Seldom is a movie so amazingly amateurish at the box office, but this is. It is staggering to me this didn't go right into the direct to video pile, or pay per view. Left Behind, (this version) is simply atrocious. This is based on the big book, a best seller nonetheless. This review will have nothing to do with the obvious promoting religious agenda. Frankly, there are plenty of movies every year that fit into that category and, many are pretty good. Clearly better than this!
This, as a movie...is just flat out bad. It stars Nicolas Cage. Brother, this is a long way from the Oscar stage, Moonstruck, The Rock, Con-Air, and countless other good, and entertaining movies he has starred in along the way. Cage plays a passenger airline pilot whose family is going through terrible turmoil. His wife played by Lea Thompson, has recently found God, as that alone has torn the family apart. The rest of the family doesn't buy into her thinking including her husband and college aged daughter.
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Then, The Rapture actually happens, the children, and believers are suddenly gone in a blink of an eye to Heaven, sending the entire world into chaos and leaves millions looking for answers. The pilot is in flight when this happens and the panic stricken aircraft is in trouble. What will happen? And is this the actual end of days?
Clearly, for the subject matter this is not going to appeal to everyone. But this will find a loyal audience base and that's fine. We need movies for all kinds of fans, and I will always preach that. But this...as a movie... is simply putrid. The writing is abysmal, the dialogue is so terrible it borders on worst ever. The actors are given no chance as this is written preachy, and insulting to all. Our characters are incredibly stereotypical to the point of eye rolling, and all you look forward to is the one hour and forty-five minutes to be up. I actually was hoping I had to go to the bathroom during this movie, just for a break. This is movie making at its worst, plain and simple.
The special effects are horrible, the story is silly, our stars are asked to do things on camera in the name of the story that I am sure they were insulted to do. There are tons of holes in the story, and countless errors, including a flight attendant giving the pre-flight instructions to the passengers, by talking into the EARPIECE of the planes phone. Don't get me started. Plus, it just looks bad, from sets, to lighting, to about everything else. There is no issue here with the writers subject matter, just the terrible movie making.
Left Behind. Certainly going to be in line at the Razzie Awards in the coming months, as one of the years worst. And deserved.
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