Little Boy

This isn't a perfect movie - but it's a very, very good one. I hardly ever write reviews, but after seeing the really terrible critic reviews this movie has received, I thought I owed it to any potential watchers to let you know that I believe the Metascore is very misleading.

This movie really has no fatal flaws - the story is well-built, the acting is very good (much better than I expected), and the filming is beautiful. The tone of it really gives the right feeling of the time that the movie is set. The involvement of religious themes is only objective, and is viewed from different perspectives.

The only thing I'm missing is a bit more development in a few of the supporting characters, but that didn't really take much away from the overall impression i was left with. Pretty much everything else works really well in my opinion.

So if you're considering watching it, please do! It's a beautiful movie that is guaranteed to make you smile (:

It is difficult to express in words the absolute beauty of this film.This movie truly grips your soul as you experience with Little Boy the meaning of relentless, mountain moving faith, the courage to face one's fears, the ugliness of bullying and racism, the power and beauty of forgiveness, and the great hardships that war brings to families. This movie had me crying one moment and laughing the next, but most of all, its impact has remained with me long after I left the theater!It has truly inspired me to never give up and to keep believing when there is no evidence to encourage me to do so. As a middle school teacher, I was blessed with the opportunity to take all of our students to see this film. It was incredible to watch the student's reactions to the film! They were cheering, laughing, and crying all throughout just as I was! Their comments after give tribute to this movie's life changing messages! I have several "little boys" who are often picked on for their "fun size" (a name they have given for their short stature), and the common reflection for each of them was "Little people can do great things." and "Size doesn't keep you from greatness"! I am truly praising Jesus for this powerful, inspirational, film that has already blessed me, my family, and my students beyond measure! God bless you for making such a beautiful film!

LITTLE BOY is a decent film that I didn't know was a faith-based endeavor until people started complaining about it. Having watched and reviewed Christian films in the past (THE RELIANT, LEFT BEHIND, and THE SHACK come immediately to mind), films that objectively weren't very good, this movie didn't strike me as being a part of that milieu. It may or may not be, but it is certainly a cut above the others in terms of acting, writing, and production values. If its intent is overtly evangelical, the filmmakers did a good job of making it palatable -- and of offering a strong example of what faith films should aspire to if their real intent is outreach rather than preaching to the choir.

Nevertheless, LITTLE BOY is at the very least perceived as a Christian film, and that means it's open season for derisive and cynical critique. For example, some smugly insist, without citing any specifics, that LITTLE BOY is "historically inaccurate." Let's unpack that.

Pearl Harbor was bombed in a surprise attack on December 7, 1941 (coincidentally 81 years ago today) and, as a result, we fought a war against the Japanese in the Pacific. That's straight-up real.

Intrinsic to LITTLE BOY's plot is the notion that innocent Japanese-Americans were mistreated, stolen from, and forced into internment camps before being released penniless and without apology near the end of the War. Yes, that happened.

When these innocent Japanese-Americans were finally freed, they were hated, discriminated against, and outright abused based on the fact that they had the "face of the enemy." Check.

(The book Infamy, by Richard Reeves, covers Japanese-American internment in significant detail. I recommend it.)

In early August of 1945, we used an atomic bomb -- two of them in fact -- in Japan, and one was nicknamed Little Boy. Two cities with which we all are familiar were obliterated. Incontrovertibly true.

Americans were held as prisoners of war in the Pacific theater. Some died and some came home. Most, if not all, were brutalized. Um, yeppers.

That's literally the full extent of the history that's even touched upon in this movie, and none of it is false. Should there have been more? Should the reasons why all these things happened have been addressed? Should events have been better contextualized? Maybe, but that would have made for a very, very long and very different film.

Instead, this movie maintains its focus on the story of an American boy of the era and, as such, doesn't dwell too much on the morality, or lack thereof, of the War in the Pacific and its belligerents. Rather, it spends its time contemplating matters at home and matters of personal integrity, exploring the concept that we should treat all people with kindness and judge all as human beings based on their individual merits. Cries that this is a racist film based on the depiction of things that really happened simply don't hold up. Cries that this must be a racist film because it's connected to Christianity are even dumber and reveal more about the complainant than about the film itself.

Where LITTLE BOY fails, to the extent that it fails at all, is in its simplistic vision of a very complicated world in which faith usually doesn't move mountains but, instead, helps us to climb over them, and sometimes even then with great difficulty. Had the filmmakers resisted the urge to offer up a traditional happy ending with smiles and hugs and happy tears all around, it would have been better for the overall effort. A smidgen more imagination and, dare I say it, inspiration might have led to an uplifting ending that didn't undermine everything that preceded it.

Without doubt, LITTLE BOY sports themes rooted in faith, but that's not all there is to it. As a work of cinema, it's so much more. Still, if all viewers can bring to the party is an abiding hostility toward God, religion, and the devout, they'll miss all the good stuff, reaching instead for criticisms poisoned by ideology and not informed by what's actually presented. And that's really a shame.

I was captivated by the acting, as well as the cinematography and special effects contained on this great production. I'm glad to see that the filmmakers and actors are bringing this kind of messages to the world through art reminding us that love is the force that brings us all together and that's the path to follow as humanity. I loved Eduardo Verástegui's performance by showing Little Boy the importance of faith. It made me think about how we must have the strength to defend the truth even when some people don't see it. It also made me remember that if we have the courage to go the right way and follow our goals or dreams, based on good intentions, God will give us what we need to get trough difficulties. Not only is it a very entertaining movie with a deep emotional content, but it is also an example of kindness and compassion, great job on bringing all together. The film made me cry, laugh and feel identified at some point with the characters. It takes you on an exciting emotional roller coaster with a beautiful message at the end that will take your breath away.

Saw the screening and loved every minute of the film. Not only is it inspiring, but it makes you think and see the world through a child's eyes.

Engaging storyline, amazing cinematography and great acting. Jakob Salvati is perfect for the part. Truly a natural.

Recommended for the entire family with a message that can be applied to all aspects of life in any culture and language. Little Boy teaches children young and old that having Faith can make the impossible, possible.

It's evident the thought that was placed in creating a quality film for everyone to enjoy with a positive message.