Christian / Action / Drama / Family
103 minutes / 2015
RATING: 8/10
William Reynolds is an 18th-century assassin and the righthand man to the head of the East India Trading company. When the young assassin wants to leave his dark life behind, his employer (played by veteran actor John Rhys-Davies) tries to have this loose end tied up, planting a bomb under Reynolds’ carriage. Reynolds only manages to survive thanks to the warning of a passing vicar who ends up paying for his kindness by getting blown up himself.
On the run from his employer, and in search of a new life, Reynolds adopts the vicar’s identity only to meet Charlotte, a young woman who knows a lot more about God then this hastily minted “vicar” does. There is so much to love about this film, and this romance is a big part of it. It has the typical movie-plot instant attraction yes, but none of the usual bodice-ripping.
As impressed as Charlotte might be by Reynolds’ charm, she wants to know his heart – she finds it strange that this man of God so often speaks of God as “if He were a distant acquaintance.” So despite her heart saying yes, she will not pledge herself to him until she seeks advice from an older, wiser head. So, one more thing to love: Beyond the Mask has the fun of the two principals exchanging flirtatious banter, yet with none of that falling-into-bed-with-a-near-stranger nonsense.
Of course, with their affair of the heart taking place just 20 minutes in, we know that the happy ending can’t come yet. Reynolds’ old life forces its way into the new and he has to flee to the American Colonies, leaving his lady-love behind. There he decides he will make repayment for his former evils by doing heroic good – he dons a disguise and a mask to fight the East India Company in its new endeavors in the Americas. Lots of daring-do and explosions follow.
Cautions
There is no sexual content at all, and while God’s name is called upon, it seems to be put to appropriate use (being either directed to Him, or part of a discussion about Him).
The notable concern is violence. Parents considering this as a family night film need to understand that while there is no gory violence, there are men murdered, others blown up, and a very large number put down quickly by a punch or two from our reforming yet not fully reformed William Reynolds.
Conclusion
This is a wonderful film, with solid acting, an intriguing (if on occasion confusing) script, good special effects, authentic period costumes and sets, and a pleasant number of explosions. It is a family film (though because of the violence, for older children only) with a solid Christian moral.
I don’t want to praise it too highly, because this also isn’t a movie that will go down as an all-time classic. But it is one of the best Christian films you’ll see, and a cut above most any family film out there. Check out the trailer below.
