Rating: Summary: One of the funniest movies of 1999 Review: With the possible exception of "South Park", this was the funniest movie of 1999. Wicked in its satire, yet (somehow) managing to remain pro-Catholic, "Dogma" deserved better than it got at the box office. (Warning, if you are VERY devout, this movie is probably not for you.)Sharp, well written and well acted, Kevin Smith is starting to hit his stride as one of the best young writer's/director's/actor's of the day. On the other hand, Alanis Morissette is a better singer than actress, even though she has no lines. George Carlin in a role as a bishop is somewhat wasted after his initial scene (but the casting choice is brilliant!). But even that can not bring this film down from its top rating.
Rating: Summary: Snoogans! Review: You can read all about the story in these other peoples' reviews. I don't want to ruin it for you. This movie cracked me right up! If you are a rabid Kevin Smith fan like me, you'll love this. I know I did. All your favorites make appearances (with new names, of course). You'll see Dante, Randall, Walt Flanagan, Brodie, and yes, the A$$hole from Fashionable Male. Of course there are the celebs you'll see too, like George Carlin as a Catholic cardinal (!), Alanis Morrisette as God, Salma Hayek as a muse, Chris Rock, that british guy with the face (sorry, guy!), Umm... and of course, Jay and Silent Bob! I loved it. I am going to buy it as soon as I can. Cracked me right up! watch it, buy it, laugh, and be merry! Snootchie Bootchies! :}
Rating: Summary: Fantastic! Review: I really enjoyed this movie. However, I did think it was a little too long at 130 minutes! IT was very good though. The elements of religion being twisted. A very good movie, except for die hard rollie rollers, they might wanna stay away...REmember...its only a movie....fantastic
Rating: Summary: High Expectations Lead to Disappointment Review: While Clerks, Mallrats & Chasing Amy are amoung my favorite movies, I found Dogma disappointing. Unlike the earlier movies, it did not suffer from a lack of star power (Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Rock, George Carlin, etc.). Silent Bob & Jay's antics were sometimes funning in Dogma, but they seemed out of place. It seemed as if they were only present to leverage the success of the other movies. That worked well in Mallrats and Chasing Amy, but it didn't here. The movie appeared to be primarily a commentary on religion, in particular the Catholic Church. Like most commentaries wrapped as comedies, it was often rather simplistic. What I took away from it was that the Catholic Church is bad. Okay, that is not a horrible thing to say, but it is really not that interesting. The film did have some funny spots, and if you are a NJ Triology fan, you will propably see it no matter what the reviews say.
Rating: Summary: A Very Clever Film Review: Anyone who thinks this is a serious attack on religion missed the point. It is a clever, funny and insightful look at faith. My neighbor thought it was weird and couldn't follow it, so if car chases are your thing avoid this. The casting was brilliant. The last Scion works at an abortion clinic. Cardinal Glick is George Carlin. God is Alanis Morrisette !!! It is just witty and pokes some fun at religion but is is not offensive. The directing is a bit scattered and confusing so view each scene individually, but strap on your sense of humor before
Rating: Summary: Irreverent and funny religious satire Review: This film is a wickedly irreverent lampoon of religion that holds a mirror up to the inconsistencies and absurdities of Christian biblical mythos, and more specifically Catholic dogma, by putting it in a modern context. It is the story of two fallen angels, Bartleby (Ben Affleck) and Loki (Matt Damon) that have been cast out of heaven and banished to live in Wisconsin. With the help of their friend, the devil Azrael (Jason Lee), they discover a loophole that allows them plenary absolution during a ceremony at a Church in New Jersey. If they enter this church, they will be forgiven and be able to get back into heaven. The trouble is that if they do this, God will be proven fallible and existence will come to an end. So Metatron (Alan Rickman) recruits Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) who is the last scion of Christ to help stop them from entering the church. The rest of the story is basically an action adventure/comedy sendup culminating in a confrontation on the church steps. Kevin Smith's story starts out razor sharp, with biting intellectual humor that mocks some of the basic tenets of religious belief, while simultaneously broaching some pretty deep philosophical questions. Unfortunately, as the film progresses, the edge is lost and it degenerates into a slapstick action flick with occasional returns to the religious allusions. Overall, it was very entertaining, but the story could have been so much more if it stayed on point with wry intellectual forays, rather than degenerating into farce. The cast was delightful. Matt Damon gets a chance to play a little less serious role and brings an enchanting comic naivete to Loki, the former angel of death and vengeance. Affleck is the most intellectual and serious of the characters, and it is his ability to stay sincerely serious in absurd situations that makes him so funny. Linda Fiorentino was terrific as the Catholic girl who had lost her faith. She had a wonderful ability to broach disturbing thoughts that almost all of us have about God and religion, while maintaining a sense of mocking self doubt and comical despair. Chris Rock plays the spiritual guide; the unheralded 13th apostle of Christ. He brings his usual ironic style and hilarious assortment of facial reactions and steals more than half the laughs in the film. And then there were Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, once again reprising their roles and Silent Bob and Jay (a trademark of Kevin Smith films, he finds a way to insert these two characters into almost every movie he does). There were also bit parts for Salma Hayek, George Carlin and Alanis Morissette (as God). This is a entertaining film that missed its chance to be a classic religious parody by losing its soul and going off the deep end. Still, if you have the ability to have a sense of humor about God, there is a lot of good comedy here. I gave it a 7/10. Religious zealots steer clear. This movie will either offend you or shake your faith.
Rating: Summary: Dogma - a statement for the masses Review: Kevin Smith is definetly one of Hollywoods future mega - men. Dogma, which was protested against by certain religious groups, is a film with a statement. With a delivery in pure fun and entertainment. It brings up good points about the flaws in things we have been spoon fed since childhood. This film begs the question, why do we believe all this stuff set by man? It does not abandon God, it shows us true faith (or an idea) is in us. We can't have faith in the many beliefs that cause war and animocity. That can't be what was intended. As with all Kevin Smiths scripts all issues are presented in a brilliant humourous light. Even the simplest of jokes are executed with concise thought and delivery. This is definetly worth adding to any DVD collection.
Rating: Summary: Amazing that a movie with so much cursing can enlighten you! Review: Okay, I'll have to admit, when I rented this movie I did it because of Fiorentino(I've loved her work in Men In Black) and thought, hey, maybe this'll be a good watch like Good Will Hunting. I'd heard some people say it was one of their favorite movies, but I just figured it was mostly non-religious rebels in the family. I'll admit also, I almost didn't get it because of the religiousness(living in Salt Lake City as a non-mormon, you kind of get an overdose of religion, whether you originally believed or not). So, after I popped in the movie, I was expecting a Chris Rock movie spent bashing religion with unending one-liners. Amazingly, it didn't turn out that way. As soon as the movie was finished, I was kind of in shock. I began to see religion in a whole new light. I could actually identify with god. She was no longer just an icon made to soothe the minds of people that couldn't handle not having something to believe in, but something that could be entertaining, funny, and... believable. I really can't believe that people would not go see this movie because it is "blasphemous". I can see people not watching it because of the f-bombs being dropped every ten seconds by the "prophet", but that is a small price to pay for such an amazing movie.
Rating: Summary: Definitely not a great film, but mildly entertaining Review: I'm a Kevin Smith fan, and I was looking forward to watching "Dogma" since I had missed it in the theatres. Overall, I feel it was a bit of a mess. I couldn't care less about the religious aspect of the film. That didn't interest me at all. What really interested me was to see whether Kevin was evolving as a film maker. There is no question he is talented. But in "Dogma," he can't quite find the right rhythm to make it a good film. The whole thing just seemed too ambitious for its own good. Way too much dialogue. Too many scenes that served no purpose. Cute performances but nothing that stood out. A mish-mash of a plot. A very cliched ending (that whole guy in the hospital bed thing was ridiculous). And dare I say Jay and Silent Bob are growing a bit...stale? They are great characters but their act is wearing thin. Apart from a few great scenes, like the board room scene where the angels reveal the hidden secrets of the assembled executives, there wasn't much here to recommend. Neither insightful nor exceptionally funny, "Dogma" is a step back from the far superior "Chasing Amy." It's mildly diverting...and nothing more. For a truly brilliant religious satire, rent "Life of Brian." It blows "Dogma" away in every respect.
Rating: Summary: It's the dialogue stupid. Review: You see Kevin Smith films for the dialogue, not the cinematography. He really is a great writer with a quarky mind. He has some fascinating ideas. A major disappointment with this DVD is a lack of extras. A commentary track from Smith would have been great and made this one a must in a collection.
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