'RAPTURE-PALOOZA': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
The second religious apocalypse film, in the same summer, co-starring Craig Robinson (after 'THIS IS THE END')! This one has basically the same exact premise as the other; it tells the tale of the apocalypse happening in modern day, just as it's foreseen in the bible, and revolves around a small group of survivors left behind after the good are raptured. Robinson plays the 'Anti-Christ' in this movie and Anna Kendrick and John Francis Daley play the film's central two survivors. The film also co-stars Rob Corddry, Ron Huebel, John Michael Higgins, Ana Gasteyer, Thomas Lennon, Paul Scheer, Tyler Labine and Ken Jeong as God. It was written by Chris Matheson (who co-wrote both 'BILL & TED' movies) and directed by Paul Middleditch (who's previous directing experience is only in serious dramas). The film is pretty hit-and-miss but when it hits it really hits!
The film centers on Lindsey (Kendrick) and her boyfriend Ben (Daley), two teenagers still living with their parents. When the apocalypse happens all the religious people are sucked up into Heaven, including both Ben's mother and Lindsey's. Then Lindsey's mom (Gasteyer) is returned to Earth for being annoying. The survivors must live with cursing locusts, showers of raining blood and wraiths who are addicted to weed. They also must deal with the Anti-Christ (Robinson), who moves into Lindsey's neighborhood in suburban Seattle. Ben's father (Corddry) goes to work for him and when Lindsey and Ben are down on their luck he gets them jobs working for the Anti-Christ as well. This is when the Anti-Christ falls for Lindsey and threatens to kill everyone she knows if she doesn't marry him and bear his children. Lindsey and Ben then must come up with an idea to save Lindsey from such a horrible fate and the rest of the world in the process.
The movie seems really low budget with cheap production values and extremely corny visuals and music. This kind of ruined the movie for me at first. That and the fact that it wasn't that funny; the premise was great but for the first 15 minutes or so I wasn't digging the jokes or the movie. Then Corddry and Robinson and Huebel and Scheer came on screen and things really started to pick up. The jokes got a lot better; I think due to the actors' improve mainly. I don't know if it's Matheson's script that wasn't working before that but the movie got a lot funnier once all these great comedic actors entered it. The directing was pretty weak as well but watching all these comedic pros chewing up the scenery and working the crap out of that crazy premise just made the movie so much better. It's definitely hit-and-miss but when it does work it's hilarious!
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJalgBjCCrg
The second religious apocalypse film, in the same summer, co-starring Craig Robinson (after 'THIS IS THE END')! This one has basically the same exact premise as the other; it tells the tale of the apocalypse happening in modern day, just as it's foreseen in the bible, and revolves around a small group of survivors left behind after the good are raptured. Robinson plays the 'Anti-Christ' in this movie and Anna Kendrick and John Francis Daley play the film's central two survivors. The film also co-stars Rob Corddry, Ron Huebel, John Michael Higgins, Ana Gasteyer, Thomas Lennon, Paul Scheer, Tyler Labine and Ken Jeong as God. It was written by Chris Matheson (who co-wrote both 'BILL & TED' movies) and directed by Paul Middleditch (who's previous directing experience is only in serious dramas). The film is pretty hit-and-miss but when it hits it really hits!
The film centers on Lindsey (Kendrick) and her boyfriend Ben (Daley), two teenagers still living with their parents. When the apocalypse happens all the religious people are sucked up into Heaven, including both Ben's mother and Lindsey's. Then Lindsey's mom (Gasteyer) is returned to Earth for being annoying. The survivors must live with cursing locusts, showers of raining blood and wraiths who are addicted to weed. They also must deal with the Anti-Christ (Robinson), who moves into Lindsey's neighborhood in suburban Seattle. Ben's father (Corddry) goes to work for him and when Lindsey and Ben are down on their luck he gets them jobs working for the Anti-Christ as well. This is when the Anti-Christ falls for Lindsey and threatens to kill everyone she knows if she doesn't marry him and bear his children. Lindsey and Ben then must come up with an idea to save Lindsey from such a horrible fate and the rest of the world in the process.
The movie seems really low budget with cheap production values and extremely corny visuals and music. This kind of ruined the movie for me at first. That and the fact that it wasn't that funny; the premise was great but for the first 15 minutes or so I wasn't digging the jokes or the movie. Then Corddry and Robinson and Huebel and Scheer came on screen and things really started to pick up. The jokes got a lot better; I think due to the actors' improve mainly. I don't know if it's Matheson's script that wasn't working before that but the movie got a lot funnier once all these great comedic actors entered it. The directing was pretty weak as well but watching all these comedic pros chewing up the scenery and working the crap out of that crazy premise just made the movie so much better. It's definitely hit-and-miss but when it does work it's hilarious!
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJalgBjCCrg