When I go to a movie, I expect to be entertained and not be subjected to a social commentary of today’s society. If I want deeper meaning, I’ll watch a documentary. That being said, I was excited to see Priest after reading a couple of reviews that promised me such an experience.
The story is basic and predictable. Priest breaks away from church to save a girl who has been kidnapped by vampires (that were supposedly wiped out or imprisoned during a ‘great war’). Church sends more priests to take down the one who has “dishonored the church, and therefore, dishonored God.” Totally awesome ninja western booty-kicking ensues. Paul Bettany, in my opinion, has been type cast again as a brooding holy man. He has done this role often enough that he has almost perfected it. Every time I see Karl Urban in a new role, I respect him more as an actor (my favorite roll of his is still “Bones” McCoy in the new Star Trek though). The ninja western booty-kicking experience outweighs the predictable and simple story. The only thing that sort of rubbed me the wrong way (as a Catholic) is that the church is a bad guy, yet again.
The vampires are obviously CG. As someone who studied production in college, I can say the effects in the movie are better than average. They probably won’t win any awards, but they’re not as bad as other movies that have come out recently.
As a mom I would not let my children watch this movie until they are at least 10, possibly older. This movie is PG-13 for good reason. The language is not out of control, but the F-bomb is dropped once. There is not a lot of blood, but there is death and killing. It is not a scary movie, but there are suspenseful moments that make you jump.
I saw this movie in something called 2D. Why? Mainly because I don’t feel like buying the equivalent of two tickets to wear two pair of glasses at the same time (no contacts here, folks) and give myself a headache (while trying to focus on something the movie makers don’t want me to focus on), and motion sickness. I like the classic experience.
Priest is based on a graphic novel written by Min-Woo Hyung. The Priest graphic novels
I’ve loved Karl Urban since he was Eomer in the “Lord of the Rings” movies, and he was an excellent Bones.
I’d like to see this movie, but with all the great movies coming out this year, it will probably not be until it gets on DVD until I can see it.
I feel bad for the religious people I know because of that.
If I’m still friends with them, they’re the good kind of religious, but the church re-settling (hiding) child molesters and letting them keep the collars was a big problem that many of us non-religious can’t get past — and now with the loudest of the so-called Christians claiming tradition to keep some people from getting married it’s hard for some of us to NOT see them as bad guys. And, knowing some really good people who are religious, I try.
Still, I can’t pass a church without holding my children’s hands tighter and walking a little faster, without wondering if the guy inside is one of the bad guys is inside. Recognizing that, as well as seeing it in other fiction, I decided recently to keep them out of my fiction. I couldn’t seem to write without my own fears showing up and turning even the good people into accidental collaborators.
Hopefully it will soon pass. Both the portrayal in fiction and the things the church does that makes it hard for some of us not to.
That’s just the point: if all people who don’t belong to a particular culture/group/etc SEE of that group in the media is the negatives (which EVERY group had negatives), of COURSE there is prejudice and misunderstanding. Somehow there are a few groups that it’s still possible to keep showing negatively imbalanced views of without people making a stink– or, when people DO make a stink, they’re accused of either just being the Man or covering up or even being supportive of the negatives. It would be nice to see more portrayals of religious people who aren’t (at the best) old-fashioned closeminded types and (at the worst) psychopaths. It’s far from impossible when there are as many if not more real-life examples of the good as of the bad (though usually unlauded… Mother Theresa at least gets some credit occasionally).
Thank you for feeling bad for us, but please do not. Just realize that is silly (and very unfair to most priests) to be afraid of an institution that has and continues to preach to love EVERYONE. Plenty of good exemplary people in the Church. There are bad people in all ways of life, the Church is neither immune to it nor full of them. The percentage of men committing those crimes is larger outside the church than inside. Although they sure get more media attention.
As for a recent movie “outside” of the usual Church bashing, watch “There Be Dragons” by Joffe.
I’m still trying to pretend this movie does not exist. I’m a huge fan of the Korean Manhwa of the same name and of which this was supposed to be based upon. I had high hopes when I heard it was being picked up for a live action adaptation. But the more I learned the more I despised it. I highly recommend reading the original manhwa series written by Hyung Min-Woo before ever laying eyes on this insulting garbage. The original took place in the actual old west (not some post apocalyptic version) and involved fallen angels trying to destroy the earth. It told the story of a fallen priest who sold his soul to the devil to have the power to wage war against the fallen angels that took his loved ones away. Not some silly Hollywood drivel with vampires. Bah! The only thing the movie has in common with the manwha is the title Priest.