The Moment After

In a moment of time hundreds of thousands of people across America disappear in a flash . Scientists are baffled by this phenomenon but Christians believe the rapture has happened . Two FBI agents Baker and Riley try and make sense of the mass disappearance . Weeks after the event the increasing repressive American state is becoming more interested in a Rabbi who is now seen as a fugitive

There's the bare bones of a good film in here somewhere . A flash and hundreds of thousands of Americans have ceased to exist . This calls for an investigation led by Mulder and Scully which would make a mighty fine episode of THE X FILES . Unfortunately any naughty thoughts about Dana Scully will have to be curtailed as will any type of critical thinking because this is a Christian movie . I don't mean it has a Christian subtext I mean it literally has Christian explanation for the events shown which sinks the film . Nigel Kneale used a very similar borrowing from the rapture in his 1979 QUATERMASS story but while that was about science versus faith with science winning in the end here faith wins out because ... well because .

It'd be very easy to stick the boot in to THE MOMENT AFTER such as a character pulling out a bible and claiming " Everything in it is true " true that is except for God creating the Earth in seven days and the talking snake and Adam and Eve and everything else . Seeing as the hunted fugitive Jacob is a former Rabbi I'm a bit confused why he keeps referring to Christianity in such a knowledgeable manner since he's so recently converted . Yes Christianity is an off shoot of the Judiac religion as is Islam but that doesn't mean Jews view Jesus in the same way Christians do . They see Jesus as a mere prophet rather than the Son of God . I also wondered why Jacob needed to point out off camera and say " See this fir trees . They can't survive without God's love " .No they can't survive without photosynthesis . Try getting your nose out of the Bible or Talmud and read a book on basic plant biology Jacob

Oh dearie me I starting to get a bit grumpy something I didn't mean to do but this sums up everything wrong about Christian films that leave no room at the Inn for either agnostics or atheists or even Deists . Nearly every scene revolves around the very real concept of God's existence which is a great pity because some of the ideas put forward are rather intriguing such as the American government putting micro-chips in people and the rise of an oppressive militia which would have somethingof an appeal to a mainstream secular audience . As it stands THE MOMENT AFTER only exists to spread the word to the converted

The Moment After is once again a Christian conception of what will happen here on earth when the believer types are suddenly whisked out of this plain of existence to another dimension. As there is as much speculation about these prophetic events and some out there hold that the Rapture is not even going to happen, the writer's imagination can run wild with possibilities.

I don't think all that much imagination was put to use here though. The film focuses on two FBI agents, David A.R. White and Kevin Downes who are among the many checking out and filing all the missing person cases that have mushroomed all over the globe.

Pretty soon though Downes and White are put on the trail of a messianic Jew played by Brad Heller who when the Rapture does occur suddenly decides he's the guy looking to convert his people. The New Testament does say that before the Second Coming all the Jews in the world will be converted.

That makes him one dangerous fellow, especially to the forces of the world government who are not liking people like Heller. In fact Christians who didn't make the Rapture cut are following this guy as well.

The Moment After is a sincere, but rather flat attempt offer a future vision of persecution of Christians for spreading the word. The people behind the film are evangelicals, down to the players who are veterans of the Christian film genre. It all gets done so often. In fact as evangelical tools they can be suspect because the speculation varies so that if they are continually shown at churches, Sunday Schools and such venues, I wonder if it doesn't confuse more than uplift.

It does start slow, The Moment After starts very slow and maintains this pace till the end. There is no wow moment, just a steady pace of people trying to find out what happened after Rapture has taken place. The movie is dull at first, but towards the end the message comes through and it strikes like a bullet, the words from the bible are spoken for a length reminding you to get your acts together for our Lord is coming soon.

If you are looking for a fast paced movie where stories and lives are intertwined in an all classic way, with main plots and subplots, then this is not the movie for you, but if you are one with a patient soul that does not mind a movie that keeps you waiting for like an hour till the message comes, then have a taste of The Moment After.

The Moment After is Written and directed by Wes Llewelyn. Due to its success, seven years later Wes Liewelyn directed (although didn't write) a sequel, named The Moment After 2: The Awakening (2006). This 1999 movie was a Crown Award Winner for Best Evangelistic Film and Best Drama film made for less than $250,000.

The movie plot is about the incident after the rapture has taken place; with millions of people vanishing from the face of the earth turmoil has erupted. Two FBI agents Adam Riley (David White) and Charles Baker (Kevin Downes) are placed on the case to find out from people in an area who witnessed the vanishing of their loved ones.

All to be later reassigned to go after a man who they believe is raising a paramilitary unit to fight the government.

The things I liked about this movie are 1. the soundtrack, the ending song, Crystal Lewis – People Get Ready Jesus is Comin was well placed it just suited the ending scene perfectly. 2. The cinematography, the level of the cinematography for this independent Christian film done in the 1999 was quite impressive; the camera shots weren't out of place. 3. The actors, the actors don't make you feel like there are paid peanuts for the job, they deliver the goods.

The Moment After as I said is slow paced, and can come off as dull but in the end the message is passed. This movie is not in the leagues of Fireproof (2008), Facing the Giants (2006), Courageous (2011) or The Encounter (2010), It falls below all these movies but it is a good enough reminder of what is to come for the more matured mind.

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This movie is not suppose to be like Hollywood movies. Some of those movies are good also. It is a specific evangelism tool. I have seen a lot of evangelism movies and this is my favorite so far. There are others that deal much more with the horror, but this one took it at another angle. It is still evangelistic, but that's what it is suppose to be.

For all that criticise this move here, they've at least seen the movie in its entirety at that must tell you something about the movie. It's fairly well scripted and acted, but if you compare it to the best Hollywood movies you'll, of course find it lacking, but then so would most other movie be lacking IF you compare them to the best. Compare it to the median and you'll be pleasantly surprised. It's cool.

No, what the movie does it portray a serious Biblical truth in a lively, relevant and most appealing way. It's not preachy, there's no cringe factor. Whatever it does, it'll get you thinking. And if only because of that, it is well worth seeing. But it does more.