The Prophecy


Title: The Prophecy
Rating: 2/5
Genre: Religious Horror
Starring: Elias Koteas, Virginia Madsen, Christopher Walken
Director: Gregory Widen

Religious films always interest me, and this one is no exception. With a combination of a badly written cheesy script and some really boring and dull acting, save two roles which I will mention, the film came below my expectations and turned out to be a silly B-Horror flick. This is the story of a badass priest turned detective (Koteas) as he gets caught in the pissed off angel Gabriel's (Walken) search for this evil soul that will wreak havoc and give rise to another hell on earth! Hallelujah! Everyone seems pissed off in this film. No love in heaven for "Gabriel", "Thomas" (Koteas) for having these visions of angels kicking each other's asses, even "Lucifer" (Viggo Mortensen) who appears later on in the film is pissed off that of the new competition. One Hell is good, but two Hells is a no no… I forgot about that that school teacher "Catherine" who acts as the mandatory existing love interest in such films.

You know what? Sure the plot had many ridiculous holes and the characters uttering the silliest lines ever. Sure the time given for the characters to develop only made things sillier, but it seemed that "Widen", who also wrote the film, was giving us his wink to let it pass. He knew himself and what he had for the most part, but I can let by only for so long… He did give me some laughs, and he did use well having "Walken" around. Just watching "Walken" with these kids, giving them that advice about math made the film for me. I have to say though; at certain times it was clear "Widen" was just trying to be "deep". Just the ending scene with the final lecture as the characters gaze heroically unto the horizon was a "no" from me. Every element in this film was basically predictable. Oh, maybe "Lucifer" being with the "good" guys for the moment wasn't that predictable.

"Walken" made the film for me, he truly did. If it wasn't for him uttering those silly lines and replies in his well know manner, the film would have crumbled. The others… well the others were just pointless. I saw some people trying to be serious, but I just didn't believe it. Sure they were raising their voices, acting suspicious, afraid, conspiring, running around, and having that deep look in your eyes when you know something important is happening. Yet nothing was convincing. Oh, I forgot this; I must give kudos to "Mortenson" for presenting us with one of the best "Lucifer's" I saw in film. I wished he had more time. His eyes were sparkling evil and his tongue knew how to verbalize it.

This is one film that is fun to watch. While in the general picture it tries to recreate something of the apocalyptic fiction that endures, it's not that easy to match accomplishments such as that of "The Omen." I'd rather watch this one, and its successors late at night with something good to eat, some friends tagging along for a better atmosphere, but that's really it. I can't imagine someone taking it really seriously. Still a nice addition with "Walken" being "Walken" as a villain, which gives him more roam to be mischievous as we all like him. While religious films still interest me, I won't be having much eye on this one, maybe to enjoy the time, but that's it.

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