More good than bad, IMO.

Having seen the trailer a few times I was expecting a decent film, something to keep me entertained for a little while. Before I could actually see it I was told about the religious controversy and that intrigued me even more. Now I have to see what all the fuss is about, I thought.

When I had a day off I decided to finally sit and watch it. It was playing on one of the HBO/SHOWTIME/STARZ channels. I must have caught it directly after the beginning of it because by the time I paused it the opening credits weren't running. I stepped outside, smoked a small joint and grabbed a beverage before planting myself on the couch. I was mostly looking forward to the remarkable graphics which I had seen in the trailer and I wasn't let down in this regard. Almost an hour into the movie I began to wonder when the taboo was going to be shown. Nothing about the storyline was too exciting, I felt. Though it was inviting enough to keep me engaged. Perhaps they save the most shocking moments for the very end, is what I started to assume. The foundation for the plot was being laid and there was a lot building up for the final few scenes. Well, the entire story came and went and I was left with a feeling like I had just been duped. I found nothing within TGC to be sacrilegious or even polemic in any way. For a few minutes I thought about what I just saw.

The conclusion that I had come to was that it was pretty good. It definitely wasn't bad. I felt Sam Elliot, Nicole Kidman, and Dakota Richards each did very well in their roles. Especially Nicole Kidman playing the villian was refreshing and she was able to invoke the correct reaction. Too often I'm unable to suspend disbelief enough to enjoy sci-fi characters an even villainous ones but she was successful at this. Overall, I was pleased with it. And it wasn't until a few years later when I had read Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials did I feel it missed the mark. But judging on the film itself I still cannot label it a bad movie. Even if the premise had drastically been shifted for all of the obvious reasons. I give it a passing grade.

Sam Elliot = Good
Nicole Kidman = Great
Daniel Craig = Fair
Dakota Richards = Good
Plot = Fair
Graphics = Good
Overall = Good


* I killed god and all I got was this awesome signature!