'David' (2025) Review: A Giant Leap of Faith

After the success of its first Christian animated film, King of Kings, earlier this year, Angel Studios is taking a crack at another animated bible adaptation—this time with the highly anticipated David. 

David tells the biblical story of David (Phil Wickham / Brandon Engman as young David), a shepherd boy who is secretly anointed to be king of Israel by the prophet Samuel (Brian Stivale), despite King Saul (Adam Michael Gold) still sitting on the throne. When David is called up to play his harp for King Saul, he wins over the king and eventually is chosen to fight the Philistine warrior Goliath (Kamran Nikhad). This saves the Israelites from bondage and David remains in Saul's favor, allowing him to grow up in the palace with Saul's son Jonathan (Mark Jacobson).

While it would be easy to simply focus the film on David defeating the Philistine giant Goliath and call it a day (and subsequently setting up a sequel), the filmmakers don't go with the obvious play and instead push the narrative further. The story of David is robust and complex, so in David, we see David grow from a young faith-filled shepherd boy to a young man. David's relationship with King Saul, Jonathan, and the impending threat of the Amalekites elevate the film. That being said, exploring these other avenues drags the runtime nearly to the two-hour mark, making it feel a bit too long and bloated.

Faith-based films, while aspirational and well-intentioned, typically have never been top-tier in quality, as the message is prioritized over entertainment. The notable exception in the animated world is DreamWorks' masterpiece, The Prince of Egypt, and this film will obviously be compared to that. And luckily for David, it lives up. There are quite a few parallels between Moses and David, with one being their pseudo brothers of Ramses and Jonathan, respectively. God, faith, and religion are heavily emphasized and are not watered down.

It can be difficult to portray a character like David, who is the epitome of faith and never waivers in his belief and trust in God. However, instead of being unrelatable, his character is inspiring and continually turning back to God to help him through his trials. This is a family film and the filmmakers do a great job of simplifying the message and balancing the heavier elements of the story. The themes of light vs. darkness are tackled simply; contrasting how David's trust in God brings light, while Saul's focus on the self brings darkness.

The songs, written by Swedish songwriter Jonas Myrin, reiterate these themes even more. "Follow the Light" is a simple, yet repetitive earworm. David is known for his musical skills with the lyre, so it his singing feels natural and appropriate. "Adventure Song", "Shalom", "I Will Not Be Afraid", and "Tapestry" are toe-tapping and catchy. The film is a bonafide musical and the songs elevate the final film.

The animation, done by the South African Sunrise Animation Studios, is top-notch and Hollywood quality. In an age where it seems all animated films look the same, the character designs are distinct, stylized, and interesting. David is striking with his green eyes and curly locks, the prophet Samuel with his bushy beard is rotund, soft, and inviting; and Goliath the Philistine feels otherworldly and larger than life with his pale skin and towering physique.

David was the highest-funded Kickstarter media project in history, raising over $49.7 million. The final product delivered and was worth the wait. It brings together the best of animation, musical and story to tell a satisfying biblical story that the whole family can enjoy.

David releases in theaters on December 19, 2025.

★★★★

'Snow Bear': A Delightful 2D Animated Short that Will Melt Your Heart

"11,000 drawings. 3 years. 1 artist." This encapsulates the painstaking effort that went into creating Snow Bear, the new hand-drawn animated short from renowned Disney animator and director Aaron Blaise.

Inspired by Blaise's own experience of loneliness after the death of his wife, Snow Bear tells the story of of a lone polar bear who creates a bear friend out of snow. He strikes up an imaginary friendship with this bear, playing, frolicking, and roughhousing in the frigid arctic. However, eventually the reality of this faux friend becomes something the bear must finally confront head on.

The star of the short is the masterful hand-drawn animation, every frame done by Blaise himself. Blaise, who directed Disney's Brother Bear, is prolific for his expertise in animating animals, so seeing him showcase these skills in all their uninhibited glory is a delight. The polar bear is expressive and engaging (as are all the other critters he meets along the way) and, despite the lack of dialogue, this doesn't hinder his ability to communicate the scope of his feelings. Traditional animation is able to connect to audiences in a unique and ineffable way that CGI cannot, so watching this short makes you long for what we no longer see in mainstream animation.

The story is funny, sweet, and tender. It's fun to see the antics of the optimistic polar bear as he discovers the futility of having a fragile buddy made out of snow. The ten-minute short artfully uses its time to explore these silly moments with more serious and reflective moments of sorrow. The short perfectly wraps up, melting your heart in the process.

Speaking of heart, the heart of the short is the universal desire for companionship. The snow bear serves as a temporary, hollow replacement for this need, but never fully scratches that itch. The ephemeral nature of the snow bear eventually forces the polar bear to sit and reflect on his situation, which is raw, emotional, and stirring. 

Blaise's love and mastery of traditional animation and storytelling are on full display in Snow Bear. This delightful, hand-drawn animated short will make you laugh, cry, and ponder the deeper parts of life.

Snow Bear is available to view on Aaron Blaise's YouTube channel.

★★★★★

'Unstoppable' (2024) Review: A Wrestling Story That Hits Harder Than Expected

Have you ever felt that your life’s challenges are so immense they paralyze you?

Unstoppable tells the true story of Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), a one-legged high school wrestler who has overcome staggering odds to win the Arizona state wrestling championship. Yet despite his triumph, many Division I schools overlook him. Undeterred, he attempts to walk on at Arizona State University, his local state school. Against all odds, and with relentless grit and perseverance, he makes the cut and continues pushing toward his dream of becoming a Division I national champion.

“Inspiration” sums up Anthony in one word. It’s almost unfathomable how he achieves the success he does. The film highlights many of these insurmountable tasks: for example, climbing a mountain on crutches while his teammates breeze past. He fights, falls, gets up, falls again, and gets up once more, reaching the top bloody and bruised.

Unstoppable is packed with moments like these, proving he’s not just an extraordinary athlete, but an extraordinary person. Movies like this put your own problems in perspective. If he can do it, what’s holding you back? Clearly, it’s not physical limitations. His success stems not just from athletic ability, but from sheer will and resolve.

Added drama comes from his family situation, where he defends his loved ones from his mom’s abusive husband, his stepdad. The movie isn’t only about what it takes to become a great athlete, it’s about what it takes to become a true man.

There are plenty of motivational sports flicks out there, but Unstoppable stands out as one worth your time. It’ll leave you in awe of everything this man has achieved and inspire you to push through your own adversity.

★★★½

Unstoppable is available to stream on Amazon Prime.