Apocalypse

This film begins with a crisis in the Middle East which causes several nations to send their armies into the Valley of Megiddo (also called Armageddon) to defend their national interests. While everyone is concerned that this showdown will result in a massive nuclear war, one person adamantly suggests that he will not allow this to happen. This person is the President of the European Union who goes by the name of "Franco Macalusso" (Sam Bornstein). Also involved in this crisis are two reporters named, "Helen Hannah" (Leigh Lewis) and "Bronson Pearl" (Richard Nester) who are responsible for covering it for the international news organization "WNN". As part of the coverage, Bronson travels to the Valley of Megiddo while Helen anchors the news desk at WNN headquarters. It is at this time that millions of Christians suddenly disappear in an event known as "the Rapture" which causes an impending nuclear war to cease due to the massive chaos that follows. Anyway, rather than reveal the rest of the story and risk spoiling the film for those who haven't seen it, I will just say that this movie wasn't too bad for this particular genre. At least I didn't think so. However, that is not to say that it didn't have some faults. For starters, some of the acting was definitely second-rate. Additionally, there were quite a few spectacular events which were so crammed together that the film failed to convey the magnitude that each of them would have deserved if they had actually happened. On the other hand, while some of the secondary actors were clearly amateurs, the main actors managed to perform their jobs adequately enough to get the job done. Likewise, the film was punctuated with some good music in key places which gave the film a certain amount of respectability. Having said that, I fully realize that this movie is definitely not going to appeal to all audiences due to the simple fact that it involves a controversial religious topic that isn't shared by many people outside of a limited group. Be that as it may, my primary concern was on the entertainment value of this movie. As I stated earlier it has some good points and it has some noticeable flaws. All things considered then I give it an average rating and I recommend it to those people who enjoy movies of this type.

So, I think that having the news be the way we see this unfold was smart. The people left behind have to grapple with what's happening, a new leader rises.

Of course, in this Universe, the book of Revelation isn't a revenge tale on Rome but a coming attractions...read disasters if only you'd heed before too late.

Acting is somewhat decent with Helen Hannah but she's convinced so quickly it feels unearned but necessary

The villains are campy and fell like they're coded gays. Hannah's boyfriend is not a strong actor to be in that position.

Overall, it's done okay and the series does better in other films, you do have to start s somewhere. While not terrible, remember it's the starting line but not too many excuses

It's engaging and the nearly folded clothes were a little bit like...huh? The angels are folding laundry when rapturing people? I think if you're looking for something theologically protestant, you're in the right place. Good? Meh... More like passable.

EDITED TO ADD: Some of this movie was cut into a 1998 John Hagee produced film Vanished. Maybe they worked on both side by side and used other footage for that one with a new cast.

1st watched 1/9/2009 –(Dir-Peter Gerretsen): OK media-like account of the Christian belief of Apocalypse and what that will be like, supposedly. The movie centers around a couple who head a news anchor team for "World Wide News" and the movie uses this format to display the events. The cameras used for the movie make the movie look like a soap opera and this isn't very appealing. Also, the acting and production values are so-so, but I guess I shouldn't expect much from an evangelist(since it was produced by one). But anyway, Leigh Lewis does a good job in her role of the women anchorperson who sees the light after losing her grandmother with the believers going back to heaven during the worldwide disappearance of souls that happens right before nuclear bombs are supposed to explode in all areas of the world. Then a foreign leader calls himself the new messiah and stops the bombs. He, of course, is really the anti-Christ but at first brings peace to the world. All of this is probably foreign to those who haven't read the Bible, but this movie is just one man's interpretation of what he's read and the movie is definitely trying to sell his point of view as him and his wife are also in the movie. This all makes for a kind of cheesy movie that doesn't accomplish much because of it's obvious intended purpose – to save all us poor lost souls. Well, I think the reverend should go back to what he apparently does best and it's not making movies.

First off, I'm a Christian. Even I laugh insanely at this film. I don't know how anyone can watch it and not laugh. When my mother (who writes Christian devotionals for a living) and I watched this together when it first came out we almost died laughing.

Yes, it's that bad.

The camera work is horrible. The script is worse. It's filled with incredibly self righteous people. Stereotypical Christians run rampant. I don't understand how this movie got made. But hey, I'm glad it did. Whenever I feel the need to chuckle I just pop this in. I'm serious. I love how bad it is.

The film is an odd- well at least odd for the mainstream- mix of drama, stock footage and evangelism. Several scenes consist of the main characters watching the televised pontifications of the producers. . .not exactly very gripping. The packaging claims that the film was 'Shot on location on six continents' and I guess that is technically correct- of course the stock footage was shot by _someone else_-- seems a little misleading for a film destined for the Christian market. The soundtrack is perhaps the one thing that saves the film, and features popular songs from top names in Christian music.