Product description
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Part conspiracy theory and part religious message, Left
Behind (based on the first in a series of runaway bestsellers by
Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins) is a passable, occasionally
compelling thriller that turns the rapture and the ascendance of
the Antichrist into something resembling a Robert Ludlum
espionage potboiler. The beginning, though, is pure Stephen King:
as morose pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson) steers his jet
plane toward London, comely flight attendant Hattie Daniels
(Chelsea Noble) informs him that a number of passengers have
disappeared--at 37,000 feet, leaving their neatly pressed clothes
behind. And they're not the only ones who've gone missing. The
mass disappearances throw the world into chaos, and the
sinisterly compelling Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie), head of
the U.N., selflessly steps in to help broker peace among the
world's nations. But is he as good intentioned as he seems?
Turns out the appropriately named Mr. Carpathia is behind a plot
to rule the world and control its food supply, and intrepid
reporter Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron, better than you'd expect)
is onto him--with a little help from some biblical prophecies.
Suffering the problem that befalls most first installments in a
series of books and movies, Left Behind busies itself with the
task of introducing characters and setting up expository plot
lines, and audiences may be frustrated by the lack of
action--Rayford's somewhat labored crisis of faith takes up a
good chunk of the film. Still, it's an intriguing premise that
should satisfy fans of the novel and possibly pick up a few more
converts along the way (be warned, though, this is a modestly
budgeted film that looks more like a cable TV movie than the
latest James Bond extravaganza). And, if like a fair number of
the film's characters, you can't figure out that someone named
"Nicolae Carpathia" is a bad guy, then, well, you need to up
on your evil villains. --Mark Englehart
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Review
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The Left Behind series (Tyndale) is so successful that
one of two things had to happen: either the market would be
saturated by countless Left Behind merchandise (The Left Behind
Bible, Left Behind lunchboxes, Left Behind action figures, Left
Behind yo-yos that only go up), or someone would buy the film
rights. Well, $17.4 million later, Cloud Ten Pictures has
unleashed Left Behind: The Movie.
The end-times film begins in Jerusalem, where a massive air
assault on Israel is mysteriously thwarted. Star news personality
Buck Williams, played by Kirk Cameron (TV's "Growing Pains"), is
on hand for the excitement. But fighter planes falling out of the
sky are nothing compared to what happens next: the inexplicable
global disappearance of millions of people that stymies the
world. The rest of the film follows Buck as he pieces the mystery
together, with a little help from new friends played by Brad
Johnson (Always) and Clarence Gilyard Jr. ("Walker, Texas
Ranger," Die Hard). Before long Buck has the mother of all
come-to-Jesus moments, and inadvertently helps launch the career
of the Antichrist, played by Gordon Currie (Puppet Master 4).
Left Behind: The Movie has a sizable marketing and promotional
effort behind it. But a hip soundtrack CD and cameos by Christian
celebrities like Bob Carlisle, Rebecca St. James and Bishop T.D.
Jakes don't make up for the mediocre movie-of-the-week tone.
The script-by Allan McElroy (Spawn), Paul Lalonde and Joe
Goodman-relies too much on an audience that already knows what's
going on (either from the Bible or the novel, take your pick).
And director Vic Sarin (The Legend of Gator Face) fails to
deliver the goods to this built-in following. He doesn't show the
rapture that takes away millions of people, nor does there seem
to be a single person left on the planet that actually saw
someone disappear.
Admittedly, anyone setting out to make a film with an upbeat
ending about the beginning of the rise of the Antichrist would
have their work cut out for them. Here's hoping there may yet be
a day when a "Christian" film is recognized, not because it's
Christian, but because it displays a level of excellence-in every
respect, including writing, acting, cinematography, editing-that
makes the world take notice. -- Derek Wesley Selby (c) 2000 CCM
Communications, Inc. -- From CCM Magazine -- Subscribe Now! ( http://www.ccmmagazine.com/link.asp?link=21 )
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