Movie Review: Beyond the Mask

Beyond the Mask

Rating: PG (For action, violence and some thematic elements)

Recommended for: 8 and up 

 The leading mercenary for the British East India Company, Will Reynolds (Andrew Cheney, Seasons of Gray), has just been double-crossed and now is on the run in the American colonies. Working to redeem his name and win back the affections of Charlotte (Kara Kilmer, Chicago Fire), with whom he's never been fully truthful, Will now hides behind a new mask in hopes of thwarting his former employer (John Rhys-Davies, Lord of the Rings). As his past life closes in on him, Will must somehow gain the trust the trust of his beloved Charlotte- as well as Ben Franklin- while he races against time to defuse a plot of historical proportions.

 This movie was a little different than I thought it would be, but it was still good. There are some little inconsistencies in the movie, but it is done a lot better than many of the indie films that I have seen. It was funny and had a lot of action.

   

Technical: 3/5

  I didn't think that the acting was that bad, but I do have trouble recognizing it unless it is really bad. One thing I did notice was that a couple of the characters' British accents didn't sound quite authentic. The special effects, though, were good. There were several explosions and they didn't look fake. There are a couple things in the story that I'm a little confused about, but that is probably because I didn't give it my full attention the entire time. I would probably understand it better if I re-watch it.

Setting: 4/5

 The movie is set during the Colonial period during the Revolutionary War. I don't know where everything was filmed, but the England setting didn't seem out of place and the Colonial Philadelphia looked like Colonial Williamsburg, which has actual buildings from that period. There are some inconsistencies, such as there being green leaves on the trees at Christmas time, being able to see people's breath on July 3rd, and a point when it is the day time and then a couple minutes later it is nighttime. Some of the parts about electricity seemed a little advanced for that period.

Plot: 3.5/5

  The characters spent more time in England than what the trailer gave an impression of, and this is where a good portion of the story takes place and where everything sets up. The main storyline is about Will finding redemption. I don't feel like I got the whole story but that might have been just me.

Characters: 4/5

  I think that the characters had believable motives, though I don't remember if it ever explained Will's reason for quitting his job at the beginning of the movie. The characters probably could have been better developed but they were still likable characters. I did not like their George Washington but their Benjamin Franklin was good and from what I have read of his writings, their portrayal of him seemed accurate.

 This was a good movie, despite little inconsistencies and I would recommend it as a good Christian movie.