Benji the Dove is a unique film focusing on a fresh and unusual story. A group of friends include Jeff, Manny and Benji. They hang out at the creek together and kid one another, with Jeff, the biggest of the group, punching Manny in the arm—just because he’s big enough to get away with it. A teen named Roland moves to the area from Scotland, and he’s very different. In his Scottish accent he speaks of knights and of Robert the Bruce and of fighting for justice. The boys take to him, and soon Roland is teaching them about Scottish history and legends; they gather together wooden swords and shields and costumes and become the “Red Dragons.” Roland knights them, including Benji, who is knighted as “Benji the Dove.”

Unfortunately, the bullies of the small town mock them by dressing in black and calling themselves the “Black Feathers”; their goal is to defeat the Red Dragons and to fight against the justice they wish to uphold. For a time Jeff joins the Black Feathers’ side but later realizes the error of his way. The characters are strong in this one, and each boy stands out in some way.

The film features some wonderful themes, including helping the elderly—in this case, an elderly woman, Mrs. Odell, whose home is damaged, and they raise funds to help rebuild it. It also focuses on harsh reality, as Jeff’s father is verbally abusive and even smashes a beer bottle on his son’s wooden shield. Yet another terrific theme is friendship and how friends are there for one another. One of the boys encounters his first crush and hopes to dance with the girl at an upcoming event. While there are good points regarding the movie, however, the strong language in the film is another matter and prevents us from awarding our Dove-Approved Seal.

The Dove Take

This film features teen boys that want to do noble deeds, but the boys’ use of strong language means the film hasn’t earned a family rating for our Dove-Approved Seal.