Parents' Guide to The Ultimate Life

This is the kind of inspiring, feel-good, mildly sermonizing movie that would work either as a Hallmark special or (with more overt references to God and scripture) as a Sunday school presentation. In those contexts, the movie provides exactly what you'd expect: a simple storyline with heartwarming lessons for men about how to be a good husband, father, friend, and man. But unless it's the object of a church-approved outing, the movie, directed by Michael Landon Jr., isn't nuanced or entertaining enough to merit the price of admission.

With its predictable plot and uneven acting (the cast includes quality veterans in small roles and a couple of unimpressive newcomers in bigger parts), The Ultimate Life suffers from being even less compelling than its predecessor, which at the very least had a more dynamic actor (Drew Fuller) playing Jason and a more interesting story of him having to "earn" his inheritance. This flashback to Red's ambitious journey to becoming a self-made man is far from Citizen Kane. It's just a corny portrayal of how money is great, but it's not what brings lasting happiness.