Wow! This has been a great week for viewing top notch movies. I was kind of afraid to watch The War Within because I’d seen nothing but positive about it and I thought surely it wouldn’t be able to live up to all the praise. Well, it did. And more. It is in a word – BRILLIANT!

The War Within explores the battle in the soul of Michael Sinclair, a young syndicated cartoonist whose faith is tested when his whole world falls apart. This unique portrayal reveals his soul as represented by six members; Mind, Emotion, Heart, Will, Memory and Conscience. This film examines the reality of faith in the midst of testing.

Filmmaking books talk about big movies vs. small movies, and I’ve always wondered exactly what it was that distinguished the two. I’m still not sure I could explain it to someone, but I do know that The War Within is a big movie.

It’s an action packed high tech fantasy battle between the various forces within our souls. It alternates between emotional scenes with Michael (Brett Varvel), his wife Amy ((Rebecca Reid), and their daughter Ellie (Ellen Henry) and action-packed battles between Michael’s Heart (Brett Varvel), Mind (Terry Varvel), Memory (Bruce Crum), Emotion (Drew Varvel), Will (Gary Varvel), and Conscience (Daron Day).

On their own, the family scenes would be a well done chick flick and the battle scenes would be a high impact male movie. Combined, they are the perfect mix of raw emotion and action.

Everything about this movie is first rate. The story is beyond original and brilliantly executed. The acting is top notch, not a single weak moment. The cinematography is visually stunning. The soundtrack is perhaps the best of any Christian movie.

The message of love and forgiveness is one we all can relate to. The War Within is a movie that should be seen by as many people as possible.