The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone (2013) User Reviews

Solid Kid film

[TheBishop34 · 6/10 · 6 October 2013]

The film is very entertaining for children I believe partially because they don't typically catch the flaws in acting, plot, writing and overall production as adults have a tendency to do, so I can't recommend it for adults.

At its core its fun adventure story with a time spanning story, magical artifact and a villain kids could fear, as the story goes on the kids slowly learn about themselves. My daughter really loves this and watched it three times in as many days. Its ending that a prior poster commented on I guess can catch you a little off guard if you didn't pick it up as the story went along. As it is only occasionally pointed out till then end that this movie is a Christian film. Having said that, I think that nasty response is unnecessary. The film has a good moral story to it that can be appreciated whether you believe in God or not.

Surprisingly good...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 2 February 2014]

Well, this movie is certainly somewhat of a wholesome entertainment for the entire family. Sort of abstractly think a mixture of "Indiana Jones" and "The Goonies" then you are in the vicinity of what "The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone" is like.

This is indeed an adventure movie that the entire family can sit down and watch together. It is a classic tale of good vs. evil in a struggle for a legendary medallion that will grant wishes to its owner. Billy Stone (played by Billy Unger) and Allie (played by Sammi Hanratty) are accidentally transported back in time when Billy happens to make a wish upon the medallion in the heat of the moment, trying to save his father from some goons.

There is a good amount of action in the movie, despite this not being your typical adventure movie for adults, and it is done with moderation, so that it is not too violent or graphical, allowing a younger audience to sit in on the movie as well.

As for the people cast for the various roles and characters, well I must say that everyone was doing good jobs and pulling their weight of the load individually. I was especially surprised to see Mark Dacascos here, especially as I had no idea that he was in this movie. He did a good job at portraying the villainous Cobra.

Actually, I will go as far as to say that "The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone" can be thoroughly enjoyed by all, regardless of age. I am 38 and I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. But of course, a younger audience will have a blast of a thrill ride with this adventurous movie.

Amateur hour

[Buddy-51 · 4/10 · 8 October 2013]

"The Lost Medallion" is an Indiana Jones-type adventure film for the pre-teen set. It's a tale of a young archaeologist's son who finds a magic medallion that takes him and an orphan girl on a fantastical journey into the past. Or maybe the more apt reference would be to the "Narnia" films, since this one too features a none-too-subtle Christian subtext buried beneath the action-movie surface.

The movie is probably acceptable for its target audience (though I don't want to sell them short), since the violence is kept to a reasonable minimum (though it isn't nonexistent) and the story is filled with the requisite edifying moral messages one expects from works aimed at children. But adults will have a hard time overlooking the corny dialogue, cheesy line-readings, paper-tiger villains, goofball second bananas and lowbrow humor that permeate the film.

Some impressive visuals, though.

A stinky one

[voyou-703-655350 · 3/10 · 11 September 2013]

We are well used to the stories telling us how the white man always saves the gentle but unwashed, simple-minded and helpless tribes of savages. In this turkey, two white kids do the job. Sure, it doesn't have to make sense since its a story made up for kids, but it shouldn't have to smell that bad either, the colonial era being supposed to be over and all that. Add the fact that the proselytiser who improvises this tale ends it with a dose of religious brainwashing and you'll decide if you want to give your kids that kind of messages.

Aside from this distasteful content, the Lost Medallion is also technically unsatisfying. It's corny, insipid, lacklustre. The kid heroes are your typical annoying brats, not playing the parts of kids their age. Plot holes don't matter here, since real children, the intended audience, must be too stupid to notice or care if events make sense. Some beautiful sceneries are pretty much all that's left to enjoy.

not so great movie/story

[lawren91-345-409302 · 3/10 · 19 August 2013]

the beginning of this movie is fine about 20 mins?it is getting boring till the end. this movie is about three children finding the lost medallion .

the plot is boring .i don't like these children either.

there some scene is not logic how can adult fight with these children.

this movie like the jackie chan the medallion but itis better than this movie.

this movie was totally a joke.don't watch it u will regret it. THISMOVIES MAKES ME THINK ABOUT HOME ALONE?

NOT RECOMMENDED

Mostly just for kids...

[sssuperman-dot-com · 5/10 · 17 August 2015]

My family checked this out due to being somewhat interested in Christian films, being, well, Christians and all. What we discovered was a movie that's only really for kids. If you don't have a young kid (like, 8-12 or so), there's really no point in watching it, except maybe for a light chuckle. The production values are generally good, but it's quite cheesy and extremely clichéd, with a villain named King Cobra, a stereotypical mentor character, having to look for the answer INSIDE yourself, etc. If you're too old for it, it might be a bit painful.

As for the Christianity, it does all right, I guess. It's not as overt as some, and it's certainly not that deep, but there were clearly some signs of it and the film is family-friendly and whatnot overall.

Fascinating Flick

[neiljones1981 · 7/10 · 12 July 2014]

Having found The Lost Medallion on Sky On-Demand, I thought it was worth a watch. Many favourite films are found in this way by accident.

This film is essentially a kid's version of Indiana Jones, featuring quite a few staples from Indiana Jones as well. In its original form (without the foster home sequences), the film comes across as a wannabe Goonies clone. The addition of the foster home sequences turns the sequence of events into another character's story, upon which a Christian faith theme is sprinkled throughout.

The basic premise (common to films like these aimed at pre-teens) is good guys and bad guys are both after the same thing and the story of how the saga plays out. Who will out?

Name wise, Billy Unger plays the character of Billy Stone. Unger appears to play this role naturally, in a style that suggests he (as Billy Stone) knows what he's doing. This is a good performance, as Unger manages to avoid falling into the trap of being annoying. The other main character is that of Allie, played by Sammi Hanratty. Again, also a sound performance from her which also doesn't tick any of the "annoying" boxes.

The only real "annoying" character is the wannabe king, Huko (Jansen Panettiere), but this is through a character flaw of Huko, who is an arrogant spoiled brat, so far up himself that he can't see his flaw.

Perhaps the biggest names in this movie are Mark Dacascos (Hawaii Five-O and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) and veteran actor James Hong (hundreds of other productions inc. MacGyver, Jackie Chan Adventures and Mr Ping in Kung Fu Panda).

This is a good flick to watch - it may be aimed at kids but it's fully watchable by anybody. Well recommended.

An OK kids movie except for the end.

[goomee · 2/10 · 19 August 2013]

I watched this movie while it was in the background. The story was OK as well as the child actors and was somewhat entertaining.

I however was disgusted at the poisonous, delusional, filth of the ending invoking a mythical god. I'm hoping a lot of children are not tricked into watching this.

I cannot recommend this movie.

It is a shame that these films have been sneaking into the main stream to further their nefarious cause of trying to poison young minds with this dreck.

In this day and age we should support children to become logical and aware. To think for themselves.

Not the greatest film on earth, but a wonderful concept

[jre-5 · 7/10 · 12 April 2015]

This film is basically a fantasy story, which is sort of awkward for a Christian Film. Contrary to what some people may think, Christian films generally portray things that can happen in real life, and not fantasy items like a magical medallion. But the makers of this film came up with a unique solution to this problem, it's set in a real life scenario of a man visiting an orphanage and telling the kids a story that's just pretend to teach them some lessons. The majority of the film consists of this story he tells. This is a great concept that I think more Christian film makers should try, it makes it possible for a fantasy story to work as a Christian film.

The movie is sort of unbalanced in a number of ways. Some parts are very exciting, while other parts are kind of boring- at least after seeing it a few times. It's hard to say what age group it's meant for. Some parts are rather violent and scary, while other parts are more like what you'd see in a cartoon- sometimes bad guys get knocked out by just a little punch, which is sort of pathetic. Some of the fighting is pretty well done, but not all. There are also a couple times in which it almost seems like some clips are missing- at one point they're on a chase in the forest, then suddenly they're in town.

Despite a few issues, overall it's a pretty good film, and a great concept. It's neat that the character who tells the story is played by Alex Kendrick. They couldn't have found a better person on earth to play this role. This was actually what got me interested in seeing it- his movies are beyond outstanding, and it's great that he's now starting to appear in other good films.

Unbelievable to get this in 2014!

[o-dibella-990-246042 · 1/10 · 2 May 2014]

After seeing it I thought I wouldn't like my son to see it. Fortunately he didn't like it from the first beginning, and he played on his iPad!

The way the argument "orphans" is treated, is an offense to intelligence, and harms those who don't live with their biological parents.

I did not expect such superficial treatment of this topic in current movies, but I had forgotten that religion is still at work. The intelligence in the movie is very low. That low, that even the issue racism was not avoided. And I guess, it was not a mistake! The movie is designed for white christians. The main characters are white christians (even the indigenous infant king). All others are indigenous. It i surely a fact that if rats were able to develop a religion, they would depict god as a rat!

Enjoyable family film

[middleagecrz · 8/10 · 21 July 2014]

My family & I really enjoyed "The Lost Medallion". There was enough action & plot development to keep 2 adults and a 10 year old entertained for the entire movie. The acting was good, and there were great moral themes. I personally am sick of the action "blockbusters" we see where humanistic themes reign and the heroes are worshiped as gods. This was by no means comparable to the big Hollywood films, the production values & special effects would never compare to that. But it was great to see courage & kindness encouraged in children, there was no bad language & I felt very comfortable letting my 10 year old grandchild watch it. The ending message was positive & uplifting.

Oh well, sometimes I find pleasure in watching a childishly predictable movie

[peterp-450-298716 · 4/10 · 1 December 2017]

Oh well, sometimes I find pleasure in watching a childishly predictable movie as "The Lost Medallion", filled with unbelievable adventures. A film appropriate for a relaxing Sunday evening. You don't need to be focused constantly. You're not watching so intensely that you accidentally take a bite in your remote control instead of in your ready-made croque monsieur. And it's not such kind of movie that you'll jump up whenever there's a horrible creepy moment.

"The Lost Medallion" is an adventure film especially for the youthful viewers. They'll surely fall asleep with a big smile in the evening and dream about them being the boy who saves an entire island. You certainly shouldn't start paying attention to those immense impossibilities that are offered at any time as there are : finding a medallion in an immeasurable jungle with only a ridiculously small metal detector, a skinny teenage girl who defeats a huge thug with a bang on his ass, sabotaging boats without the gang sitting at a campfire noticing it and then paddling away and they start chasing although they could have easily waded through the water to get to the canoe. And trust me, those youngsters degenerate in true ninja-turtles in the end. It ends, of course, as an episode for some catholic TV-channel with God loving everything and everybody. If you can endure all that, then you'll enjoy a fun adventure film.

It's something similar to "Indiana Jones" but with children as heroes. Even the scene with the medal being pushed across the ground by the swirling crowd while Billy (Billy Unger) and Cobra (Mark Dacascos) trying to catch, resembled the scene where Indiana Jones was grabbing for his antidote. No groundbreaking film, no great acting performance and certainly no Oscar-nomination material. But I bet that many children will enjoy this adventure and they'll keep on enjoying it in their dreams.

I'll keep it for when the time comes that my two kids are old enough to appreciate it. Maybe their comment will be "Jesus dad, what a horrible movies. And you want us to watch this together with you?".

More reviews here : http://movie-freak.be

Entertaining family movie

[slcparks · 10/10 · 31 January 2014]

Turned this on for 'movie night' with my 4 and 6 year old. I was purposely avoiding yet another cartoon movie and found it on Netflix. After a slow intro, it grabbed their attention and held it throughout. I quickly noticed the Christian overtones which I appreciated, and the kids did too. At the end of the movie, the kids were asking to watch it again and I was very happy with my choice, as I enjoyed it as well. It is what it is - it's not Indiana Jones - but it's a great film for a very tough audience for whom moral AND entertaining movies are difficult to find. As an aside, the King Cobra character was scary enough but not too scary. There was a bit of violence but nothing extreme. I didn't notice any language or suggestive situations. I'm hoping for more movies like this in the future.

Enjoyable 4 Kids & Adult Kids

[Isilzhatheta1 · 9/10 · 27 August 2013]

As an old GEEZER (I'll be 66 in a little over 2 months) I liked this movie. Having only seen the trailer on-line a couple weeks ago I pre-ordered the BD which I received yesterday and watched last night. It was entertaining and the story (which is for children and adult children like me!) was simple and yet adventurous. The acting was very good all around but it did have a typical stereotypes, fatboy is stumbly bumbly, girl screams too much, the usual for this type of especially Christian oriented movie.

I did not give it a 10 because of what it didn't include: no deleted scenes and there were several if you watch the "Making of...." feature.

No outtakes or blooper real which should be for a movie like this.

No interview with the main villain, Mark Dacascos one of my favorite action actors. Could not believe it!

On a final note: this movie was actually filmed in the summer of 2008 according to Mr. James Hong's own words in the "Making of...." feature. So why the 2013 release date? I imagine it had to do with finances but it does seem strange. I have heard of other movies that were finished and never released still sitting in a studio vault but usually because they are horrible and everyone knew it.

Great Family Film. We all enjoyed it!

[cgray_ca · 10/10 · 7 May 2013]

Our family really enjoyed this movie and would highly recommend it. It had adventure and excitement along with a great message about realizing God made you exactly as you are.

This would be a great movie for any families with foster children as I think they can relate to the characters in the story. We all have our doubts and question our own weaknesses. This movie encourages kids to look within themselves for the courage to be who they are called to be.

The characters were likable and we enjoyed the quest they took us on to find The Lost Medallion.

Highly recommend!

Not just a religious kids film -

[sus3337 · 10/10 · 7 April 2019]

I'm about as far from religious as you can get and I'm certainly not a kid, but I like this movie. The kids in this movie are great (they've all gone on to be full-fledged movie actors) and you cannot beat James Hong and Mark Dacascos, both very accomplished actors themselves. The location filming in this is incredible, Indonesia is a beautiful and lush country. The story is set in an orphanage where the storyteller incorporates his audiences' own stories into the plot and even uses objects he sees around the room as props in the tale. This may seem corny to some but once you get into the actual body of the story, it can be as engaging for adults as it is for children. There's certainly no shortage of action, drama and even violence that you would not expect in a "religious kids story". It's a fun and engaging story that certainly can be seen with children, but the interactions between people, and yes the love that is brought out in this story can be quite enjoyable for adults too, if they're grown up enough to take the chance and watch.

Buy this film!

[jimcoye · 10/10 · 27 November 2015]

Recently, my wife brought this great film home from the library. It is a mix of Indiana Jones meeting C.S. Lewis. The cinematography mostly shot in Thailand is superb. But the story and the actors who brought the script to life are what's worth watching here. If you are a parent or a grandparent, this film will help you teach character lessons with the kids you care about. However, if you want a DVD you can put in the player and just walk away while the kiddos watch, then this is the wrong film for you. But , and this is the biggest takeaway from The Lost Medallion ; if you want to install the importance of the greatest amongst us learning to have a servant heart... Well, then this is the absolute perfect movie gift to give this Christmas. Throw in some popcorn and enjoy it with them. My wife and I are buying a bunch of copies and giving it for that very reason this year. I hope Bill Muir gets to keep making films like this. Well done!

Surprisingly good!

[akcampbell · 10/10 · 8 February 2015]

My daughter saw this at the theater with friends and recommended it for weekend family viewing on Netflix. She has decent taste in films, I think, preferring the intellectual over the typical inane kid stuff. Still, I was surprised at how much I loved this film.

It's part action film and part allegory, with a number of surprising features all wrapped up in a story within a story.

The visuals are stunning. At least a half dozen times, I found myself taken aback by the angles or sweeping motion the director chose. There's something satisfyingly symmetrical about the camera work. The locations are gorgeous and so is the cast, but none of it is so pretty that it feels unrealistic.

Although it doesn't feel low-budget, the movie has a hint of indie film about it. It reminds us that acting and writing are hard work. Although you can see some of the seams occasionally, it is a pleasant reminder of the hard work that goes into making a dream like this a reality.

And even if a few ideas in the film hearken back to other stories, none of it feels derivative.

I read a few other reviews before posting this, and saw that one poster thought that it was a racist portrayal of colonialism. Having watched the film, I'd say that is a bias that poster must see in many facets of life - you're bound to find hatred and condescension anywhere you look, if you're determined to find it. I saw no hint of it in this film. As for being reminded that God loves you, no matter what - I couldn't imagine that message ever becoming too prevalent in kids' films.

All in all, well worth the 97 minutes, and worth a second viewing, as well.

Much more than a "spiritual" movie

[sus3337 · 10/10 · 19 November 2018]

Not only do I not have traditional views of God, I'm also an adult which makes me definitely not the target audience for this movie, but I thought it was a great movie for kids and adults to learn how to treat other people. None of the characters in this movie start out with a perfect kind of life or situation but they definitely learn how their interactions with other people can bring about significant changes in their own lives and how they view the world. I think everybody should see this movie, because the faith that is shown here goes way beyond what you can find in religion. I really enjoyed this movie.

Best movie I've seen

[gramma_elaine · 10/10 · 4 June 2020]

Action packed, and lots of adventure. I recommend this movie to all kids. Above written by my 10.5 year old grandson. Grandma agrees with his comments. Excellent moral movie about character and faith in yourself because of faith in God. And no one is an accident, we are all planned by God to be alive.