PLEASE, PLEASE, don't listen to the naysayers because if you don't give yourself the chance to watch this movie, you'll be missing out on a great movie with a totally great cast that fit together so well and all the great feelings they leave you with. This is NOT a christian movie. In fact I don't recall anyone even saying grace or saying night time prayers once. Or perhaps that scene just eluded me. This is simply a great movie the whole family can watch together without having to listen to a bunch of F-bombs. Wow, what a novel idea !!!

I forgot to add times for the extra scenes within the end credits. They last from 30 to 45 seconds each and show the real end of the movie.

1...time is 1:54:07 2...time is 1:55:00 3...time is 1:57:10 I thought there were 4 but skimming through quickly I only found 3.

Mercy Rule is a family values film by the husband and wife Christian team of Kirk Cameron and Chelsea Noble. That it went direct to video speaks volumes about the faith the studios had in this one. In fact Kirk Cameron filmed an introduction to this film that says this is family entertainment.

I do have to say that this does avoid being hit over the head with direct Christianity. Still the message is obvious, if you've got faith you'll come out on top.

In this situation I rather think it was Cameron's eloquence before his town council that saved the day. Not an amen or a hallelujah and nobody spoke in tongues.

Two crises are confronting the family. The first is son Jared Miller having to learn that being on a Little League team requires team work. A lesson hard to enforce I'll admit when they hear about star players and some of the eight figure contracts they have. Still on the field teamwork does count.

The second is Cameron's family business founded by his father and it's a junkyard. Back in the day those folks did not deal with environmental regulations, but Kirk has to. His opponent who is environmental lawyer and activit James Bladon gets to take over businesses and companies due to his encyclopedic knowledge of business regulations. He's a sly one Bladon, his takeovers are all in the name of saving the environment. He's as hateful as any Snidely Whiplash villain from one of those 19th century morality plays.

This may not strictly speaking be a religious right epic, but it sure is an attack on the environmental movement. The reasoning here is the same that makes the same sex couple villains because they deliberately go into a Christian bakery with malice aforethought to put them out of business because they'll refuse to bake a gay cake. Just why Bladon wants to control Cameron's junkyard is never made clear.

Mercy Rule is not religious propaganda, but it's right wing propaganda and pretty heavy handed propaganda at that.

This is a family movie that you can watch with your kids and not worry that they will have nightmares or pick up bad habits. That said, it will never win any academy awards, not for writing, directing, cinematography, or even acting. That is not to say it is painful or a waste of time. The acting is not bad, and while the plot is a bit predictable, it includes just enough conflict to keep it interesting. Watch this movie because it is worth watching for it's story line, for the fact that it upholds good character and morals as something worth pursuing, and that it values family and relationships over money and political power.