DVD Review: Hermie & Friends Who Is In Charge Anyway?

Today, my younger two kids (ages 9 & 10) and I watched the DVD entitled Who Is In Charge Anyway?. It is one of the Hermie & Friends series created by Max Lucado. I received this DVD from Thomas Nelson's Book Sneeze (www.booksneeze.com) program.

The movie is incredibly cute and packs a great message for younger kids. Although my 9 year old daughter stuck with this movie from start to finish, my 10 year old son quickly decided that this was a "baby movie" and left the room to pursue "big kid stuff" in his bedroom. I think that the ideal audience for this movie is probably the 8 and under crowd, although some older kids might enjoy it, too. Brightly colored computer animated graphics make a great movie for little ones.

The movie's message is clear as all the garden creatures (ladybugs, spiders, fleas, etc) all tell their own personal stories (testimonies!) of how they began life with a weakness but learned that God uses our strengths & weaknesses to make us who we are. The stinkbug thinks that his stink might run people off, but it ends up saving the other bugs from a predator, so he learns that it's a good thing after all. All of the bug's childhood stories have a similar quality, recognizing that God made them the way they are for a purpose. In the end, the little flea who has been questioning his purpose all along realizes that God made him to be an missionary among the bugs & he goes off to spread the Gospel.

Overall, the video was very cute & I'd recommend it to friends with elementary aged kids. I am not sure that children younger than 5 or 6 would understand the message or make through an hour long movie, though.