Angel Wars: Guardian Force 1

Angel Wars: Guardian Force 1 is the initial episode in a new animated DVD series that mixes sci-fi and Sunday school lessons. The focus is on Eli and Kira, the vibrant members of the Guardian Force (think of teenage angels sporting hair gel and designer body armor) who are propelled into celestial battle against the fallen angel Morg and his army of Earth-hating evil spirits. While the animation isn't entirely memorable (it looks like a second-tier video game), there is plenty of knockabout action to entertain the under-13 set (the serious violence is kept at a relative minimum) and some subtle do-gooder lessons on teamwork and responsibility. Although there is supposedly a Christian message in here somewhere (the series' creator Chris Waters has a parallel career as a youth pastor, and the soundtrack pulsates with Christian rock music), it will probably be lost on those looking for entertainment rather than salvation. However, the main sin here is the rather scant 33-minute running time (it would have been nice if one or two more episodes were included). The DVD tries to pad out the proceedings with a surplus of special features, including detailed biographies of the main characters, a "how-to" featurette with a crash course in drawing angels, music videos with several of the bands on the soundtrack, and the inevitable sneak peek at the second episode. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (P. Hall)