Sunday, November 20, 2005

Left Behind III: My review


I recently saw the latest Left Behind release. I haven't read the books since I was in high school, so I'm a little rusty on the specifics of whether or not the film even came close to following the story line in the books. Some of the parts I do remember, however, did appear in the film. For instance, Chloe and Buck marry and Ray marries Amanda. The down side is that you don't really know where the heck Amanda came from in the movie. One film he is mourning his wife the next he's getting married again. Oh well.

This is definitely an action packed film, not something I would recommend watching with small children floating around as there is some violence. Though it comes nowhere near what normal films contain when it comes to violence.

The special effects are MUCH better in this film, so it doesn't have that "this is a B movie" feel as much. AND if you are a fan of the character of "Chappy" from Iron Eagle (this came out many moons ago, army/ air force flick.) then you will be excited because Louis Gossett, Jr. plays American President Fitzhugh. I don't even remember if this character was in the books, but he did a great job in the role though there was some major deviations from what I remember of the books which bothered me immensely.

Moving on. The "trib force" has expanded and gotten involved in actively coming against the Anti-christ and his religious suppression via stealing Bibles from government warehouses and smuggling the Bibles to underground churches. Then mysteriously the church houses around the country begin to suffer devastating illnesses and eventually deaths from an unknown virus. Bruce (the pastor) falls ill and as Chloe cares for him she becomes ill as well. It becomes a race to try and figure out what is going on before more die. Where did the virus come from? What is the common link between all the ill? I won't tell you what happens to them because I like to be mean. Email me if you just have to know. This illness, I don't remember being in the books either by the way.

So, I don't necessarily agree with everything that is said in and through the series, but over all this was a decent movie. It was definitely one of the most well made Christian films I have seen, which is good. I know people who aren't Christians but love the movies and this has actually opened up new conversations with them. There is no middle ground with this film when it comes to the topic of salvation. It makes it very clear, you must follow Christ and submit your life to Him or you are siding with the Anti-christ; that you will follow the leader you choose to submit to strait to their eternal destinations. It's heaven or hell people, and this film makes that clear.

Overall, I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

No comments: