El Anticristo: Código Omega 2

My wife suggested we see "Megiddo," and I'm glad she did. It's refreshingly different and indeed entertaining to watch a film lacking the ubiquitous dark-green haze of linguistic pollution or the hackneyed writer's block cure-all: nudity.

Entertaining though it was, "Megiddo" represents interpretations of the endtimes described in the biblical Book of Revelations or Apocalypse that are current among many of us. Might there be other interpretations that a film should consider as well that go beyond the strictly literal? Perhaps that is too much to ask of one film, given the circumstances of its production.

Humanity's struggle between good and evil was a thematic constant in this film, as in Judaism's Yom Kippur, Christianity's atonement, Islam's only now barely understood jihad (the struggle over the sinful self to be one with God's will). For all its literal stance, the film is poignantly significant given the recent horror (that humankind is wont to visit upon its own) in New York, Washington, Pennsylvania, and in other stricken areas world-wide.

See "Megiddo" (and read the book, or read the book first) and judge for yourself. Are the endtimes the stuff of spectacular special effects (some quite profoundly moving as was God's parting of the Red Sea in "The Ten Commandments"), or is the Holy Bible's text possessed of far more subtlety and significance than we think or films display?

A movie that you must see. Even if you aren't into end-time prophecy the special effects in the movie will blow you away...especially coming from a private film company. Michael York plays his part very well just like he usually does. You think that Stone Alexander (Michael York) has beaten the world with his schemes and under-handed ways, think again. Hold onto your seats because the special effects in the beginning and middle of the movie are amazing, but just wait until you see the end, WOW!

Normally religious movies turn me off instantly, but I didn't know what this was when I bought it, yes I was impulsive. I wasn't expecting this kind of movie when I watched it, and once I realized it was religiously charged I nearly turned the player off. i was quickly entranced by the look and feel of this movie! The acting, even Micheal Biehn, was too exaggerated in spots, but the other elements of this movie made it watchable! Furthermore, to say it's kind of predictable or obvious is odd considering the source, I'm not a Biblical person but I knew the events, and to rate this movie above PG is kind of outrageous; the Bible itself is full of more graphically disturbing images than this movie!

This terrible mess of a movie plays like the wet dream of your average American christian fundamentalist. It is about two brothers, one who becomes head of the EU and UN (read Antichrist), the other who becomes president of the good ol' USA and plans to kick his brother's unholy arse (sorry I mean ass) back to hell. Along the way they happen to fall in love with the same woman who is a stunner when she's young, but ends up looking like Cecilia Bartoli as she grows older - well you know what they say about Italian girls and their mothers.

For a film about the Devil and Armageddon, Megiddo is not in the least bit frightening (unlike The Omen, which quite literally put the fear of god into me). Michael York is more annoying than threatening as the wise-cracking Antichrist.

What baffles me is how they were able to get a B-movie cast for this Z-grade turkey - I mean are Michael York and Michael Biehn so hard up for cash that they need to degrade themselves in a film like this? What's worse is that the production values are quite high so there are no crappy special effects to laugh at.

It's not all bad news though. The incomparable Udo Kier plays the part of the Devil's right hand man (who else). R Lee Ermey is a hoot as the straight talking US president and brings back fond memories of his role as the drill sergeant in Full Metal Jacket.

Taking into account it is very hard to sum up prophecies that cover decades of end time into 90 minutes or so, the movie is very well done. Excellent performance by all the key actors. The battle scenes at Megiddo look like the movie came from one of the top regular studios. Could it have been done better? Yes. Could it have been done better at this length? That would be harder.