Hopeless movie in more ways then one

Rating: 3/10 (22 August 2005)

﻿I can only say that I have regretted watching a film and wished I had never seen it only a few times in my life. This is definitely one of those times. What on God's green earth were they thinking when they green lighted this project? Up front I have to admit I am an evangelical Christian in Seminary preparing for ministry, so I am a little slanted. But hear me out.
I enjoy watching films because in part they can tell you volumes about the attitudes and feelings people have about faith and God. This looked like it would be an interesting film to get a pulse for the spiritual attitude of America. Right from the trailer I knew it would tackle some pretty big questions. But I am afraid this film speaks volumes of the hopelessness people feel. I came away depressed and saddened. Evil is ever present, close at hand and God is no where to be found. Worse still man is left to fight this great evil on his own. If it is truly as bad as the movie portrays why do any of us stick around to endure? What hope do we have the next life will be any better? All of us I believe desire a relationship with God why can't we portray that on film instead of laws and rules? It would at least make us feel better wouldn't it? I think this film got at least one think right about man's spiritual condition (though I seriously doubt it was intentional), man is without any hope separated from a God who intervenes in our lives.
OK spiritual questioning over. I gave this film a 3 instead of a 1 because it is visually stunning. It truly captures something of the horror I personally believe hell must be like. The other computer effects were equally dramatic and terrifying. But the more I think about the plot and character development the more this film disappoints me. Why does Satan's son choose this time to come out onto the world? Why would Lucifer not want his son to reign death and destruction on the world. If this is truly a dualistic world why do we see a predominance of demon half breads with out angelic ones being just as prevalent? Or better yet how are half breeds even created if there is no crossing over between plains? If in heaven there are more chapters in the Bible how do people on earth know about it? The main item driving this film is that the truce, the balance is being broken. Why then does this balance seem so easy to break and why does it only seem to get broken one way (ie from the demonic side)? This film in my opinion simply fails to be consistent in terms of plot and characters. Rules are broken for the sake of story way to easy and way to often.