This is a dramatic story of deception, intrigue, war, murder and ultimately, a showdown between God and Satan. There are special effects that would have pleased Cecil B. DeMille; the unleashing of a plague out of the mouth of York, creepy dark demons that hover and growl, the destruction of Rome’s Coliseum and the Battle of Armageddon that takes place in the valley of Megiddo. One of the more dramatic moments is when York transforms into Satan, a 9-ft. beast that wreaks hell on earth.
Making a movie about “end-times” biblical events with Satan as the bad guy is a daunting task for any studio and requires a big budget with incredible special effects, a talented cast and a good story. These days audiences (and critics) have become very sophisticated (even a little spoiled) by what $100 million budgets can produce, so it’s harder for smaller studios to even make an attempt to compete. Gener8xion studios has taken up that challenge, producing a $20 million movie with over 300 visual effects, a moving musical score, beautiful locations and powerful performances by York and Biehn.
While it may not compare to the bigger budgeted films in some areas, it still delivers a story with a convincing (and sometimes convicting) spiritual message. In light of the recent, tragic war on America, that message seems more plausible than ever before.
This is clearly a special-effects driven movie. Where the story may lack in giving us a lengthy biblical epic filled with well-developed characters, it definitely delivers a dramatic, action-packed, end-of-times message with the necessary intrigue, murder, wartime violence and demonic special effects. All are crucial in telling this type of biblically-based story, but keep that in mind when choosing to take kids or pre-teens. Parents keep in mind this is not a “kid-friendly” end-of-times Christian movie. Just because it is an interpretation of a biblical event doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for kids under 12 to see. Heed the rating because this movie is too intense and hard to follow for children.