Left Behind II: Tribulation Force

It is interesting to approach a dogmatic movie w/out allowing my own personal values system to intrude on my aesthetic judgement - and it was in this spirit of adventure that I decided to watch this appalling excuse for a TV movie.

It is ironic, but I find that - for some reason - many of these flawed attempts at grand Christian filmmaking have much in common with their cinematic-theological antithesis : the seventies cycle of cheap, rip-off Satanic Posession movies. Primarily, derivative pulp thriller scripts with religion awkwardly shoehorned in, poor production values, hollow rhetoric, Soap Opera standard actors and absolutely no love of the medium whatsoever.

It is strange that this cycle of films has now created a cliche so strong that christian filmmaking now has such a bad reputation amongst moviegoers (whatever their religion), that the genre is a byword for pictures to avoid. This should not necessarily be the case - look at the big budget biblical epics of the 50s and 60s or the thoughtful (and occassionally chilling) deconstruction of fundamentalism in Bill Paxtons "Frailty".

Nevertherless - this movie is possibly one of the worst films ever made, right up (down) there with "24 Hours in London" & "Camp Blood" (the latter I only saw by accident - honest). Perhaps I'm being a little bit harsh, but you've got to be cruel to be kind and I think its time for this cycle of movies to be put to sleep.

I felt the first Left Behind film was such a corny lark (if people leave behind dentures and hip replacements, does that mean they also leave behind breast implants when they get Raptured?) that I had to see what Kirk Cameron and crew were up to for their second turn at bat.

I will state this as clearly as possible - nothing happens in this film, absolutely 100% nothing. There's no progression, no forward momentum, nothing. The only thing you could classify as character development is the believers patronizingly preaching to the uninformed. Does anyone want to get their religion from the kid from Growing Pains? The plot consists of our four left behind-ers forming a group (Tribulation force, unite!) that wants to warn the world that the leader of the UN is the, wait for it, Antichrist. This plan goes nowhere. Two of the Tribulation force members contribute nothing to the cause except wistful praying.

The crux of the film is on a learned Rabbi who is to reveal to the whole wide world that Jesus is actually the Messiah. In what universe would a single Rabbi saying something about religion have the world's eyes and ears? And why would everyone systematically accept one man's words as the divine truth? If this was the case couldn't we end this boring movie with Cameron yelling, "I loves me the Jesus" and be done with it? I enjoy the Rabbi's slow reveal in his speech. He starts talking about how he's proven who the Messiah is (though we see nothing of his findings) and says it's a man who was born in Bethlehem and betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Then he says it's Jesus. And the audience literally gasps. This whole plot device couldn't be any more insulting.

Overall Left Behind 2 is far worse than the original film, and that is something of an accomplishment of itself. I challenge you to stay awake and interested into what's going on, because there may be more nothing going on in this film than in the entire history of cinema. Cameron is the best the world of journalism has to offer? And anyone else notice that if you're not Western European in ethnicity you're either evil or dead wrong with your religious beliefs. Take that 4/5 of the world!

There are so many laugh-out-loud moments (like the explanation for millions instantaneously vanishing as "nuclear radiation," are we in 1955 all over again?) but the largest drawback of Left Behind 2 is how horrifically boring it is. The Omega Codes were equally atrocious but campy and slightly entertaining in an I-Can't-Believe-People-Spent-Money-On-This kind of way. Left Behind 2 on the other hand has no sense of humor and no sense of style, let alone competent pacing, directing, and acting. I know sixth graders that could blow the socks off these Left Behind thespians.

I can think of no possible reason anyone should every view this film at any time. I have never been more bored, and I fell asleep during The Thin Red Line three separate times when I saw it in theaters. The only reason you would recommend this film is if you wanted that person to die of boredom.

For my money, the DVD menu screen is the funniest and most entertaining part of the film.

Aside from movies based upon the life of Jesus Christ, there hasn't been one good Christian film. Until now.

Left Behind II is based on the events right after Left Behind, throwing us deeper into the slowly changing ruled by mastermind Nicolae Carpathia, who is quick to gain power.

The performances are better in the film; its nothing special, sadly, but is not so cheesy. It has its clichés, but in the end, you've forgotten them. My favorite was Gordon Currie, who has so perfectly become the Antichrist in the book series that it'd be difficult to see another in the role (aside from maybe Cillian Murphy).

But when it comes to sticking to the book, the movie does sidetrack a bit. The love story is shortened significantly and the entire ending of the book is left out, but it sticks much closer to the book than the first.

Some of the newer scenes were awesome, my personal favorite being Carpathia shaking the hand of Rayford Steele. The scene is so creepy and thrilling, I'm glad they decided to add it in. The showdown is also nice, although I didn't like the whole angel subplot during it.

Overall, I am glad to say the movie is good. Certainly not great but it so much better than its predecessor or successor, and should've been released on the silver screen. 6.9/10.

This movie fails on a number of levels. As it can be viewed on strictly religious terms or as an action thriller, I will address both.

First, let's just talk about it terms of an thriller film. It fails in this regard because it simply makes no sense. People don't act in any sort of real manner. It's simply not how people would act if this were a real situation of millions of people vanishing. You would think the Bible is some book that was only known to the people who vanished and no one else. Everyone else seems to be completely in the dark and don't even make the connection this might be the "Rapture," yet, millions of Christians vanish overnight as Christians have been saying they will. I don't know about you, but if that happens in real life, me and most of the planet would be rushing to Church the next morning. It seems implausible no one would. Also, everyone goes about their business as if some mugging happened in the neighborhood. The most ridiculous thing is that most people accept the disappearance as some sort of nuclear radiation when that is the most insane excuse that could be even offered. This film is incredibly outdated, a complete fabrication of how and what the U.N. is and how it works. Acting and dialogue are unintentionally hilarious, setting off streams and fits of laughter. In one Church scene, there is a bulletin board and six pictures of people on it with the caption, "OUR MISSING" A Church and there is only six missing people? How funny is that? What was it, The Church of Satan? There's no surprises and no tension, especially among the people who are not saved and whom you know will be calling out for Jesus by the end of the picture. There's a lot of talk about the "Wailing Wall," yet what is supposed to be the wailing wall, I guess, looks nothing like the real "wailing wall," as if producers have no clue about the "wailing wall" or don't think it's important enough to make a reasonable close simulation of it. The whole movie treats it's audience as simple-minded, uneducated couch potatoes.

Seeing this as a religious film, it is incredibly insulting. This lies the main offense. It's not powerful enough to convert anyone and not realistic enough to make anyone want to know more. It's most heinous crime, though, is how it uses the Jews. If the Jews made a big-budget multi-million dollar film and a huge media campaign about how the Pope came to his senses and announces to the world how he has come to the conclusion that Jesus Christ was not GOD after all and everyone should know that and see the truth, there would be an UPROAR in the Christian community. But they seem to have no problem committing that perfidious insult onto the Jews. Rabbi Ben Judah, the most learned and respected scholar in the world, announces to the planet that Jesus Christ is indeed God and he has been wrong and now knows the truth. This is terrible, terrible injustice to the Jewish faith. Besides the fact that it is simply ludicrous to think that a Rabbi could sit on a podium in Israel and the entire world of different religions is going to sit back and take his word for it just because he thinks so and these other religions be converted (What planet is this film on? Certainly not Earth), but to put words like that in the mouth of the head of another religion and have them say how wrong they were, well, it's just hateful and disrespectful, that's all. It's also disturbing that the whole conspiracy of trying to take over the world comes from INTERNATIONAL BANKERS, which has always been another word for Jews when it is in this context. It's just another example of the total disregard for the integrity of the Jews. It feigns respect for them while denigrating their beliefs. Coupled with a preposterous plot and representation, this film fails as both an action thriller and as a religious film.

I've never read the Left Behind series, nor knew there was a book out for this.

However, to me this movie, as was the first, was good. If you believe in the revelations, and believe that the anti-Christ will come and that those with faith in god, who accept Jesus Christ as our savior and that those who did would be whisked away to heaven, then I suggest watching this movie.

This is a movie for Christian and regilious followers, as well as some of the semi-believers or those that just want to sit down to a good movie.

This movie follows greatly to the ideals of the revelations, and in some cases, Christ followers manages to deter Nicholis (Satan).

I feel this was a great movie to watch. Good as the first.