the Americas come disguised as missionaries? It just doesn't fit into my belief system that you should try to convert someone to yours, so it makes it very difficult for me to relate to this film's main character (a real-life person).Plus, the movie is badly mangled (oops... I mean, edited) together and should not be rated above a 4 in the IMDb weighted average. When it is higher, it makes one wonder about the validity of the entire system.
Island_Girl
I saw this movie today and can't believe I waited so long after its release to see it. I stumbled on it on my cable channel and was so taken by it, I interrupted my afternoon plans to watch it in its entirely.Not only was the filmography incredible, but it was so beautifully directed. I can't believe this was Mitch Davis' Directorial debut! How do you do a work so incredible on your first work? The characters were portrayed so beautifully that it seemed that they were real people and not actors. It reminded me of one of my favorite stories of all time...James Michener's "Hawaii", yet it had its own sweetness and own story.I will put this on down as one of my top ten movies and highly recommend it to anyone who loves drama, hope, truth and love...amidst a beautiful island people.I give this 10 stars wholeheartedly!
