[Movie Review] Left Behind (2014)
Plot Summary: A small group of survivors are left behind after millions of people suddenly vanish and the world is plunged into chaos and destruction.
Director: Vic Armstrong
Writers: Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye, Paul Lalonde, John Patus
Runtime: 110 min
Main Cast:
- Lea Thompson as Irene Steele
- Nicolas Cage as Rayford Steele
- Nicky Whelan as Hattie Durham
- Chad Michael Murray as Buck Williams
Review: by Lee
Growing up, the Left Behind series of books by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye was common household knowledge. When the series came out, both I and my father began to read it. My father finished the series, but I only got through about seven of the books. I did not give up out of lack of interest, though, and I still have plans to finish. The point of this is to say how utterly excited I was to see that Left Behind was going to be made into another movie, starring Nicolas Cage.
Left Behind, the movie, told the story of Rayford Steele, a commercial flight pilot, his family, his crew, and his passengers as they witness and deal with the aftermath of the biblical rapture, the second-coming of Christ to take Christian believers to Heaven before the beginning of the tribulation as foretold in Revelation.
What I Liked:
I would love to give this movie a fantastic, glowing review because of its message, but I’m going to be honest. There was not a whole lot that I enjoyed about Left Behind, which was a shame considering how excited I was for it. Perhaps my excitement only made it more of a disappointment.
Anyway, Nicolas Cage was not unbearable. Let’s be real here. There was a definite risk that his performance would be cringe-worthy. I almost sighed in relief to see that he did not overact the part. He did look a bit on the grungy side, though, and his hair looked pretty bad. All in all, it was not his most flattering role, but it was good enough to be counted as a positive.
Despite my fairly negative description of him just now, I am an actual fan of Nicolas Cage, and I had been really, truly excited to see him as Rayford. That was partly due to the indication that there would be a sizable budget for the film, but I really do like Nicolas Cage. As happy as I was to see him in a starring role for the movie, however, I was almost equally excited to see Chad Michael Murray. That name may not mean much to people nowadays, but he used to be the man. The teenage girl in me squeals every time I hear his name. Happily enough, he was probably the best thing about the movie. He did a solid job. I was proud. His counterpart may have been the cheesiest actor in the movie, Cassi Thomson, but he surely tried to carry her along as well.
Finally, while there were several things wrong with the movie, especially the plot, the message was there, and the message was clear. That is the actual best part of the movie. In making a Christian film, there is so much room for poorly explained theology and false doctrine, but I sincerely felt that Left Behind got it right where it mattered. Specifically, the bit about having to truly believe rather than just saying the words. Knowing is not enough. Believing is what matters.
I will say, however, that there could have been more substance, but, considering what they did to the rest of the book’s content, I’ll be satisfied.
What I Didn’t Like:
I could go into a very serious rant here about absolutely everything that was wrong with the movie, but I will refrain. Instead, I will give the bare minimum.
First, the acting, apart from Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, and, to a certain extent, Lea Thompson, was extraordinarily bad. It made made-for-TV-movies look like Oscar material. The worst offender was probably Cassi Thomson, though the lesser characters were pretty bad too. It was cheesy. It was corny. It was over the top. It was sad, really.
Second, it did not stick to the plot. There was an entire book of material, exciting material, on which to base its content. Instead of following the action and adventure of the source material, Left Behind seemed more interested in trying to poorly re-create the opening scenes of Flight. Considering its utter deviation, it probably could have used more screen time for Lea Thompson.
The entire movie, rather than the first fourth or so that the book dedicated, focused on the build up toward, occurrence of, and immediate aftermath of the rapture. Yes, that was what the book was about, but it was more about the people who were left behind, how they processed the information, and the changes in the world that happened as a result. The movie completely changed the circumstances of the characters, other than their names and job descriptions, in order to show more of the hysteria on the ground and in the air, and, in the process, ruined everything.
Most importantly, however, three of the main characters that were left behind in the book came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by the end. In the movie, no one, not one single person came to be a believer.
Summary
Considering the vast potential of the source material, Left Behind was a very serious disappointment. It was just not good. If you’re interested in the subject, please read the book. You’ll be much happier in the end.
User Review
( votes)Images Courtesy of IMDB
