When Hollywood touches on religion, it rarely gets anything right (speaking from a Christian perspective, that is). Sometimes the result is a movie so silly and farfetched that only a truly brainless fundamentalist could be offended. I mean, I probably wouldn't pay money to watch JESUS CHRIST: VAMPIRE HUNTER, but I'm sure not going to go picketing the video store that carries it for rental. Heck, if it came on late night TV, I might even check it out for grins and giggles. Then there are the movies like THE DA VINCI CODE, which wrap themselves in a veneer of historical authenticity in order to attack the foundations of Christianity at a very fundamental level, and succeed in rattling the faith of lots of immature Christians (OK, admittedly, I'm talking more about the book than the movie here). I find that offensive, but at the same time, I don't believe in censorship. I'm just not gonna see a movie that is nothing short of a two hour kick in the nads of the faithful.
Somewhere in between those extremes falls LEGION. This is a pretty doggone entertaining movie, with great special effects and some truly scary moments. But its plot is incomprehensible and its theology more full of holes than a piece of Swiss cheese. Here's a quick synopsis - God has lost faith in mankind, and sent an army of angels to possess the weak-minded and begin the destruction of humanity. A thoroughly unlikable waitress named Charlie at a small-town diner in the middle of the Nevada desert is pregnant with the child of an unknown father who, in some manner never explained, will save humanity if he is born and allowed to reach adulthood. The son of the diner's owner is in love with Charlie and committed to help her and the baby, even though she doesn't want his help. Archangel Michael quits his job as General of the Armies of Heaven to protect this child, while his brother, Gabriel, is determined that the child never be born - or, if allowed to come into the world, that the baby be destroyed immediately. As a handful of stranded motorists band together to survive, Michael arrives and arms them against the horde of angel-possessed people who are descending on them to kill the child and snuff out humanity's last hope.
As I said, the movie is entertaining. Its theology is messed up beyond words, and some of its characters - particularly the waitress Charlie - are just downright unpleasant. She insists on smoking right up to the hour before delivering the child, and repeatedly insults the young man who has determined that he will be her protector. Dennis Quaid is quite good as the burned-out owner of the diner, and the guy who plays Gabriel is very good as a war-weary angel who is determined to give God "not what He asks for, but what He needs." God is never seen or heard from directly in the movie, but He comes across as a depressed, bipolar Deity in serious need of some Valium. And why do angels have to possess humans in order to kill people? I seem to recall that one Angel of Death was able to deal with all the firstborn of Egypt while remaining incorporeal. I guess that would eliminate the need for the massive, fully automatic weapon firefights that made this movie so entertaining.
I saw this. For me it was entertaining, but in a painful manner. It was not because of religious history, although I definitely understand how that could be annoying.
I thought God would have to be pretty dumb to send angels that could be killed with guns.
He should have just made a giant flood or massive storms or something. I'm sure he could have arranged it. However, that would not make a movie that is as entertaining.
I loved the angels outfits and weapons. They looked really cool! The movie poster looks really cool too! I'd like to get a large one someday.
(http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5262/filmposterlegion.jpg) (http://img59.imageshack.us/i/filmposterlegion.jpg/)
The angel cosumes were pretty cool, I must admit. Particularly when Gabriel used his wings to shield himself from bullets!
Quote from: Sleepyskull on June 11, 2010, 08:01:19 AM
I saw this. For me it was entertaining, but in a painful manner. It was not because of religious history, although I definitely understand how that could be annoying.
I thought God would have to be pretty dumb to send angels that could be killed with guns.
He should have just made a giant flood or massive storms or something. I'm sure he could have arranged it. However, that would not make a movie that is as entertaining.
I loved the angels outfits and weapons. They looked really cool! The movie poster looks really cool too! I'd like to get a large one someday.
(http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5262/filmposterlegion.jpg) (http://img59.imageshack.us/i/filmposterlegion.jpg/)
I have this poster still in the tube. I won it and dont have a place to hang it. It is very nice. If you want it let me know and I will send it to ya. :smile:
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(http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/5262/filmposterlegion.jpg) (http://img59.imageshack.us/i/filmposterlegion.jpg/)
Looks like he has an elaborate cribbage tattoo. :teddyr:
I watched this in a theatre. EVERYBODY was laughing. When the old lady was hit in the face with the frying pan, people were rolling on the floor.
Hilarious movie. :teddyr:
I saw this when it came out and was not really impressed. The fight scene with Micheal and Gabriel was certainly the highlight. Especially because the trailer gave away the part with Venom-Grandma and the Ice Cream man-played by Doug Jones.
I didn't like the whole "angel possesion" aspect because it seemed llike they didn't do much with the idea save for the two examples already mentioned. Most of them came across as extras from The Crazies or some other zombiesque movie. It did remind me of the last season of the TV show Supernatural which delt with the idea of how different is it to be possessed by an angle vs demonic (fallen angle) possesion.
I wanted to see something maybe a little different with the idea of angles and humans at war. Something like Neo Genesis Evangelion which had giant robots fighting angels who where not people with wings. This movie didn't have to do that, but I think it missed some good opurtunities to push the envelope.
I haven't seen LEGION, but from the way everyone has been describing it, I guess I haven't missed anything.
As far as the good angel vs bad angel thing, I did catch Christopher Walken as the angel Gabriel in Prophecy 1995. I didn't really care for the movie, but I loved his portrayal of the character! :teddyr:
Quote from: Silverlady on June 12, 2010, 07:12:46 PM
I haven't seen LEGION, but from the way everyone has been describing it, I guess I haven't missed anything.
As far as the good angel vs bad angel thing, I did catch Christopher Walken as the angel Gabriel in Prophecy 1995. I didn't really care for the movie, but I loved his portrayal of the character! :teddyr:
Plus Viggo Mortenson as Satan! Gotta love that!
I enjoyed The Prophecy, but I always thought it would have worked better as a tv show; thematically, and character-wise, there was so much they could have expanded on. I haven't seen Legion but it's on my rental list; I have a major soft spot for supernatural horror/thrillers.
I thought this one is a bit better than reviews say. It's just basically a "Terminator" rip-off with angels instead of terminators and a religious backgorund instead of a sci-fi one. I can barely remember it, but I remember being entertained. That alone puts it above like "Prince of Persia".
To Silverlady: I couldn't help thinking in "Prophecy" while I was watching this one. I cared for that one enough to check the first two sequels. As expected, they get worse everytime, but at least Walken reprised his role. There are even more sequels, sans Walken, but I've never bothered about those.
I thought this movie had some good bits, but as a whole, just didn't jell for me. You take away the religious elements and you have the basic plot of "people barricade themselves in a diner/house/mansion/cave/boat and to keep out the hordes of demons/monster/possessed people/zombies/pushy insurance salesmen."
Most of the good bits are in the trailer, the old lady running around, the ice cream man, and some of the fight stuff in the final battle, but again, it just didn't jell as a whole.
One thought I kept having is man, God just REALLY isn't trying that hard. I mean, leaving out the whole "He's God, why not just snap his finger and say, 'Boom, heart attack!' line of though, how about this.. the possessed all show up in cars (so they can still drive) so, why not just have the guys in some big rigs slam right into the diner?
Course, I suppose you could argue, "God didn't really WANT to kill the baby, he knew Gabe and Mike would slug it out and that would help prove humanity was worth saving at the mere cost of several hundred or so innocent bystanders" but I think that's putting way more thought into the storyline than the riders did.
Another thing, I really, REALLY can't buy the idea a baby would survive inside a car that just flipped over.
Like I said though, it had it's moments. :)
The guy who was driving the ice cream truck looks like Tre Cool too. Especially when he goes all ELONGATED MAN at them.
A good bad vs good angel movie is Gabriel http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0857376/ its almost as good as The prophecy.
Quote from: 3mnkids on September 14, 2010, 05:56:10 PM
A good bad vs good angel movie is Gabriel http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0857376/ its almost as good as The prophecy.
By the way, that poster is looking great on my bedroom ceiling! :teddyr: Thanks again!
Personally the best religious themed movie I ever saw was "Religilous" by Bill Maher. I think that movie gave it the treatment it deserved.
You know what else this movie reminds me of? Demon Knight.