Kevin Sorbo and Kristy Swanson in Dallas Jenkins' Christianity-themed WHAT IF...

What if Hercules found Jesus?  What if an angel, disguised as a tow-truck driver, showed him how his life should have turned out?  What if his career as a fast-track investment wizard paled beside the chance to be the preacher at a little white church?  What if a Christian sermon in the shape of a two-hour movie presented itself for your viewing pleasure?  Would you bite -- while hoping to high heaven that the movie itself did not?

WHAT IF..., no surprise, is the title of the film in question, and to be honest, it's not Hercules who finds Jesus, but rather another character played by actor Kevin Sorbo, the very ship-shape fellow whose career took off when he starred in the popular television series as that Greek hero of antiquity. That was fifteen years ago. In the meantime the man has learned to act -- and do it pretty well -- if this film, directed by actor/producer/director Dallas Jenkins (shown at right) is any indication. Sorbo, shown below, plays Ben Walker, a man who walked out on his girlfriend years before and, due to religious circumstances beyond his control, is suddenly thrust into the life he might have led, had he not done that "walking."

Films these days seems to be arriving to TrustMovies in themed pairs: two surfing movies in the same number of weeks, and now two Christian films over the same time period: last week's The Least Among You and this one -- which is by far the more slickly produced: soft rock music, nearly "name" actors, and a real feel for the kind of sentimental, feel-good goo that mainly-TV-watching, mainstream Americans might enjoy. And all of it bundled neatly into a package clearly labeled Christianity's the only answer.

If you're already familiar with this blog, you're no doubt wondering why an agnostic reprobate like me would even bother with a film that wears its religion on its sleeve (and on its shoes, pants and undergarments). Well, I received a request to take a look at this movie, so I did. And now my comments will address both the film as film and as proselytizing.  As to the former, think of What If as a kind of Jimmy Stewart/Donna Reed-lite: It's a Pretty Good Life -- pleasant, competently acted, written and directed, all-in-all quite professionally put together. And awfully predictable.

If religion were not almost always front and center, we might better be able to overlook the movie's proselytizing. But from the moment, early on, that the angel (played by John Ratzenberger, above, as a chummy, no-nonsense kind of guy as ready with his fist as with his mouth) corners our hero, forcing him to play along with everything because it's all god's doing, the film begins pounding away.  The already-converted will likely love it; others may roll their eyes.

The movie is full of signs and signals: The fish insignia on the car; how often the Bible is quoted; the heavy-handed, pre-marriage counseling session; the near-total white breaded-ness and single faith of the populace of the town where everything good happens to our hero -- whose younger daughter (one of those wise-beyond-her-years mini-adults) comes out with a prayer that is nearly barf-inducing in its sanctimoniousness.  And yet, "Everything in life boils down to this," we are told. Sorry: everything in life does not boil to anything this simple-minded.  It would, of course, if we gave it our "total surrender," as the angel explains is necessary -- and which all fundamentalist religions demand of their followers, whether they be the Christians in this film, right-wing zealots in Israel who want to destroy Palestinians, or the Muslim men who flew into the World Trade Center towers.  As usual, when you're right, you're right. No questions, no comments, no deviations.

Through all of this Mr Sorbo is very good. He's aging well, still looks real and possesses the kind of speed and intelligence that is able to quickly register depth and complicated thought processes (as in the moment in which he realizes that his older daughter is a "negotiator" and consequently a chip off the old block) in ways that I don't recall him doing earlier in his career. Kristy Swanson (above and below) is fine, too, as the woman he left behind, though she is called upon to do little but be the good Christian wife who stands by her man -- once she has helped corral him back to the wonders of his former religion.

What If, from PureFlix, began its theatrical run a couple of weeks ago in select theaters around the country and will continue playing in many cities nationwide the country during this end-of-summer/into-the-fall season. Click here to find cities, dates and theaters.  Look for a DVD release in early 2011.