Dogma

Rating:
Summary: Creative, hilarious premise; but mediocre direction
Review: It's rare to get a comedy that's both brainy and hilarious; it's just too bad that the writer/director is so much better as a writer than as a director. You don't have to be a lapsed Catholic to relate to this movie, but it helps; and I can see why so many uptight religious fanatics protested--I mean the "buddy Jesus" idea proposed as a reform of the standard crucifix is gut-busting funny, and certain to send the fanatics for their picket signs. Despite the film's premise grounded in Catholic... well... dogma, this movie could have found a broader audience, had the direction not been so weak. This guy needs a Filmmaking 101 course. Scenes are set-up in the most obvious way, and there is very little creativity in the camera work. I found myself dozing at times--despite the offbeat hilarity of much of the concept and writing. Still, if you like your comedy dark and intelligent, this movie is worth a watch.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, but where's the Collector DVD?
Review: Kevin Smith creates an amazing story, with amazing characters (imagine that) in Dogma, his latest movie. Like Smith's other films, Dogma is quit hilarious, but it also conveys a strong message about faith. If you have reservations about buying this movie due to the religious content, It is not a catholic bashing movie. I'm catholic, and I wasn't offended. Regardless, the only down side to this DVD is that Kevin hasn't released a Collectors Edition. I'm planning on waiting for that copy... but when I do buy it, I'll be shopping on Amazon.com!

Rating:
Summary: Dogma
Review: I had not heard of this movie before one day seeing it in the video store. On a whim and having previously viewed "clerks" and "Mallrats" I gave it a chance. I was hooked at the begining. The biting satirical outlook on religion was refreshing and is definetly a must see. The language is a bit harsh however the movie hits home with its views toward the belief in god is more powerfull than religious doctrine. This star studded movie is definetly the sleeper rental and for those that prefer the status quo wake up and smell the 90's.

Rating:
Summary: God bless Kevin Smith
Review: I've never had such a struggle about awarding stars as I've had about this movie. Just to throw my cards on the table here, my dad was a Lutheran preacher and I've had my own personal, er, Issues with The Whole God Question. In the end I had to give it 4 stars because what Kevin Smith has had a notably worthy crack at doing is to try and reinvent the idea of faith for a generation of people who generally wouldn't be inclined to go for it. And any film that thanks Howard Stern, John Milton and Martin Scorsese in the final credits has to have _something_ going on.

My personal take on this movie is that, somewhere between screenplay and final cut, it got semi-seriously mutilated. Smith's published screenplay is more or less what you see on screen, but there are episodes - such as Jay and Silent Bob's muse-inspired outburst in a bar (all I'll say is that Silent Bob raps) - that are cut from the film, leaving gaping holes in the plot. That was the point where I began to wonder whether the film was falling to bits.

But in the end it's an amazing, sui generis mixture of cheesy jokes and theological adventure. I wish that somebody had had the courage to make the film that Smith originally wrote, because it could have been one of the bizarrest classics Hollywood has ever seen. As it is, it's a cheap-but-brilliant movie which overcomes narrative incoherence and a crippled FX budget to be a genuinely imaginative story about the virtue of faith as against the human distortions of organised religion.

Linda Fiorentino is great as the permanently harrassed great-great-several-more-levels-of-great-niece of Jesus, who finds herself on a quest to prevent the unmaking of existence; she has this air throughout much of the movie of not quite believing what she's got herself into, which is thoroughly appropriate. Alan Rickman is splendidly louche and drawly as Metatron, the voice of God; Jason Mewes as Jay is even more hilariously annoying than usual, and Smith himself is proving with each of his films to be a great silent comedian as the ridiculously taciturn Silent Bob.

The rest of the cast are on flying form. It was inspired casting to have golden boys Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as a pair of vengeful slacker-ish angels; Affleck in particular, with the benefit of some severely aristocratic cheekbones, works up an impressively lordly contempt for human frailty. Jason Lee is also excellently sleazy as the white-suited demon Azrael. There are crackling cameos by Guinevere Turner (as a sarky bus station attendant) and Janeane Garofalo (as Fiorentino's co-worker in the abortion clinic), and Alanis Morrissette as YHWH is, frankly, perfect, in the same way that Sinead O'Connor was ideal casting as the Virgin in Neil Jordan's "The Butcher Boy".

There's no doubt that Kevin Smith is a brilliant and intelligent storyteller; I've loved his previous films and I gobble up his comics. His talent as a director is maybe no more than adequate to the stories he wants to tell, but at least it's adequate. He probably ought to be writing epic poems, but then nobody would read them. This is a weirdly moving and provocative film; all the fart gags and insistently low tone are of a piece with the central idea that nothing of God's creation deserves to be denied. In that sense, it's one of the few genuinely faith-ful movies since Pasolini's "Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo". The church should be handing out copies after mass, not protesting against it. The only people in the film who are presented in a relentlessly negative way are anti-choice protestors, and whether or not you approve of that is between you and your conscience. I know where I stand.

Rating:
Summary: Some guys didn't get the spirit.
Review: Dogma isn't all about to stupid angels. But it's about our society and our religion. Kevin Smith tried to show that even our faith, is prejudice. It's an awakening. One for the collection. Ah! And this movie is really really funny.

Rating:
Summary: God is a WOMAN?
Review: Alanis is god that is a new one. The 13th apostole is a rightous black man, and the angels of death and his buddy quit and were banished to Michigan. How can you go wrong with this movie? It was the funniest movie that I have seen in at least a year. If Jay and Silent Bob are our last hope then the world is in deep "weed". This is a must see movie, and I will own a copy of it to complete the 4-parter. SEE THIS MOVIE!

Rating:
Summary: Irreverant or Irrelevant ?
Review: One strong piece of advice: If you are a devout Catholic with no sense of humor, PLEASE avoid this film at all costs. I am a Catholic with a (questionable) sense of humor. However, devout ? Probably not. Yet, I enjoyed the satirical point of view by the writers on all religions they take a jab at here. Period.Unfortunatley,the Catholic religion took the most jabs in this film.Is it because it happens to be one of the biggest religions on the face of the earth ? Hmm. The meaning or possible message of this film is who is man to put himself above the very faith they believe in and use it as a leverage to bully others. Yet, be hypocritical about the same rules or regulations they support or uphold by their own writings. In other words, you cannot be a bible thumper, yet, get caught at a nudie bar and expect to pass judgement onto others.

The end result is comedy that will make some flinch and others laugh hysterically. However effective, the message is still plain and simple. Yet, it is ambiguous to others.

Whether or not Alanis Morrisette's presence thrown in as a "special guest" is irreverant or irrelevant remains to be decided by the viewer...Remember, folks, the phrase, "tongue in cheek"?...

Rating:
Summary: Dogma blends humor with thought
Review: When one sits down with a group of film producers and suggests that he wants to do a humorous film about religion, I'm sure that there is a bit of hesitance. But luckily for us, Kevin Smith, the writer and director of such movies as Clerks, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy, has hit another winner with Dogma. The movie begins with a disclaimer, and rightfully so, about how this is a piece of fiction and not some hostile take-over of organized religion. Despite that, this film was met with harsh criticism, debate, and even protesters from members and leaders of the Catholic Church. Shortly after, we meet the movie's protagonist, Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), an employee at an abortion clinic whose Catholic faith seems to be dwindling by the minute. She is no longer moved by her faith; she thinks that God is dead. She couldn't be any more wrong. As she reaches the low point in her faith, she is spoken to by the Angel of God (Alan Richman) who challenges her to a mission for God: she is charged with saving the world. Bethany is joined by the staple characters of a Kevin Smith film, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith). Further rounding out the rather notable cast is George Carlin as a Cardinal and Chris Rock as an apostle. Her quest is so direly important due to a glitch in Catholic teaching. Two fallen angels, Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Loki (Matt Damon), who have been banished to earth by God because they quit their Angel duties, have discovered a way back to heaven. They learned that during a rededication of a cathedral in New Jersey, all of the sins of those who pass through the doors of the church would be forgiven. This process is known as plenary indulgence. The reason that this must be prevented is that anything that goes against the word of God proves him wrong. That would undo creation and end life as we know it. This movie seems to assemble an unusual array of concepts and ideas. The most obvious one is the contradiction in a film that speaks of religion and yet has gratuitous use of profanity. This movie makes many jokes at organized religion, particularly Catholicism, incorporates some low-brow humor, and even manages to squeeze in a bit of intellectual and constructive criticism of religion. Though one would assume that a movie that strives to have such mass appeal would have little thoughtful ideology behind the very faith that they are criticizing, that is where this movie becomes unexpectedly good. The jokes that poke fun at Catholicism are funny, yet poignant. They all seem to unite behind the movie's overwhelming support of Christianity and faith, if you watch it long enough to realize that. Those who dismiss this movie as purely an attack on organized religion failed to fully comprehend the movie and understand the point that Kevin Smith sought to make. This movie's focus appears to be to provoke thought. For each criticism there is of organized religion, there is a suggestion as to how to make faith more true, alive, and personal. It seems as though the movie operated on enough levels so that one who has no knowledge of Catholicism could be entertained and a bit enlightened. Yet one with a deep knowledge of the faith could, with an open mind, leave feeling refreshed about their faith, with a few new ideas, and certainly something to think about. The movie's portrayal of God is also refreshing. Instead of the God who judges from on high, we are met with a different one. For this film, Smith emphasizes God as a loving, compassionate God, with an almost childlike love for humanity. I found this to be the most refreshing and insightful portrayal I have seen for God. I commend Smith on his writing of this character, but I do have one problem with it: the actor. Though the actor that he chose portrayed him well (I won't reveal the actor, I don't want to spoil the ending), he should have taken into account any preconceived notions the audience would have about the actor before choosing them for the part. I saw the audience collectively shake its head and say "Why?" when we found out who God was. As I have previously mentioned, the story was well written and all of the actors did a commendable job on their characters, but one thing still struck me as incongruous with the rest of the film. Though all of the religious jokes were in good taste and did have a valid point, one of the comic relief characters, Jay, seemed to bring his character to such a vulgar level that it ruined some moments. I understand that some things need to be done to prove a point, but there were times when I felt that his character crossed the line of good taste. In all, one must see this movie how it was intended, as a work of fiction. Though it caused controversy, that argument got people thinking about their faith, and that was the point of the movie. If it is approached with an open mind, this movie poses many questions and valid suggestions that can leave one feeling a bit renewed about their faith. And if not, at least you heard the F-word a few dozen times.

Rating:
Summary: A Former Pastor's View....
Review: I thought Kevin Smith's movie was hysterical, truly destined to be a comedy classic. I'm sure it will do MUCH better in the VHS and DVD markets than it ever did in the theater. It is DEFINITELY worth watching. Some will take offense (diehard Catholics, most definitely), however it's hard to call a movie blasphemous which speaks glowingly of the infinite patience of God, and which accepts without question the fundamental truths of Christianity, including the virgin birth, the uniqueness of Christ as God's only Son, the reality of heaven, and the power and responsibilities of the Church. It blends comedic genius with thought-provoking theological ideas (some inane, of course). If you can get past your own "dogma", you'll thoroughly enjoy this flick.

Rating:
Summary: A long way from Clerks
Review: Jay and Silent Bob may be along for the ride, but this movie moves to new ground for Kevin Smith. Its dark, its thought-provoking and most of all its what we like to see from Smith.. its gutsy.

The casting and effects are impressive, especially in contrast with Clerks. However, this is far from a Hollywood sell-out. Smith just takes things to a different level.

If you are a Christian (especially Catholic) and easily offended, I honestly would suggest you steer clear of this. However, if you can step back and take a quirky irreverent view of the Christian faith, you may find this enjoyable.

Overall, it may not be as strictly humorous as its predecessors (and it is far more violent), but it is definately worth your time. Whether you are a Kevin Smith fan or not, just enter it with a clean slate and an open mind and you will not be disappointed.