David Movie Review

Introduction (Warning Contains Spoilers)

Animated biblical stories can be difficult to balance. They need to respect their source material while remaining accessible to modern audiences.

David takes on that challenge through a colourful animated adventure. Directed by Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes, it recounts a very familiar story from the Scriptures.

This is the story of David, a young shepherd who was destined to be king of Israel. However, before he can get on the throne, there are many challenges that he needs to overcome.

One of the greatest challenges comes in the form of Goliath. This giant of the Philistines seems very difficult for anyone to conquer.

David lacks any weapon which is equal to the challenge posed by him. What he has is just a sling, courage, and strong faith.

His victory marks the start of a long journey. The movie now moves away from the well-known battle with Goliath.

David starts his journey in King Saul’s courtnand begins his complicated rise towards power. His loyalty, courage and faith are tested along the way.

As a result, this makes the movie much wider in terms of its narration than a mere Goliath story. David is a continuation of the story told in the Young David miniseries.

Such approach allows adding more context for the fans. However, the movie should be viewed as a whole cinematic story.

It was made by Sunrise Animation Studios and distributed by Angel Studios and has a clearly defined Christian background.

This feature is never obscured in any way. Instead, it makes David’s character and its decisions based on faith.

Such an approach will definitely resonate well with the target audience. Nevertheless, the movie attempts to make its story understandable for everyone as well.

Its strongest moments come when biblical history, character drama and visual spectacle work together.

A Familiar Story With Greater Scope

Every person familiar with the Bible has at least some idea about this story. David defeats Goliath against all odds.

It means that the directors should not try to surprise the viewer. They have to focus on making the journey of the hero interesting.

It is in such an expansion of the plot that the solution lies.

The story does not end when David defeats Goliath. His success changes his role in Israel. Now he needs to deal with the realities of King Saul.

It brings up new problems which are harder than one stone can defeat. Now David needs to handle loyalty, power and responsibility.

In this way, the story turns into a coming-of-age one. David starts as a young man who never led anyone.

But he learns what leadership implies step by step. This more complex construction provides the film with additional opportunities.

Besides, it prevents the story about Goliath from being the main plot point. The battle is certainly important in the film.

However, it turns out to be only one step in the long journey of David.

Biblical Storytelling

The main task of the movie is the adaptation of Biblical stories, which should not look too distant.

In order to do that, David concentrates on the key character of the story.

David is represented as a young person who experiences uncertainty. David has faith and confidence but it doesn’t make him immune to any trouble.

The difference becomes the factor that makes the story closer to an ordinary person.

Another important component of the story is the element of courage.

It’s worth mentioning that David’s courage doesn’t depend on the strength of his body.

David looks very small in comparison with Goliath. David’s power lies in the confidence in a higher force.

Therefore, it creates a contrast between two characters and makes the main conflict visible.

However, the main conflict is much deeper because David has to make a decision whether he believes in his faith and is ready to fight.

This problem stays in the movie until the end and David will experience the same problems in different circumstances.

That is why the story shows the connection between the courage and responsibility.

To be chosen for great things doesn’t make David’s life easy.

The Animation

Animation is automatically a key factor in making David appealing. The Bible is a source of limitless possibilities when it comes to animation.

Old towns, deserts, battlefields, and royal courts can all be constructed. The juxtaposition between David and Goliath is one that would suit animation perfectly.

Goliath can look intimidating without resorting to any realistic special effects. David can stay weak in physical form while still dominating the screen.

This film also gains from the flexibility offered by animation to change from small and intimate scenes to spectacular scenes.

The scenes involving David can have a personal touch. The scenes involving battles can widen the visual range significantly.

The use of animation adds to the fact that David lives in an idyllic yet dangerous world.

Nevertheless, the visual approach may not please all viewers.

There could be some viewers who may want a more realistic representation of biblical history.

On the other hand, there are those who would prefer the freedom offered by animation.

It is clear that this film favors spectacle over visual realism. This is understandable in the nature of this film.

Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes

The shared direction of Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes allows the movie to have a wide cinematographic goal.

These directors did not just create well-known scenes from the Bible.

They had to make these scenes into one coherent narrative of the movie.

This means that these three aspects – actions, characters, and religion – have to be balanced.

In general, the directors understand the importance of balance. Goliath battle must be big.

The following experience of David has to be political.

And quiet scenes have to allow characters to develop.

This difference of scenes prevents the movie from becoming one big action scene.

In addition, there is a desire to include the spiritual life of David into the plot.

It does not only serve as an explanation of the result of actions.

Faith affects David’s behavior. This makes religious aspects connected to the character.

Thus, the best director’s work is the one in which faith and character are two sides of one coin.

In some parts of the movie, the filmmakers go too far with their message. It might be considered by some audience members too sentimental.

And this happens due to the clear goal of the movie.

The Music

The music is another very strong aspect of David. Joseph Trapanese created the original score.

This particular element adds the appropriate sense of expansiveness to the movie.

The score should create the right atmosphere for the ancient setting while being understandable for the modern viewer.

That is not easy to achieve.

Also, contemporary Christian music artists perform in the movie.

They are Phil Wickham and Lauren Daigle, who not only give musical performances but also lend their voice talents to the characters.

This adds extra value to the soundtrack for Christian audience. Music is especially important for movies about faith.

It conveys emotions without the need for a long monologue. This becomes very helpful during uncertain and triumphant moments.

Musical approach makes it stand out from other biblical stories.

While having the historic background, the movie has its own Christian identity.

For the target audience, it is an essential part of the movie.

The Voice Performances

Voice cast members have a vital role to play.

Animated characters require voices that project their personality without the need for any body language.

Brandon Engman acts as David in the movie.

His portrayal must reflect innocence and developing self-confidence.

This is absolutely necessary since there are vast changes that happen to David as a character.

Asim Chaudhry also contributes to the cast. His presence brings a different energy to the film’s ensemble.

Phil Wickham and Lauren Daigle lend their familiar voices to the film. Their involvement makes the religious nature of the film stronger.

They do provide suitable voice work for the animation used in the movie.

But there is lack of development of emotions in some characters like David. This makes those characters in the supporting cast feel more like a means to an end.

It is obvious that the film is made keeping in mind the story of David. So the supporting cast is there just to further the story of David

The Themes

Clearly, faith is the main theme in the film. The story of David is all about having faith in God in very difficult situations.

Nevertheless, the movie touches upon other themes related to the main one. Courage is one of them.

The film argues that courage does not presuppose absence of fear. Rather, courage means action under uncertainty.

In this case, David’s battle with Goliath is the perfect illustration. David does not defeat Goliath owing to his physical superiority.

He defeats Goliath because he does not believe that fear should dictate his actions.

Finally, the film shows destiny of a person. David is destined to be a king.

It raises the question of responsibility. Being destined to great things does not mean that everything will be clear.

David must prepare for his future role. Thus, destiny becomes a question of preparation.

Leadership

Leadership takes on even more importance after Goliath. The problems David faces do not require his physical courage anymore.

He needs to know how to read people. He needs to face political pressures. He needs to be faithful in the face of his authorities.

Saul makes an interesting foil for David’s character. David and Saul bring up issues of politics and jealousy.

This proves that killing an enemy is sometimes easier than befriending him. And it makes the second half of the film much more dramatic.

Thus, David’s path to becoming a king becomes much more difficult. His story evolves from physical courage to moral courage.

And that is one of the better aspects of the movie.

Youth and Growing Up

Also relevant is David’s young age in the story. He is not presented as someone who has been in leadership positions before.

At first, he is a young man with a shepherd’s point of view on things. It is his youthful years that endow him with attributes that are important in the future.

These include patience, observation skills and faith. His transition into being the king tests all these attributes of David.

He is required to comprehend a new world different from what he knew about the pastures of Bethlehem.

This is what makes the movie a good coming-of-age story. David is not just becoming a king; he is learning to be a king.

Storyline and Structure

The choice to develop the story of David past Goliath is bold and even needed.

One famous meeting will not be enough for a feature film.

The extended story gives the creators an opportunity to delve into the evolution of David.

But then, a wider range of topics creates some structural problems as well. There is too much story for a single movie.

The childhood of David, Goliath, the palace of Saul, and David’s elevation must all be covered.

Sometimes, there can be too little time for some events. This makes it better to concentrate on the development of David emotionally.

The wider context becomes boring if it is nothing more than progression of the plot.

More attention to characters would have made the film more powerful.

Overall, though, the structural choice is good. The fight with Goliath is the big turning point. And everything after shows that success is just the start.

It is a good approach to the biblical story.

Pacing

The pacing is generally energetic. The film has plenty of narrative material to keep things moving.

Action sequences obviously serve as good momentum. The change from the shepherding life to the royal court makes the atmosphere different.

It contributes to the prevention of repetitions in the storyline. Nevertheless, the broad scale sometimes impacts the pacing.

The story needs to cover big portions of David’s life. Some events become thus somewhat hasty.

It might decrease the importance of some situations. In fact, the film would benefit greatly from giving more time to characters for processing things.

Those quiet scenes play an especially important role in it. It allows to get to know David not just as a hero, but as a person.

When the film goes fast from one event to another, it might impair that effect. Nonetheless, the pacing stays rather easy to follow.

The film never becomes absolutely slow. Its main problem is the pace’s speediness.

What Works

The biggest success of the movie is the capacity to tell a well-known tale cinematically. The battle with Goliath, of course, offers great images.

Animation helps directors highlight the huge disparity between those two characters.

Music contributes to the emotional power of some important scenes..Voice actors help create a great central character.

The themes, moreover, offer the story an emotional basis. What is most important is that the movie knows that Goliath is not the end.

David’s real adventure starts when he wins the battle with Goliath.

It means that the movie can address such themes as leadership and responsibility.

Faith-based aspects are also consistent throughout the story.

Of course, for people who seek explicitly Christian entertainment, it will be a major advantage.

The producers understand their audience very well. It distinguishes this movie from other movies.

What Does Not Work

The very ambition of the film sometimes makes its biggest trouble. There is a lot of story to tell.

In the consequence, there are some developments of characters that can look a little forced.

Supporting characters might also need some more development. David of course gets the most attention.

But even better supporting characters would improve his connections.

Sometimes the movie can be too serious. It means well, but being sincere can mean ignoring some subtleties.

Some people will probably find some of the scenes more educational than entertaining.

This will depend partially on personal taste.

Those who look for a classical faith-based adventure will find nothing wrong with it.

But those who are looking for something more ambiguous will be disappointed.

This religious intention is thus both advantage and drawback of the movie.

It gives the movie a definite purpose. It can make the storytelling less subtle sometimes.

A Modern Biblical Adaptation

One of the most intriguing things about the movie is the fact that it attempts to update biblical narratives in terms of modern style and presentation.

It does not ignore the source material.

Instead, it tells familiar stories using modern techniques of animation and music.

This way, the story becomes accessible to new generations.

Also, this gives an interesting edge to the movie in terms of Christian films.

The link to the Young David miniseries makes this aspect of the film quite clear.

The movie feels like a part of something bigger.

And this can be quite rewarding for those who have seen the earlier miniseries.

But there are new viewers who are going to judge the movie independently of everything else.

So the key issue for these viewers would be whether the story of David works on its own.

Luckily for the movie, the central story is easy to understand.

The main conflicts are quite obvious.

David is trying to fulfill his vocation while overcoming his fears and navigating difficult relationships.

Final Verdict

David is a great example of ambitious animated take on one of the most timeless stories of the Bible.

Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes provide the movie with a certain purpose. The animation in it delivers spectacle.

Music adds emotion to the story. Voice acting makes David’s story arc feel right.

Above all, the movie understands that David’s story goes far beyond Goliath. Defeating him is just the first step towards David’s transformation.

The movie uses it to talk about faith, courage and leadership. The movie also addresses the issue of growing up to one’s destiny.

These topics add the necessary layers to the story making it relevant not only in its historical context.

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks connected to the movie’s broad scope. Specific characters could use additional development.

Some story beats seem to be compressed.

Pacing sometimes becomes too fast at the times when emotions need to be conveyed.

Sometimes the movie becomes too direct in delivering its message.

All these problems make the movie not a perfect animated epic.

On the other hand, it has a lot of strengths.

The movie has a target audience and knows what they want.

It delivers a faith-based adventure with sincerity without trying to hide its religious background.

Its visual scope also gives it a cinematic scale.

In addition, music in it is also a notable aspect.

Joseph Trapanese’s score helps connect smaller character scenes to the bigger dramatic scenes.

The involvement of Phil Wickham and Lauren Daigle as well makes the movie even better musically.

Overall, the success of David comes from the way the story is told.

It is not only a reiteration of the battle with Goliath.

It is a story about the ability to take the responsibility for something.

David starts out as a shepherd. With time he becomes a person able to lead other people.

This transformation becomes the best emotional core of the movie.

For those interested in biblical stories in animations, David will have much to offer.

It is ambitious visually, musically engaging and emotionally sincere.

It does not reach all depths or appropriate pacing of its story.

However, it clearly understands what its purpose is. David is a nice faith-based biblical adventure.

Its flaws are visible, however, they do not overshadow its strengths.

For a movie based on faith, its message is simple yet convincing. Courage is not about being fearless.

It is about moving forward when fear tells you to stop.

That idea gives this familiar biblical story renewed cinematic energy.