Three years after “Sound of Freedom” became one of the biggest box office blockbuster surprises of the past decade — and put Angel Studios on the map — comes another July 4th release from a distributor looking to disrupt to the Hollywood system. “Young Washington” arrives for America 250. It’s the story of a young man learning about responsibility, courage, relationships, life and loss… 35 years before he would become the first U.S. President.
That’s the most interest aspect of “Young Washington”, and William Franklyn-Miller does a nice job as George. It’s an engaging saga — about the British and French seeking territory control in the mid-1750s. In terms of scale and scope, this is the biggest live-action Angel film to date. The battle sequences are grand (at times a bit too “epic”), and Washington is portrayed like a superhero. There are moments during these scenes, and some occasional lines of dialogue throughout the film, that feel a little corny and hokey and briefly take you out of the moment, but never enough to ruin your experience.
The supporting cast of “Young Washington” includes Mary-Louise Parker as George’s mom, Mary, and Sir Ben Kingsley as Virginia Lt. Governor Robert Dinwiddie. Andy Serkis plays British Army Major-General Edward Braddock. (I interviewed Serkis earlier this year about his involvement in another Angel release, the animated feature “Animal Farm”.) And Kelsey Grammer is in a couple scenes Lord Thomas Fairfax. He also appeared during the closing credits of “Young Washington” asking audience members to help spread the word about the film.
Jon Erwin has directed several faith-based dramas — “I Can Only Imagine”, “I Still Believe”, “American Underdog” and “Jesus Revolution” (which featured one of Grammer’s career-best performances). There’s a little commentary on faith in “Young Washington”, but not a lot. What Erwin succeeds with the most is showing how this central figure grew-up — the building blocks of how he would become such an influential leader.
LCJ GRADE: B-
Running Time: 118 min.