Bless the Child

Rating:
Summary: A True Horror Masterpiece!
Review: First of all, I'd like to say that this is one good movie not to be missed! Forget what the critics say, because that's their job: to criticise! Kim Basinger gives her very best performance(in all her movies I've seen). And so is Jimmy Smits. The horror in this movie is NOT blatant rip-off, it starts from calm to climax all the way. The special effects are there to simply enhanced the movie. Let's face it, a movie without a special effects is kinda bare, isn't it? So, give this movie a chance and accept it in an open-mind. Soon, you'll learn to appreciate the art of this well-crafted movie. Calling all horror movies lovers out there. DO NOT MISS THIS MOVIE!

Rating:
Summary: Undeservedly Slaughtered by the Masses.
Review: Like "Stigmata" before it, "Bless the Child" has touched on some Nerves, It was a Critical and Commercial Flop of Epic Proportions, and it Deserves a better fate.

Sure, it's Silly in places, the Performances are either Over-the-top or Non-Existent, The Special Effects are Obviously Computerised and Unrealistic and the story is too much to stomach, even by "Devil Movie" standards.

But, one the Plus side... It's Fun, and not meant to be taken seriously. It is a Rarity in the "Devil Movie" sub-genre as it's Ultimately Uplifting, the role reversals from "The Omen" work well and there are two or three moments where I was spooked right out of my seat.

On the Performance side, the Bad takes over the Good. I found Kim Basingers Performance to be a Mixed Bag. She is a little too Emotional, but also pretty Believable. Christina Ricci is virtually a Glorified Extra with about 20 minutes screen time. Jimmy Smits looks Bored, Confused, Tired, Scared, Bitter and Lifeless. If this is the best he can do Post-NYPD Blue, than his Career will Assuredly follow David Caruso's.

Rufus Sewell makes up for all his Co-stars Misgivings. His Devilish Role is a Scene Stealers Dream, and he never misses a chance to show up his co-stars. Much like Gabriel Burne in "End of Days", Rufus has the Best Lines, the Best Scenes, the Most Talent, the Most Professionalism and he too walks off with the film.

In the end, the Good points just outweigh the Bad points. It deserves a Second look for these points, and for those who haven't seen it, go in with an open mind and a turned-off intellect.

Rating:
Summary: Passable entertainment.
Review: First of all, this movie has nowhere near the class of "The Omen" but compared to similar movie released last year, "Lost souls" with Winona Ryder, this movie is pretty good. Kim Basinger who just won oscar a couple years ago seems confused all the time in this movie. Such a shame she couldn't get better pictures after the oscar she won (she also starred in another bad movie, I dream of Africa).

Anyway the movie is predictable. About a group of religious fanatics who try to kill a child that is believe is the savior of the world. The DVD looks and sounds good and worth getting only if you are a die hard fans of Kim Basinger. If you are looking for a better film of this genre, The Omen DVD is the one to get.

Rating:
Summary: Bless the Child, And Only the Child
Review: That little girl really did a great job with this. She was the only positive aspect of this movie, but she was fantastic. The way her character was portrayed as a human being made you care about her. I didn't want to see someone like her get possessed by evil. She appeared to be possessed by Jesus, with her ongoing likeability. Born prematuribly and unhealthably, obstacles stood in her path of being normal, but she was still so admirable. She used her powers only to help others.

Good job, little girl. As for everyone else, why did this have to be a combination of a supernatural/Christian drama and have a cult of Satanic worshippers dressed like lawyers?

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable and Enlightening!
Review: Don't listen to the critics reviews on this one, or any other film for that matter. I believe there are two resons for the critical backlash to Bless The Child. One: It has a rare christian message, which is very rare in hollywood today. I found the suttle hints at god saving Maggie inspiring. I'm glad to see a positive message for once. Two: As tradition horror/thrillers are often overlooked in the eyes of film-goers and critics.

Please give this movie a chance and go rent it atleast. I was very surprised at how much I liked it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Rating:
Summary: Potential never fully reached.
Review: Since it was one of the most anticipated events of the century, it only seemed fit that there be a large number of movies that dealt with a premise of possible apocalyptic events that mean the end of the Godly world and signal the coming of darker forces. We were given "End of Days" at the tail end of 1999, which was a good try, but missed out by slipping into typical action thriller gimmicks. "Lost Souls" also gave us a formula for the world's end, with a man who is destined to become the antichrist and the woman who will stop at nothing to save him. "Bless the Child" falls into the category of apocalyptic thrillers, and for all intensive purposes, it does seem to work quite well in the genre.

What keeps me from truly liking this movie as much as I wanted to is the fact that it deals with so many different elements and plot twists, but they never really fit together when the ending comes. It deals with one woman's struggle to find and rescue a small child, all the while battling evil visions that haunt her and the ongoing battle of her faith in God. It's also a story of the accult, which believes in Satan and all his evils, and their wish to bring on specially-powered child into their powerful group to strengthen their actions. But, no matter how hard they try or how much you try to make it work, the two never really fit together, and the end of the film seems to leave more loose ends untied.

When hospital nurse Maggie O'Conner comes home one night and finds her addict sister Jenna on her doorstep, holding a newborn baby and the hope that they can become sisters again. No sooner does she con Maggie into allowing her to stay does she leave, leaving baby Cody in the care of her aunt, who lovingly raises her and brings her up in a healthy home. From the very beginning, Cody is different from other children, and while most doctors think it is a form of autism, Maggie believes otherwise. Cody has the power to make things happen: a bird is willed back to life in her hands, unlit candles spring to life around her, and she feels a strongly emotional connection to the Virgin Mary, whom she says "is crying for us."

Meanwhile, there are darker forces at work, looking for one child that has been named as the one that will strengthen the connection between humans and Satan, and when they come across Cody, they know they have found the one. Jenna hops back into the picture, strangely enough with a new boyfriend who leads a spiritual group for drug addicts, and they both demand that Cody come to live with them. They later resort to kidnapping, and it is clear that something more sinister is in store. Maggie goes to the police, but when she is attacked in the subway one night, no one believes her story that she was attacked by members of the cult. Escaping the hospital, she goes on the run in an attempt to retrieve Cody from those who would do her harm, sometimes with thrilling results.

The rundown of the plot is this: the beginning starts out well, leading into a satisfying middle chunk and soon spiralling into an ending that leaves us a bit confused as to what message its really trying to get across to us. When working separately, the elements at hand all work very well, giving us different perspectives about opposing opinions in the field of religion and faith. When you try to put together some of these different elements, you will find that it makes the movie muddled, taking away from what has true potential but never lives up to it. All throughout the movie, I kept waiting for some terrific explosion of everything the movie had been saying up until the ending, wanting to know just what it was trying to tell me. We already knew that the little girl was special, and had the power to heal like no other person alive. We were given the facts as to Maggie's beliefs and disbeliefs about religion, and it was plainly obvious that she had changed them during the middle sequences.

So what is the movie really trying to say in the end? There is something lying underneath all of the plot and storyline that is just screaming to be let out. There has to be. A movie like this does not go so far into the catacombs of religious beliefs and the battle between good and evil, and not have something to show for it in the end. I guess it all just depends on how you look at all the elements of the movie before that makes a difference in how it will affect you after it's over.

There are some good forces at work in this movie, moreso than some of the critics thought after its release in theaters. The many questions that it raises about a person's faith are remarkably affecting. Most intrical to the plot is the symbolism of Jesus being tempted by Satan, when Cody is being tempted by the satanic leader to do things and have faith that God will save her, or deliver her from possible harm. The way in which she keeps her calm, never letting go of her faith in God, will give you chills more than anything else. Also, I truly liked the way in which her powers are displayed, not through grandiose special effects wizardry, but through heartfelt scenes of simple hugs and kind words, like those of Jesus in his teaching and miracles long ago.

The intentions of the cult side of the story seem a bit murky, though. When Sheri, who has escaped the group and knows the whereabouts of Cody, is revealing the group's plans for Cody, she tells of their plan to bring Cody over to their side, or have her killed. I was left with a lot of questions as to what might possibly happen if she were to be brought to their side: would she lose her magical, God-given abilities, or would they segue over into her devilish beliefs if she chose to convert? Also, why was it so important that the cult have her, anyway? Sheri speaks of the group's ability to do horrible things to other people without physical interaction, and that is later demostrated in Cody's test of good and evil. So why would they need her powers anyway?

Despite its flaws, "Bless the Child" does deliver a good story, due majorly in part to the acting talents involved. Kim Basinger is the lead as Maggie, and she gives us a powerhouse performance that keeps us involved in the movie. We really do believe that with all that's going on, damnit, she does love that little girl. Jimmy Smits plays the detective assigned to the case, and with all of his past involvement with "NYPD Blue," he breathes real life into his character, who knows what he is talking about and how to deal with his job's frustrations. Rufus Sewell is a chilling cult leader, and you may find yourself frightened by his approach to his beliefs, and how he acts upon them. Holliston Coleman plays Cody, and she gives us a sweet and effective performance that resembles the gentility of Jesus in his day.

Though it can be slightly confusing, "Bless the Child" is not that bad. It does keep you entertained while also giving you a unique look at different aspects of religious and non-religious beliefs. The acting will keep you involved with the plot, so just sit back and enjoy the ride. It can be thrilling at times.

Rating:
Summary: Trite and pedestrian
Review: This film is a dreadful attempt at producing a supernatural thriller pitting the forces of good (God) against evil (Satan). This script is abominable. The story is utterly unimaginative in its premise and the dialogue is incredibly bad. The behavior of the characters, especially Maggie (Kim Basinger) is often incongruous and sometimes ludicrous.

The story is about a modern second coming of Christ, with the little Christ girl being born to a drug addict (Angela Bettis) and left with her Aunt Maggie. The child is being sought out by the disciples of Satan with the intention of converting her to the dark side or killing her. The army of inept devil worshipers keeps kidnapping her and our mousy heroine single handedly keeps outwitting them and stealing her back followed by interminable car chases pursued by a stretch limo. Meanwhile, a group of nuns gets together and prays aloud that God will protect Maggie and the child in one of the film's most laughable scenes. All this culminates in a showdown between God and Satan including some lame visual effects.

A number of reputable actors are wasted on this hack script. Jimmy Smits is a good actor who gives his standard solid cop portrayal. Kim Basinger can be excellent in the right role. She is good in sexy roles, certain dramatic roles and has even proven to be an effective comedian at times. However, an action heroine she is not and will never be. The most convincing performance is given by Angela Bettis as Jenna, who looked genuinely strung out on heroine.

Supernatural thrillers provide unlimited possibilities for creativity and imagination. This pedestrian script is a trite treatment of a familiar story that is poorly written and directed. I rated it a 3/10. If you are intent on seeing a ridiculous supernatural thriller see "End Of Days" with Arnold Schwarzenegger. At least you will get some good action footage with your tripe.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Thriller!
Review: Some of the special effects could've been done better, but the story was very impressive! Kim Basinger and Ricci were also very good.I wish Ricci had a longer part in the movie though, she was a great touch. The child's acting ability was brilliant. Going from sheer terror to calm,powerful certainty in the jump scene made the film worth watching alone.Incredible for such a young girl and in such a subject matter! I'm going to add this one to my Video collection of great thrillers.

Rating:
Summary: Pro-gun, Pro God, Pro Church.
Review: This is a refreshing change from the usual good vs. the Devil story in that it portrays the Catholic Church, God, and even guns in a positive light while showing the New Age movement for what it really is. No wonder it stirs such a vehement response from a lot of people.

Ignore the bad reviews. After seeing this film, I'm going to rent "Left Behind". I had heard horrible things about "Bless the Child", none of which were true. Perhaps "Left Behind" isn't as bad as I've been led to believe. I didn't notice poor acting nor bad special effects.

I'm no fan of organized religion, but I'm tired of always seeing Christians portrayed as the antagonists in films.

Rating:
Summary: Read The Book!!!!
Review: I was highly anticipating the release of this movie because I had just finished reading the novel. Much to my horror they cut out just about everything in the novel that would have made the movie amazing. They deleted countless (important) characters and reduced Jimmy Smitts role down to almost nothing. I read the book in one sitting it was so amazing, and as I started the movie all I kept thinking was "Is this it? Is this really it?" Kim Basinger and Jimmy Smitts did a good job with what they were given, but had the writers kept the screenplay like the novel, their characters would have had a chance to grow and develope and their performances wouldn't have been so shallow. Remember, you cant blame everything on the actors, if the writing stinks there's not too much the actor can do with it. Bottom line-READ THE BOOK!!!! Hopefully it will erase the foul stench this bland movie left.