The Second Coming

I'm not going to give this a rating. For personal enjoyment I'd give it maybe a 5, but I feel it's probably better than that.

For me, the problem is I just can't relate to this. After watching the first half, I decided I just wasn't into it, so I read the synopsis, and you know, it's interesting, but I just never found this especially engrossing.

I think the problem is, I just don't care about Christianity. And even though this attempts to really think about religion in a different way, even though it deals with interesting issues, even though it would probably offend a lot of Christians, it's still a movie centered around the Christian god and Satan and that just doesn't interest me. I feel that certain movies rely a lot on deep-seated Christian feeling, and that always fails with me, whether it's The Song of Bernadette, The Last Temptation of Christ or the Exorcist. This is not to say I dislike all movies with a Christian bent - I really enjoyed Come to the Stable and Lilies of the Field - I just don't like movies where you need to care very specifically about Christianity, as opposed to just caring about people.

And that's why I don't feel it's my place to rate this movie, because it's a movie for people who care about this. I'd say it's a movie for people who, at least a little bit, believe in the Christian god (and probably not a movie with strong faith in some other religion, since it basically says the Church of England had it right). I am just not this movie's target audience, and while I found it quite dull, I am willing to believe that others would find it fascinating.

I saw "The Second Coming" during a business trip to the UK. It was a two part miniseries. I liked the first episode so much I held my trip over a couple of days in order to see the conclusion. I happen to like the Christopher Eccleston, the actor who plays the second coming of the savior from Manchester. He is always great to watch (see "Let Him Have It"; "Shallow Grave", and "28 Days Later") Its too bad he hasn't gotten more recognition in the US. The notion of a nobody slacker being thrust into the center of such a controversy was handled without cliche. I especially loved the resolution in the ending. I highly reccomend it.

I have to say that I found this TV drama to be enormously good - such an original, inventive screenplay. I began watching with my finger poised about the channel-change button, half expecting something very conventional - the jesus wannabe is a looney (but there there is some (un)subtle suggestion toward the end that he might be a little more than that) - or or a final sequence in which jesus karate-chops demons and departs, granting us another two thousand years, but pleading that we try harder at being good. Instead something entirely unexpected - and challenging - is served up. So good to see that some people who write TV screenplays are not only thinking, but want to make us think too. It's also marvellously well acted.

Yep, the second episode of this two-parter is rather bum-numbing stuff, but it's worth the wait...

Written by Russell Davies - who has stirred up controversy before - this is a "What if?" story about the second coming of Jesus...on it's initial showing in the UK, it was criticised for it's "Blasphemy", which is a little odd since it's nothing of the sort...

Set in Manchester, England, Christopher Eccleston returns after disappearing for 40 days and nights and proclaims that he is the Son of God. I won't spoil things for any viewers out there with the "Is he or Isn't he?" stuff - suffice to say that he finds it somewhat difficult to convince people....

Well worth the price of a DVD to catch this interesting drama...

Just discovered The Second Coming as a new release in our local DVD store. Was intrigued by the synopsis and thought it was worth watching. I'm so glad we did. Why hasn't this thought provoking film been aired in Australia? This is the sort of drama that would have fallen in a heap without the right lead and Christopher Ecclestone doesn't put a foot wrong. He is an excellent actor and this part allows him to show his range. (Can't understand why the Brits don't like him as Doctor Who!) He is ably supported by Lesley Roache in particular.

Other reviewers have criticised the ending for being lame compared with the rest of the movie. But surely after all you'd been through you didn't want a typical "Hollywood" candy coated ending? This makes you talk and think long after watching.

Highly recommended for anyone who can keep an open mind.