A small group of survivors are left behind after millions of people suddenly vanish and the world is plunged into chaos and destruction. This film is very confusing. Is it an action/disaster movie in search of an enabling premise of biblical proportions, or is it a Christian promo keeping it real by engaging impressive special effects?<br/><br/>Many reviewers urge potential viewers not to watch this movie, and it certainly would not have been worth paying for. But on a slow Thursday night on Freeview it does have entertainment potential, partly for the aeroplane action (always a winner for me) and to watch Nicholas Cage wrestling with the script and to keep a straight face. My companion summed it all up with 'Nicholas Cage isn't an entertainer, is he? He's an actor, he will literally take ANYTHING for the money'. <br/><br/>It occurred to me that it might well be satirical. In particular because the Muslim gentleman, despite being very nice, was so obviously 'left behind' for picking the wrong god. For the atheist there's no better shot than that. The totally LOL chucking of the midget down the evacuation slide' was equally un-PC. Which is great fun these days. A lot of people think the book of Revelation is jolly good farce.<br/><br/>Perhaps someone said, 'What if half the passengers on a plane just disappeared? What would happen? We could have fun with that!' Plane stories are great because they provide isolated, trapped and cut-off groups of strangers primed to become obligingly hysterical. And instead of aliens, time warps or anything covered in The Twilight Zone, they went with mass ascension, just for shits and giggles.<br/><br/>And the end, (which is 'just the beginning' according to the more damaged half of the daddy/daughter issue that apocalypse movies are currently so fond of) is just an absolute gem. The fires of Hell, caused by the sudden absence of the God's people who stop things catching on fire, appear to be waiting for those left behind. In secular Britain, we'd still have about 70 per cent of the population left to recover civilisation, and quite a few less quite annoying people to make it harder.<br/><br/>For all the aforementioned comedy moments I give it a goodhearted 3 stars. In most aspects, this is far superior to the original Left Behind.<br/><br/>Not saying much, but still.<br/><br/>Decent effects.<br/><br/>Passable acting, for the most part.<br/><br/>When the rapture happens, it's an amazing effect, is unexpected, and makes you gasp, and you actually feel the panic of it and get wrapped into it.<br/><br/>It actually has a climax unlike the previous film.<br/><br/>But, they don't go enough in to the rapture, no news reports, nothing about what the government thinks, no mention of the anti-Christ, and a majority of it takes place on a plane and by the time its over it gives you a bad taste in your mouth and you want to watch the farthest thing from a religious movie. It’s inoffensive, unless you take umbrage at the idea that the only people who know not to steal are True Believers and all that keeps society from an instant meltdown are the Faithful.
Maeshou replied
326 weeks ago