Review: The Runner from Ravenshead

In this "Little Rascals meets Pilgrim's Progress" comic allegory, we follow the adventures of Sam as she is thrown into Ravenshead prison with no plea, no friends, and no hope. Trapped and alone, Sam despairs of delivery until a fellow prisoner, Clyde, encourages her and strengthens her with worldly-wise advice. Before long, Sam finds a way of escape and avails herself of the opportunity.
But her trouble isn't over yet. The prison sets a relentless Warden on the trail of each escapee; they never stop, never grow tired. No matter how fast she runs her Warden is always right behind her.

Yet her plight is not altogether hopeless, for there is one place where the Wardens are forbidden to go: The City of Refuge.
And who better to show her the way than a guide from the City of Refuge Guide Service? But all of the guides are already out on missions, leaving no one to help Sam but Henry, a clumsy janitor with a heart of gold and dreams of greatness.

Not surprisingly, Sam has little confidence in her wannabe guide. Will Henry be able to convince Sam to trust him?

The Runner From Ravenshead is a great family movie that speaks against worldly-wisdom such as trusting in yourself, and points the viewers to Christ.

• The film demonstrates very well that there is only one safe refuge for sinners: Jesus Christ.
• In one scene, Henry battles cannibalistic natives with a stick, and in a later scene, gets into a fight with one of the antagonists, culminating in a punch delivered to the latter's face. That's pretty much it for the violence in this film, but there's a lot of slapstick comedy.
• While the Wardens are depicted as antagonists, the are stated to not be villains when Henry is told he can't hit the Wardens who are "just doing their job". Also, Henry agrees with another character who claims "the authorities were right" to condemn Sam.

• The sets and costumes are beautiful, and well thought-out. The outdoor locations, shot in Oregon's Willamette River Valley, are breathtaking.

• All the roles in the film are played by five children, each excellent actors. The youngest, at only two years old, delivered his lines perfectly while still providing the delightful charm unique to toddlers.
• Everyone can relate to poor clumsy Henry, and I'm sure many people will be laughing empathetically at one scrape after another.
• The music was excellent, fitting the tone of the scene and flow of action. From "John Williams-esque" grand themes, to quirky woodwinds for the two inventors.

In all I give The Runner from Ravenshead five stars, due to their excellent cast, clean content, captivating music, and engaging story.