Pilgrim's Progress (2019) User Reviews

Not quite!

[benny-48505 · 5/10 · 8 August 2019]

I was looking forward to this movie as a christian and also a keen John Bunyan reader how ever I had to stop watching this as it is not faithful to the book which really does not need additions like a modern story plot, like this movie adds. This is the type of movie that needs a trilogy and alot more care and effort in giving the viewer its proper Godly message. It was not so much the animation and its quality as that was pretty impressive for the budget and 3d animation is technically the hardest of visual crafts to master. What really was a negative for me was the abreviation of the story. Pilgrims progress is epic and really cant be abreviated into one film like all modern films have done. 5 out of ten and mainly those stars are for the effort in the animation.

Beautiful lessons but flawed animation.

[lf_macias · 6/10 · 1 January 2020]

It is an allegory that represents the way of conversion of a person towards Christianity. I recognize the effort to create a plot with conflicts to adapt this classic literary work of Christian literature, but I found very distracting that the quality of animation is not very polished, and it is a very long film for the story it tells, getting me to sometimes nod.

Lacks the true essence of Bunyan's classic.

[shelley_australiana · 1/10 · 2 January 2020]

I had so looked forward to watching this movie! I can't believe how disappointed I am from it - and not because of the CGI. If you've read Bunyan's book (not an abridged version) you'll know he waters nothing of the gospel down - which is why he wrote it from inside prison! It seems like the movie took the names and the basic chapter headings of his book, but completely missed its essence. There's a lot I could say, but I'll stick to the most important 4 points, in my opinion. *Spoilers below.* 1. Bunyan's book is never ambiguous about the gospel and the name of Jesus, even though it's an allegory. But some reason in the movie, the name of Jesus Christ is never mentioned. Everyone has a name - Evangelist, Faithful, Interpreter, Pliable ... but the One who makes it possible for Christian to carry out his pilgrimage is ... a mysterious unnamed man? God is never referred to as God, only as the King. 2. In Bunyan's book, Christian's burden from sin falls off at the cross of Jesus. However, in the movie, there is no cross nor mention of the meaning of the cross, only a light through the trees shining in the shape of a cross. The further Christian walks up the path of patience, the lighter his burden becomes. If there is no explicit connection between the cross and his burden falling away, then the message must be - if you keep walking up the path of patience, your burden will be removed. ?? 3. In Bunyan's book, Christian's understanding of the kingdom of God becomes clearer the further he goes, but he knows that he walks "by the rule of my Master". But in the movie, at the end, Christian says his goal in embarking on this journey was so that once he arrived at the Celestial City, he'd then go back and bring his wife and family. He's surprised and disappointed when he discovers that to reach the City, he will have to cross the river - and die! 4. In Bunyan's book, Christian crosses the river and enters with joy the Celestial City to see the throne of God and worship Him with the words of Revelation 4:8. What joy for a Christian to see his Lord and Master! This is all he wanted, right? But not in the movie. The "unnamed man" comes to help Christian out of the water; Christian chats with him for a bit, and then LEAVES him to enter the shining sparkly City and meet up with his friends! What???!!! Is that really all Jesus is to any Christian? Where is the falling at His feet in worship and awe? There is a lot more I'd like to say concerning the additions of all the demons, the mention of a coming war (not judgment) to the city of Destruction, the removal of a load of characters, and the rather inane Vanity Fair bit which could have held enormous impact with Faithful's death. I really feel like the essence of Bunyan's book - a life of pilgrimage, hardship, temptation, depression, suffering, companionship, encouragement, setbacks, and finally arriving to be with the Lord Jesus Christ - is only barely implied at in this movie. Which is why I feel that perhaps the writers didn't actually READ a real version of Bunyan's book. A bit like what Christianity is to many these days. In the end, it's more about me and less about God ... and His written Word is put to one side.

What a joy!

[snootsncoots · 9/10 · 26 December 2020]

Unlike most movies, this is all about the story and not the production. The story is a great classic about the Christian spiritual path, and this version is done in a way that the message is clear to all ages. I really enjoyed it.

Good story - poor animation.

[thekingster · 4/10 · 19 April 2019]

Overall animation = C-/D+. While the storyline shared the essence of Christian's journey to the Celestial City, the level of animation reminded me of 1st generation video games at best. Too much effort was put upon making the characters with which Christian interacted a weird amalgamation of characters from the Capitol City of "Hunger Games," or bizarre adaptations of characters from "Alice in Wonderland." Good story but with very hokey adaptation and extremely questionable animation strategy.

Excellent

[sateigdraleah · 10/10 · 29 October 2019]

The best adaptation I have seen of this book so far. Very encouraging. I enjoyed it. The animation and the music was well done.

Meh

[johnnaclaynechao · 3/10 · 2 October 2019]

The plot and writing are okay, everything else especially the animation are pretty bad, so overall, its not so good

Wonderful message!

[Dems_da_Berries · 9/10 · 27 August 2019]

It's true that sometimes the animation is found a little lacking in this movie, but the heart and soul of the message of the film more than makes up for that! I never read the book, but was always intrigued by it, and this was a wonderful and accessible way to see what it was about!

It even fails at being propaganda.

[adonaelpccustom · 1/10 · 11 July 2019]

This is a religious film. Yet it's clear before the first 15 minutes are even over that the bad guys are clearly allegories for christians/catholics and the way in which such inherently evil institutions operate. I thought they were trying to appeal to the followers of these religions? Instead they're openly exposing them for what they really are through sheer incompetence, it's crazy.

A hilarious failure on every level.

Not 'perfect' but Awesome overall

[matthewfonte · 10/10 · 3 November 2019]

From a material standpoint this movie doesn't have the 'cutting edge' tech for animation along w some mildly hokey moments (like the judge speaking at the vanity fair). And it's not completely true to the book in many ways (but how could it possibly be given the several hundred page original by Bunyan). This is the best adaptation I've seen and I've seen nearly all of them. Would I like to see a big budget, live-action version? Absolutely! But both I, my friends and my kiddos Loved watching this together. I truly hope they follow through on the time be continued' at the end which I can only assume that means they are considering making the 2nd part of Bunyan's work on Christiana and her kid's journey to the Celestial City. So even though I never saw this in the movie theatre (I never even knew it was there until too late unfortunately, or I would have) and I only rented this from the library; I will do my minute part in supporting it by buying it for my family (and maybe some friends for Christmas!) as well as talking it up online.

A MESSAGE for the SPIRITUALS

[neroogodo · 10/10 · 7 August 2019]

When you have stopped viewing life way beyond the physical, only then can you truly understand the messages relayed in this movie. Thank you for this as it will continue to be an inspiration to many.

He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit is saying.

I thank God for you, John Bunyan.

i will gladly recommend this.

Best Version of the Title Pilgrims Progress

[mail-12580 · 10/10 · 8 July 2019]

This is one of most useful and inspiring animation movies I have seen in all my life over 20 years.

The people who rated low are blind and dont see the goodness this movie has to offer.

Excellent christian story.

[adsqueiroz · 10/10 · 21 June 2020]

I was very touched by the message It brings to our hearts. I read the book and could say this film reveals exactly and with many details, what the author wanted his readers to understand and believe.

Amazing movie IF you are wearing spiritual goggles

[maria-50336 · 10/10 · 4 August 2019]

The CG could have been a lot better and the only way to really review it is to be honest. If you are a Christian and have a deep understanding of the spiritual world then you will love this movie - if your not it will be painful and pointless to watch.

The story is a timeless classic and my 6 and 7 year old watched all 100 'minutes with only one visit to the bathroom (usually about 10 visits per movie when they are bored).

I would definitely recommend and will watch again.

Maria

Value is in the eyes of the viewer

[expressionexp · 10/10 · 23 April 2019]

C. S. Lewis once said "The first qualification for judging any piece of workmanship from a corkscrew to a cathedral is to know what it is - what it is intended to do and how it is meant to be used." This animation is a project lovingly created on a shoestring budget to portray a book lovingly written by an ancient Christian who was imprisoned for his love of God. A Kickstarter campaign raised $60,000 to help complete this project; the vision is to translate this animation to 26 languages to be donated to mission organizations around the world. You may not know this before, but now you know, and this is the kind of movie where the purpose matters. Don't be silly, I am not trying to guilt you stranger into watching this movie or giving it 10 stars before watching it. I gain nothing from that other than maybe some warm fuzzy feeling that the love of someone I don't know was recognized (hmm, strangely I actually dig that). What I am saying is that the purpose of this animation is to express love and the background to its creation helps us understand its purpose. And love it did express, very much.

As an average movie-goer who'd watch the latest action movie, I'd say while the CGI is much better than I expected for that budget, it certainly is not top-notch by Hollywood standard. Yet this is a movie that is larger than its CGI and larger than Hollywood. I find the technical quality to be decent enough that its limitations faded in the grandeur of its message. As a long-term Christian a little jaded here and there, this faithful portrayal of the ancient, epic journey of Christian tugged at all the right strings. There is nothing new that I did not already know as a Christian, but it reminded me of everything that mattered in faith, and ultimately that is what mattered.

There is a reason why this story may seem cliched just like Shakespeare's plays may seem dramatically familiar. The Pilgrim's Progress is the very first novel written in English and the source from which many Christian allegorical clichés were derived. Slough of Despond, Valley of Shadow, Vanity fair... this is a book that talks about the real deal - what is the purpose of faith, and why Christianity mattered.

I would extend Lewis' statement to say that this animation embodies one of those things in life where the value lies in the intention of the viewer. Why did you watch the movie? What are you looking for? If you are looking for jaw-dropping CGI, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for novelty, you may be bored. If you are seeking a faith-building message, however, you shall be rewarded. This animation and the background of its creation left me encouraged and refreshed in continuing my own faith journey; ten stars from this viewer for serving its exact purpose.

Significantly better than expected

[lizzieanncsu-53919 · 8/10 · 3 September 2019]

Yep - I'm a Christian and have long enjoyed spiritual things and the original book for some time. So yes, I am this movie's target audience.

With that in mind, I thought it was on the whole, faithfully done. We've been reading Dangerous Journey, which is the children's book abridged version with my young children (7, 8, and 5) and they enjoyed seeing the book in an animated format.

The animation wasn't Pixar level, but I didn't expect it to be. It is a crowd funded labor of love, it's not created by a big budget graphics studio. But it wasn't so bad that I found myself distracted. It was fine.

On the whole we found ourselves encouraged and inspired and it opened up some good dialogue with my children. I'm glad I saw it and we'd watch it again.

Life changing movie!

[richardtatikonda · 10/10 · 17 July 2019]

One of the powerful allegorical book ever written by John bunyan. I heard of the book but never read it, after seeing the movie I concluded I must. I'm sad for people who did not understand the powerful interpretation of life in this movie. The scares and terrors of life well portrayed. I encourage you not to miss this life changing experience. God bless...

Excellent & well done

[moovyfellow · 10/10 · 29 December 2019]

I have an old DVD version of the story which had been difficult for me to follow, but I fully understood everything in this production, and the graphics and voices and everything else were really well done.

A Life Changer!

[hello-71996 · 10/10 · 20 February 2020]

The Pilgrim's Progress movie is a eye opening allegory of how the spiritual world is existing. It is an encouraging and realistic view of what happens in our lives. It shows deeply how choices affect our lives. I haven't encountered a movie that has done this about choices. It is not only entertaining but very helpful. I watched it with my grandson who is 10 and will be watching it with others. He plays video games and has seen many A list movies with super high budgets and the animation here did not discourage him at all. He was very interested! He also said certain character seemed very real. I highly recommend this movie.

Good story, simple allegory

[btlotz-100-916376 · 8/10 · 27 August 2019]

Although I haven't read the book and therefore can't compare it to the movie, this was a story well-told in its own right. A bit scary at points for young kids, but not gratuitously so. Some reviewers who complained the movie is blatantly religious or Christian obviously don't what The Pilgrim's Progress is all about. The animation was not up to modern standards and is a bit disappointing, though.

Good Movie Modernized for the 21st Century

[fakeusername-49019 · 9/10 · 6 February 2020]

The Movie was great! But... there were was one scene you could cringe (if you have read the book) Book: Christian and Hopeful were being chased by Giant Despair and Christian blinds Giant Despair with the reflection of the Key Of Promise. The way the movie portrays it, Giant Diffidence (ugly nagging wife) yells "Get them you blithering fool!" at that Giant Despair faints. Same joke they showed earlier when he fainted when he got angry with Christian and Hopeful for not killing themselves. Overall the message was clear but if you want to go in depth read the book by John Bunyan. (Like all movies everybody knows the book is more detailed)

Very well done

[fauxgal · 10/10 · 21 April 2019]

This is a good interpretation of the book and a great way to teach the young. It was well acted and had good imagery. I think that most people could gain insight into the "walk" by watching this movie. It was a wonderful project to undertake and we are looking forward to more. However, I would have liked to have seen Christian fall to his knees in worship and adoration upon entering the Kingdom and first seeing Jesus, before going off to see old friends.

A movie for christians.

[psalms-44621 · 8/10 · 22 April 2019]

Enjoyed it. This movie was geared toward the "Christian movie goer". Because of that -I wish they would have added a little/some bible scripture. Seems a little watered down without it. The ending seemed kind of rushed but since it was such a long movie and the seats getting pretty uncomfortable- I can't really complain. I was ready for it to end. I just can't see someone who is NOT OF LIKE FAITH getting anything much out of it . I just think a few well placed scriptures would have help with the explaining of what was going on. I do agree that the animation needed a little help (if you are comparing it to what we usually see now days). I am glad I went to go see it.

My family loved it!!

[luvherders · 10/10 · 13 April 2020]

I loved how this movie was done. No, it isn't your new modern animation, but too many of the negative reviews seem to miss the point of the movie in their concern about the animation. We watched this movie and I loved it so much that I turned it back on after it finished.

The heart of Jesus clearly displayed

[nicocogauchet · 10/10 · 27 September 2020]

Watch it until the end! Forget the fact that the animation isn't of Pixar quality. The story portrayed what we, each one of us, will at one time or another go through in life. It'll remind you that although we live here, this isn't our home. Our home is where Jesus is. I would recommend this movie to anyone! I would encourage people to watch it for the story line and to move past the fact that the animation isn't great.