Rating: 
Summary: BAD.....very very BAD
Review: this movie was one of the worst movies I have ever seen in
in the theater. i am gonna keep this short... so all i am going to say is... this movie is BAD. Very BAD!
Rating: 
Summary: The Good, The Bad
Review: Come on people, the cinema isn't perfect these days. Very rarely do we get gems these days. Yet, most of the stuff that is being put out is certainly entertaining. And although a large majority of people do not have this movie on their list of entertaining ones, I do. Bless the Child, I think, contains a well thought out story of a young girl who was sent from God. A Satanist who has been searching for her will stop at nothing to make sure he turns her over to the devil. The good stuff: Some of the acting. The little girl who plays Cody, Holliston Coleman, was actually very good. Her character never once annoyed or bothered me. She can deliver some strong lines. "After you." Yeah, I know, it may sound corny to some people, but while watching the movie and what happened before she said it, kind of chilled me. Christina Ricci did well here. Her character was used to get Kim Basinger's character closer to finding Cody, but wasn't used enough. I really wish they would have broadened her character. It was also nice to see Jimmy Smits put back on the "cop / detective" routine. Although this is labeled as a psychological thriller or what have you, there are jump scenes and gore. The jump scenes were pretty much non-effective in some parts, but in anothers, it worked well. I didn't even expect the gore. Yes, there are decapitated heads and knitting needles through eyes here. It surprised me. The bad / fair stuff: Um, Kim Basinger really didn't do well here. In her other movies she's been in, she is awesome, but here? She rarely gave a convincing performance. The ending is pretty much where she shines. Rufus Sewell, who was Eric Stark - the villain- did okay as the Satanist Eric Stark. But he wasn't that much of an intimidation with his actions. Although his performance really never dulled. I felt as if the beginning of Bless the Child was a bit rushed, but after that, the movie settles into the basic plot, and rides from there. It's not a quick ride. I do admit, sometimes it dragged, but it never lost my interest. The DVD's video and audio transfers are pretty good. The colors are done very good. The only supplements on the disc are an audio commentary (Which I have yet to catch), theatrical trailer, and interviews. Would have been nice to at least seen a featurette of some sort. In the end, Bless the Child isn't top Hollywood material, but it's interesting none-the-least.
Rating:
Summary: An ok distraction if you hush your inner plot-hole-police
Review: I've been watching a lot of art house movies lately an I wanted a lighter diversion. Something that wouldn't keep tugging at my thoughts. This movie fits that category pretty well. I would not recommend this to someone who really wants to get into a movie though because there is nothing to dissect. (Go check out PI or the Tin Drum.) There is only enough mentioned about the characters and their motivations to further the plot. And speaking of the plot it's just your basic good vs evil story. Nothing wrong with that if the writer doesn't get to heavy handed, a fate just narrowly missed in this case. If you're religious then you would probably like Bless the Child for it's religious affirmations. If not then you will probably like it if you are in the right mood to ignore plot holes. You know what I'm talking about...the good guys finding a dirt road that just happen to lead to the back of the bad guy's heavily guarded compound. A huge number of bad guys who do nothing but flap around an act menacing while the one or two good guys beat them all. This movie has a few of those but enjoy the movie and just sit back an laugh as the limo of death barrels it's way through traffic.
Rating:
Summary: Not that bad!
Review: I really didn't think the movie was all that bad. I have seen a lot of movies that were way worse than that in my time. I found the girl Cody to be very adorable. That may be one of the reasons why I liked it. I didn't so much focus on the religious aspect of the movie but, the storyline in my opinion was very nice when you think about. Cody was just one of God's many messengers sent here for the greater good, and as we all know there is also the other side that wanted to keep her from her mission. It just goes to show that good always prevails over evil, and I don't see anything wrong with that.
Rating:
Summary: Unredeemably awful; not even Basinger and Ricci can save.
Review: I used to think that Hollywood could release a movie of Kim Basinger reading the phone book for ninety minutes, and I'd happily plunk down five bucks to see it. Of course, movies cost much more these days, and my tastes have become a bit more refined. With laughable villains, predictable and stereotypical characters, and a stumbling plot with holes big enough to drive a hearse through, this movie is an utter waste of time and money. Not even worth a rental. The only saving grace is Christina Ricci all gothed out, but sadly, as soon as she opens her mouth, the film's sad and insipid dialogue destroys the moment. Don't waste your time seeing any part of this movie. Even fans of supernatural and religious thrillers will be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: See the movie first...
Review: After reading the book, I hardly thought the movie was worth the money I wasted to rent it. The book is by far more encompassing, taking into account a variety of religious beliefs and deities, interesting characters and memorable internal battles with faith. The movie barely skimmed the surface of these things, and the story was vastly different. Overall...a disappointment. In all fairness, I might have enjoyed the movie as a solitary experience had I not been tainted by a truly enjoyable novel. I strongly recommend seeing the movie before reading the book.
Rating:
Summary: Creates negative stereotypes, but somewhat entertaining
Review: I'm not Christian, nor am I a Satanist, but I do know enough about both religions to know that this movie cast all Christians in a positive light and all Satanists in a negative light. The portrayal of Satanism was inaccurate to the point of being absurd... anyone who knows anything about Satanism knows that all recognized forms of Satanism do not recognize the "Satan" of Christian religion as their lord and master. Satanism is a religion about exploring all facets of being human (from giving and goodness to lust and selfishness), and looking out for onesself above looking out for others. It's certainly not about slaughtering children and lighting schitzophrenics on fire. Of course, movies like this fail to deal with the fact that only 30% of the world is Christian, and perhaps 1-2% of the world is a Satanist. Other religions are entirely ignored in the context of such movies. All that being said, it was still entertaining, and kept me interested. A lot of the time was spent laughing and making jokes about the Christian and Satanic stereotypes, but all in all, it wasn't awful. Just don't take this movie to heart.
Rating:
Summary: Really screwed up the original story
Review: I recently finished reading Bless the Child, by Cathy Cash Spellman, the original author of this story. The movie really twisted the plot around, and the characters were screwed around with. If you've read the book and want to see the movie for that reason, take my advice and don't see it-they are two different stories entirely.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't listen to other reviews, this is a good movie
Review: After just watching the movie, I must say that I cannot understand where the other reviewers are coming from. I thought the message of the film was great. The faith of the little girl was inspiring, and I enjoyed seeing a positive portrayal of Christianity for a change. I think that Christian viewers of this film will enjoy it the most, as things like the nuns praying (which another reviewer discounted as a laughable part of the climax) mean so much more to them. Several times in the movie, angels appear as ordinary people, helping out the main characters. Also, I saw that some of the other reviewers misinterpreted the plot a little. The story is that a girl was born who will one day become a great saint who will lead many people to God. The Satanists want to prevent this from happening, and they would like to turn her over to their side if possible. The story then advances with their struggle to convert her. All in all, I say that this movie is very worthwhile seeing, as long as you aren't offended by the Christian message.
Rating:
Summary: Not as bad as people say it is
Review: Although I whole-heartingly agree Kim Basinger did a horrible job, this movie has a great and entertaining story. If you dont mind a bit of exploitation, then you will likely find this movie entertaining. Rufus Sewell does a great and creepy job of playing the creepy cult leader. So if you arent somebody who usually gets frustrated and offended by religious horror movies, rent this and it will make one of the best movie rentals you ever had.
| 
