DOGMA
A Lions Gate Film, Inc.

review by Joe Mauceri

Synopsis: The Catholic Church's renewal program for the millennium will allow a couple of rogue angels back into heaven, there by proving God is fallible. If that is allowed to happen, it will mean the end of creation - the world as we know it. What unfolds is a modern epic biblical quest with a Kevin Smith flare.

Review: DOGMA is an original idea bogged down with Catholic doctrine and an excessive amount of characters. Smith, a modern poor-man's Shakespear, weaves the complicated belief system of his faith around a simple problem that seems to rise from George Carlin's early comedy routine, "Can God make a boulder so big that he can't even lift it?"

Smith brings to the mix a variety of elements that many Christians might find controversial. The hero of the tale, the last Zion, is a female abortion doctor, who happens to be the last descendent of Jesus' brothers and sisters. The prophet is played by Chris Rock, and God is a woman. When it the film works it feels like a hybrid of a woody Allen/Monty Python film. Smith introduces his modern "folk heros" silent Bob and Jay into the plot. Believe it or not, Jay goes through the film swearing more then Chris Rock. Jay's diatribe gets old, and this reviewer found it distracting.

Smith comes up with some interesting casting choices, and the stars help sell the supernatural plot. Affleck and Damon's downward spiral as the rogue angels is right on the money and wickedly entertaining. Smith doesn't go overboard with the special effects, and uses them to enhance character development. The sequences where the angels finally show their wings, going on a rampage, is cutting-edge and spectacular. To borrow a tag-line, "You will belief a man can fly."

The film goes array when it spends too much time explaining the doctrine so  audiences can follow along. A few non-Catholic friends at the screening asked me to help explain things and fill in the blanks. DOGMA is an extremely Catholic film, when it gets caught up in the dogma it plays like a preachy version of Monty Python on the Holy Grail. Imagine if that film had stopped to explain the Arthurian myth.

DOGMA is a wickedly funny poor man's millennium movie. A great cast takes up the quest and hits the road in epic tale that unfolds like a spiritual "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World." Smith is a talented director and writer, working with an exceptional cast, but allows the film to get bogged down in its own dogma. The controversial elements are not as offensive as Jay's vulgar dialogue. Cast, directing and effects make this a must for the theater.

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www.dogma-movie.com
 
 

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