David (2025)

Goliath falls in the first act, and David spends most of its 109 minutes on the harder story: a young hero on the run from a king he refuses to fight. It’s a smart choice the movie doesn’t always pace well. The middle drags, the story goes exactly where you expect, and the characters chat like they live in a modern suburb, an odd fit for ancient Bethlehem. The animation is the surprise. Valleys, desert caves and the palace at Gibeah look like storybook paintings, and the songs are catchy. Phil Wickham voices grown-up David, and his friendship with Jonathan has real heart. The scene where David spares Saul in a cave, taking only a corner of his robe, is the film at its best. It made $91.1 million worldwide, and audiences gave it an A CinemaScore. A 6.6 because the faith is sincere, the art is lovely and the pacing wobbles. $66.29 says you open the Book of Samuel tonight and compare notes with the movie.

What works: The animation is gorgeous and detailed, the songs are catchy, and the story treats David’s faith and mercy with real sincerity.

What doesn’t: The pacing sags in the middle, the plot holds no surprises, and the modern-sounding dialogue sometimes breaks the spell of the setting.

Who it’s for: Families who want a big, colorful Bible story musical they can watch together on a weekend afternoon.