A squeaky-clean family of missionaries lives out their fantasy of "saving" a violent tribe of Ecuadorian jungle natives in this virulently wrong-headed movie.
End of the Spear (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 49
Fresh: 20
Rotten:29
Average Rating: 5.2/10
Consensus: Shoddy filmmaking and a lack of character development derail what could be a potentially compelling tale.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for intense sequences of violence.
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Jan 20, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $11,703,287
Synopsis: Mincayani is born into the most violent society ever documented by anthropologists, the Waodani in the eastern rainforest of Ecuador. As he grows he learns what every Waodani understands, he must... Mincayani is born into the most violent society ever documented by anthropologists, the Waodani in the eastern rainforest of Ecuador. As he grows he learns what every Waodani understands, he must spear and live or be speared and die. Mincayani's world changes when he and his family kill five missionaries, Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming and Roger Youderian. This incident propels Mincayani's family group down an extraordinary path that culminates in them not only departing from violence, but also caring for the enemy tribe they had once violently raided. Nate Saint's son Steve was a boy when his father and friends were killed. He returns to the Waodani as an adult and finally learns from Mincayani what happened during the last minutes of his father's life. Together Mincayani and Steve find that what Nate accomplished in his death gave them both a new life and Steve's family becomes part of Mincayani's family. --© Official Site [More]
Starring: Louie Leonardo, Chad Allen, Stephen Caudill
Starring: Louie Leonardo, Chad Allen, Stephen Caudill
Director: Jim Hanon
Director: Jim Hanon
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Reviews for End of the Spear
[Director] Hanon seems more interested in exploiting his setting's lush green beauty than exploring the psyches of his bland Bible-thumpers.
Through the harrowing experience of two men as told in End of the Spear -- Steve Saint and Mincaye -- moviegoers can learn the power of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Only marginally uplifting and just passably enjoyable as a film. I know in my mind that these experiences were extraordinary for the people involved, but I never really feel it.
...for those of us who are not part of the choir being preached to, the story is a dealbreaker.
Jim Hanon's film is so awkward and anachronistic that it raises more questions than answers.
The vision and values the film celebrates are at such odds with the reality it has refashioned as a breathless melodrama, it is hard to not give in to temptation and poke fun at its unintentional camp.
I knew nothing about this movie going in %u2026 nothing. When I came out, I swore I would do everything I could to let people know about the wonders of "End of the Spear."
No level of noble intent by the filmmakers can compel me to recommend a work of cinema that's this cheap, simplistic and sloppy.
'End of the Spear' features some intensely violent scenes, but this thought-provoking movie never falters in emphasizing the power of forgiveness.
Big-time production values and a truly interesting story make this a huge step forward for the Christian niche film market.
Although the film invests time among the tribesmen, it never really explores the idea that one man's missionary work is another's ideological aggression. And the movie is tentative, dramatically speaking.
This ersatz jungle adventure is really a thinly disguised Sunday School lesson in faith, charity and the savagery of life without Christ.
Latest News for End of the Spear
January 18, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: "Hitcher" Aims to Terrorize Moviegoers
After a busy MLK frame which concluded with the Golden Globe Awards, Hollywood lets the dust settle this weekend as only one new film enters wide release - the horror remake... More...
January 19, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Spear," "New World" Are OK, Not Great
This week at the movies brings us three culture clashes: Native Americans and Europeans ("The New World"), the Waodani people of Ecuador and a group of missionaries... More...
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