16-year-old Justice (Justice Von Maur) is living quite happily in Chicago when her father's job is relocated to, of all places, the Bahamas. When they join a high-brow "members only" yacht club, the biracial Justice comes face-to-face with old school, deeply rooted racism that threatens to make this idyllic new home anything but a dream come true. As Justice learns to deal with her new life, meet new friends and takes up sailing, the members in this "members only" club conspire to get she and her father kicked out for threatening their good ole' boys club. How Justice handles all of this won't just impact her own life, but the lives of many of those on this island who've been impacted by the yacht club's actions.

Recently released on DVD by the fine folks at FilmWorks Entertainment, Wind Jammers is an easygoing and lightly comical family film that is Dove approved for ages 12+. Wind Jammers isn't brilliant cinema, but it is entertaining enough that families sitting around the home wanting to watch a film together can easily enjoy the film while discussing its lightly presented themes of racism, discrimination and overcoming obstacles.

Justice Von Maur is an appealing presence as young Justice, while Nicholas di Michele gives a winning performance as a talented young sailor with whom Justice takes a keen interest. Most of the adults in the film are never much developed beyond a caricature, and the lack of real tension may be the film's weakest attribute. Too often, the conflicts here feel like the sort of conflicts that you find in a 30-minute sitcom or a one-hour Disney drama.

Shot on location in the Bahamas, Wind Jammers is beautifully photographed by D.P. Lila Javan and features a bubbly repertoire of original music by Tim Reppert. With some incredible imagery of sailing and the Bahamas, Wind Jammers may not make you give one iota about racism but, in all likelihood, it may make you call your travel agent for a trip to the Bahamas.

As is nearly always true for this type of film, there will be a "big race day" and, unless you've never seen a traditional family film, you know going into it how all of this is going to end up. While Wind Jammers isn't a faith-based film, it is the kind of family friendly and morally centered film one often finds in the DVD aisle of your local Christian bookstore.

For more information on Wind Jammers, visit the FilmWorks Entertainment website for the film.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic