Dogma

Rating:
Summary: Dogma- Big Disappointment
Review: I have trouble putting my finger on exactly what led me to dislike this film. Maybe it was the unfulfilled hype that accompanied a Kevin Smith movie with an actual budget. Maybe it was the interminable banter of siamese twins Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Perhaps it was the fact that the Kevin Smith humor, which I fell in love with in Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy is getting old. It's hard to pinpoint precisely what contributed to the major letdown that was Dogma. I guess the main problem with the movie is that it assumes that the whole world is Catholic. Sure, maybe Smith had some personal axe to grind concerning his parochial school days, but the rest of the world, myself included has trouble relating to two hours of Catholic mythology. Add to that an atrocious cast (see Damon, Affleck, Rock) and you get one of the most disappointing films in recent memory. Sure, the movie has its funny moments, but as a whole, I prefer the earlier Kevin Smith works. So buy the earlier stuff. Don't buy Dogma. Rent it. You'll probably enjoy it, but not as much as you thought you would.

Rating:
Summary: Funny idea, funny execution
Review: I heard the NPR interview Terry Gross did with the director before seeing the movie, so it was sort of interesting to get his slant on things before actually seeing the film, given all the controversy it stirred up.

Smith made of point of saying he wasn't out to bash Catholicism in any way, being a very religious person himself. He just thought this was a funny script and wanted to make the movie.

I've seen the movie now and whether you're Catholic or not, or very religious or not, this is obviously a spoof and not meant to be taken seriously.

Although you won't get a lot of belly laughs out of it, it is funny in a darkly satirical and absurd sort of way. Matt Damon and Ben Alfeck play off of each other well and make a good team here. Jay and Silent Bob are also very funny and almost steal the show. Silent Bob has only one line--at the very end of the movie, when you're not expecting it.

A lot of the movie is dialogue, or at least monologue, as Matt Damon rants on about several convoluted theological issues. I'm not sure if these are legit or not, but they are pretty entertaining by themselves. They're reminiscent of such absurd-sounding questions as the one about how many angels could dance on the head of a pin.

This aspect reminded me a little of the scene in "In The Name of the Rose" with Sean Connery, where the assembled monks riot during a debate on this very point. However, this was a much more serious movie and they probably weren't trying to be funny.

Well, they are trying to be funny in this movie and it works out pretty well. There were a few things I would have changed, such as giving George Carlin a different part so he could make better use of his own unique comedic gifts, but overall, Smith does a good job of turning a funny concept into an entertaining film.

Rating:
Summary: Thought Provoking Fun!
Review: Although I haven't seen any other Kevin Smith movies, this is already my favorite. "Dogma" is hilarious and thought-provoking at the same time, a rare thing in this day and age. Linda Fiorentino deserves much more credit than she was given for her portrayal of Bethany. Chris Rock is a great supporting character, being less raw and more directly comedic. Salma Hayek is a great actress (I loved her in "Fools Rush In") but her character, a muse with a case of writer's block, Serendipity, gets old fast. Jay and Silent Bob are the very best part of the movie, though, for their comic relief. Best scence: The Golden Mooby Massacre. Buy this movie and you'll see what I mean.. :P

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Thought Provoking
Review: I am an evil Mormon. (Basically I've been austrisized by my fellow mormons for actually reading the scriptures and interpeting thier obvious meanings differently than the sunday school teacher.) I just had to say that before I gave my review. Comming from a religious background I can appreciate this film for what it is. I don't think this movie was meant to be sacreligious, just thought provoking. The movie takes many comon believes and puts new spins on them in a very entertaning way. Although I do agree that the directing could have been better, I appreciate the "ideas" introduced. Especially the analogy of faith being like a glass of water. Counter arguments for some of the ideas presented in this film exist. One must remember that Christ was a Jew, and in that day marrying outside the Jewish religion was taboo. He would not have been black, or white, but Hebrew. Another counter argument is that if god was a woman wouldn't the Bible would have been written by women? It's still kind of fun to see the variety of oppinions on religion. One thing Kevin Smith could have done before shooting the movie is research, Azreal is the angel of death, not an exiled muse, and Loki was the norse god of Pranks. That aside this movie, despite it's radical views, does have a surprisingly good message about religion in our anti-religious times. Beliefs are too hard to change, but get yourself a good idea and get this DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Comedy to die for.
Review: Kevin Smith has got to be one of the greatest writer/directors to come along in a very long time. Let me say this first about Dogma, the movie without question gets 5 stars. Religion is a very touchy subject with some people, but if you can let your "guard' down and simply see this movie as Smith intended you'll find yourself falling out of your seat with laughter. The story revolves around One woman (the last zion)who is attempting to stop two fallen angels from returning to heaven and thereby negate the existence of the universe. She is help in her quest by the a Muse, the 13th apostle, and of course the one and only....well two and only I guess...Jay and Silent Bob. (those of you who have seen Smith's other work know these characters well and let me say they are in rare form in this flick.) The two angels are played by real life buddies Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who as always have a great chemistry together. This is unlike manys film you are likely to see, some scenes consist of nothing more than 10 minutes of dialogue...believe me that isnt a bad thing in a Kevin Smith Film. While I said the movie got 5 stars...the DVD only gets 3. Yes the movie looks great, but where are the extras? You know Smith has tons of extras, his Mallrats DVD had an hour plus of delete scenes. I found it disappointing that they rushed this one out without anything more than simply adding in the theatrical trailer. Yes there is adeluxe version being worked on, though I have yet to hear of a release date. Bottom line: Solid movie, subpar DVD. If you can't wait for the deluxe version, this one will do.

Rating:
Summary: Get Thee To New Jersey!
Review: This is Kevin Smith's gleeful romp into the most controversial of all subjects: religion. He takes some nasty shots at the conventional methods and belief structure of Catholicism in this cranked-up bit about two renegade angels trying to get back into heaven after disobeying their Creator and being cast down into the hell of all hells: Wisconsin. Smith has the tendency to be preachy and overwrought in detail of his thoughts and opinions when writing a script, and this movie allows him the perfect opportunity to sound off from all sides through his diverse and zany cast of characters. Everyone is their own religious theorist that has the tiresome tendency to progress simple dialogue into long-winded sermons stuffed chock-full of theological banter. It is easier to take this time around since he has splashed his noncomforming and adroit sense of humor about the place, lightening a situation when it becomes too thought-provoking or dense for some.

His amusing supposition of God is that the Divine One is an avid skeeball player and, once in a while, converts his Almighty aura to human flesh so he can drop in at the local arcade to play a few rounds. But evil forces are about, and three dirty little adolescents called the Stygian triplets beat the Almighty's frail form to the ground with their hockey sticks of rage, capturing the deity and holding him against his will as a threat to the stability of Heaven and Earth collectively. Skip to an airport somewhere in hell, er, Wisconsin where Bartleby (Affleck) and Loki (Damon), the above-mentioned renegades, begin their plotting to get back into paradise. The process of how and why is explained as Bartleby convinces Loki to get involved and they begin their trek across the US to reach a small church in New Jersey, the place where the existing backdoor lies in wait for their entry.

Little do they know, an unknowing servant of God has just been chosen to prevent their reentry and her name is Bethany Sloane, a simple citizen of Earth who works at, of all places, an abortion clinic. If the criticism of the medieval and unruly ethics of Catholicism wasn't enough, Smith has the balls to include the hostile, rampant war between pro and anti-abortionists. She is visited in the night by the Holy host Metatron, the substituted voice of God and messenger to her quest. This is when the movie gets good. Smith couldn't have done it better when he cast Alan Rickman as the sardonic seraphim. His raw delivery but gentle presence is a pleasure above all the casting choices he has made in the past, good and bad. He alone is worth watching the movie with his rapier wit and polished experience.

Granted, Ben and Matt are the perfect pair, seeing as how they're childhood friends, personal acquaintances of the director and have already shown what they're capable of in their Oscar-winning film "Good Will Hunting". The only problem I have with these two is that when they're working together in this movie, it's like watching "Good Will Hunting" again, only with a livelier story line and a deeper moral. They seem to be playing themselves more than they're playing Bartleby and Loki. This "he's my best buddy and I want to include him in every movie I'm starring in" crap is getting a little old. Do you know how many movies they've been in together? Here, let me give you the complete list, and I assure you, it will get longer over time: Good Will Hunting, Dogma, Chasing Amy (Matt had a brief cameo with Brian O'Halloran), School Ties, Glory Daze (that's right, Matt's in there but if you blink, you'll miss him). Of course, with an Oscar sitting on their mantle, they won't need to job-scout for one another for quite some time.

Chris Rock was a hilarious original as Rufus, the 13th apostle of God purposely unaccounted for in the bible because of his race. He drops the usual mottled routine he heralds on stage, substituting a subtler charm and snappier humor. George Carlin is perfect as the sanctimonious highflyer Cardinal Glick, a vivacious vicar who doggedly campaigns the modernized and worship-friendly changes to Catholicism. His transition into Glick's smug and ambitious persona is done with the greatest of ease, proving once again that he is great behind the lens as well as in front of a live audience. Carlin's skilled comedic prowess makes donning the priestly robes an amusing stunt and he delivers the holy haughtiness of Glick's character with dexterity and precision.

Who I really thought was an interesting choice on Smith's part is Linda Fiorentino as the feisty Last Scion. Judging by her failures in movies such as the forgettable 80's flop "Gotcha!" and the cheap sex thriller "Jade" (not to mention acting alongside David Caruso), Linda is taking a step up from martyrdom as Bethany, the bitter child of God who cures her lost faith by saving the world from total damnation. There are other actresses who had their foot in the door for this part, but Linda seems to have that special, sexy charm that can't be compared.

Smith has done well so far, picking himself up when he's fallen down, but not without words. How can we expect any less of a our belligerent and quarrelsome screenwriter? His mouth has gotten him many places, and may his working mind continue to do him justice in the formulation of his screenplays.

Rating:
Summary: PRETENTIOUS AND IRRITATING
Review: This movie goes so badly as movies can go... The duo of Damon and Affleck think they made a master-piece of controversy, but that's not case: it's only a master-piece of boredom. Director kevin Smith forgot what film making is all about. THe plot is horrenndous, Morrissette appears out of the blue (clever agent..) nothing works here. Linda Fiorentino could have been replaced by a door, so bad was her acting. Sad...

Rating:
Summary: For teenagers only, and even they wouldn't like it.
Review: Kevin Smith likes to show us what a no talent writer/director he is, and this film tops them all. It makes very offensive statements about God and Religion. Even Monty Python's Life of Brian is mild compared to the perverted humor in this film. For a better movie about God, that is more family friendly, try the OH GOD movies with George Burns.

Rating:
Summary: Kevin could do better...
Review: Welcome to hell, a movie with an all-star cast with bad writing, bad premise, and failed directing. The sad thing? I enjoyed the script, at least until the last 1/3 of it, but the movie is a painful, mixed experience. There isn't a single thing to be found offensive in this movie, at least, that hasn't been said by every other person who has ever been "offensive" to christianity. The script is standard smith fare, but by the end I was cheering for the bad guys, just so it would end. So many of the scenes are ridiculously unnecessary, and with the absolutely TERRIBLE comedy (straight from saturday morning cartoons). They underused the best characters in the script, as well (surprising for smith). Janeane Garafalo(sp) deserved more than a 10 second cameo, and the muse (isn't she a greek figure anyways?) deserved more screentime. The angels were miscast, and they have the worst acting of the lot. Maybe Bruce Willis instead of Damon?

NOw that I think about it, Smith's use of top actors is part of what is pulling him down. Lets go back to the days of unknowns, like clerks, where he can use more experimentation.

Life of Brian was a much better movie, overall, especially on this topic.

Rating:
Summary: A Welcomed Surprise and A Change in Perspective
Review: I had no idea what this movie was about when my friend asked me to see it with her. I LOVED it the very first time I saw it in the theater, and I've seen it two more times since then. I laugh through it every time, and I continue to find new things I missed before. The movie is witty and brilliant and before its time. It addresses a lot of religious issues that have become taboo over the years, such as hypocrisy in the religions, but mostly in Christianity. The movie is not meant to be taken seriously, but I think there is truth behind the idea. The characters are verbose, so it is easy to miss what they say. I found the end a bit cheesy; however, I agree with the statement it makes. It was an appropriate conclusion to a complex movie. I left the theater feeling like I had accomplished something because it helped me see another perspective on religion that I wouldn't have ordinarily seen. I thought about what the movie meant to me for days after I saw it.