Left Behind: The Movie Review

by Jeremiah Kipp (cnull AT mindspring DOT com)
March 2nd, 2001
LEFT BEHIND: THE MOVIE
    A film review by Jeremiah Kipp
    Copyright 2001 filmcritic.com
    filmcritic.com

Based on the best-selling novel, Left Behind is the latest in an
assembly line of Evangelical thrillers from Cloud Ten Pictures.
Considering the success of The Omega Code, there's a surprisingly large
audience of zealots who dream of screening films with "spiritual value"
nationwide. And apparently, all that hard work is paying off.

Let readers be warned in advance, if you're part of the camp which tries
to catch the "so bad it's good" movies filmcritic.com cheerfully slams
on a weekly basis (and I mean you, Battlefield Earth), do yourself a
favor and avoid Left Behind. Even if your interest is akin to mine,
approaching the entire affair as a postmodern joke, your contribution is
paving the way for more of this generic, bible-thumping crap. With this
kind of marketing campaign, every dollar counts.

Having said that, I really wanted to enjoy Left Behind. The premise has
all the makings of a crackerjack apocalyptic epic in the vein of Stephen
King's The Stand crossed with The Omen. If handled right, this could
have been the mainstream alternative to Michael Tolkin's chilling
end-of-the-world melodrama, The Rapture.

On an international flight, half of the passengers vanish mid-air. This
is not an isolated incident. Around the world, Christians have
mysteriously disappeared without a trace. It seems the Book of
Revelations has cracked wide open, and the newly departed are spared
seven years of tribulation during the Antichrist's rise to global
power. Those who have been left behind must struggle in the ultimate
battle between good and evil, which will no doubt be further documented
in the inevitable string of sequels.

Don't tell me that doesn't sound exciting, even to heathens such as
myself.

My interest abruptly waned the moment a freshly scrubbed Kirk Cameron
appears on the scene as opportunistic news correspondent Buck Williams.
We're asked to buy Kirk Cameron as a hardcore journalist covering an
international crisis in the Middle East? Named Buck Williams? When
Buck places his camera in the middle "of the shit" as bombs burst in
midair, it's difficult to shake the thought that this pathetic former
star hasn't aged a day since Growing Pains. His behavior, his goofy
smile, his curly locks of hair are all exactly the same. I guess some
things never change, even after you're Born Again.

Buck pursues a conspiracy that goes all the way to the United Nations.
Will he be able to warn idealistic scientist Chaim Rosenzweig (Colin
Fox) that his "Eden formula" which could end world hunger may land in
the wrong hands? Sure enough, there's a missing disk, a car explosion,
an attempted assassination, and shifty men in black who plot
Armageddon. These familiar genre requirements are as lifeless as they
are predictable, shot with all the bland mushiness of late night cable
television.

Indeed, Left Behind could easily be confused with less ambitious fare
were it not for the preachy subplot involving the tormented pilot (Brad
Johnson) of that ill-fated international flight mentioned earlier. When
his wife and son disappear in the Rapture, he falls to his knees begging
forgiveness. If only he had listened when Jesus was knocking on the
door to his heart. It's not long before Buck joins him as a soldier in
God's Army.

After the end credits scroll on Left Behind's home video release, Kirk
Cameron provides a public service announcement encouraging viewers to
tell everyone they know to see this movie. My only request for the
Christians who happen upon this article: Don't settle for less. Go to
the Left Behind website and demand quality scripts which address your
theological concerns.

Of course, the built-in audience will see these movies whether or not
they receive a critical bitch slap. After an initial release on video
to spread word of mouth, Left Behind has found its way into the 20 top
grossing theatrical releases during the week it opened nationwide.
Let's hear it for the Almighty Buck.

RATING: * [LOWEST RATING]

|------------------------------|
\ ***** Perfection \
\ **** Good, memorable film \
    \ *** Average, hits and misses \
    \ ** Sub-par on many levels \
    \ * Unquestionably awful \
    |------------------------------|

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Director: Victor Sarin
Producers: Ron Booth, Joe Goodman, C. Robert Neutz, Ralph Winter
Writers: John Bishop, Joe Goodman, Paul Lalonde, Alan B. McElroy
Starring: Kirk Cameron, Brad Johnson, Janaya Stephens, Clarence Gilyard,
Jr., Colin Fox, Gordon Currie

http://www.leftbehind-themovie.com/
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