Left Behind ~ The Movie

Some time ago, I watched Kirk Cameron's version of Tim LaHaye & Jerry B Jenkins book Left Behind.  I was very impressed with the previous version.  I did a post for the 3 part series.  You can LINK here to that post.

I had said previously that I couldn't wait until I could watch this movie, to see if they did a better job.
Let me begin by saying, this was an exciting movie...

However, overall it sucked.

Let's go back and remember that LaHaye was not at all satisfied with Cameron's version of Left Behind, and sued in order to get the rights back to the story line.  From what I could gather LaHaye was not satisfied with how Hollywood did the film the first time.  The box office draw was not where LaHaye wanted it.  And he felt the message needed to be redone for better effectiveness.

So, recast the movie, get BIG name stars...  Nicholas Cage is really hot right now, or he was at the time of this production.  And will draw in more people.

Now I must say, I agree that the message needs to go out.  I agree that if we are in the end times right now, that we need to get the word out to as many people as we can.

This movie, missed the mark.

At first, we are introduced to the mom.  She is portrayed as a religious nut.  All we see of her is a bit conversation with her daughter, where she really doesn't say what's on her mind.  There is a Bible in the scene.

Remy disappears, while his sister is giving him a hug.  He is in her arms, and he pops away, his clothes still in her hands.  You know, she has got to KNOW what happened.  After all, mom has talked about it for months.  YET, she goes to the car looking for her brother, she goes to the hospital looking for him, she goes home to look for him.  Good Grief.  This was stupid.  (And not the way it happened in the book).

Then Chloe goes home, and finds her moms jewelry in the shower with the shower running.  Maybe she understands now.

She goes to the church, and yells at the pastor, cause he didn't believe what he preached.

Guys that is about the extent of the message that is portrayed in this film. The rest of the film, is an airplane in crisis, low on fuel, trying to land.

There is a little bit on the plane, where Ray Steele finds his missing co-pilot's watch that has John 3:16 printed on it, and a missing stewardess has "Bible Study" in her calendar for Thursday.  This doesn't really tell us a lot.  One of the passengers, on a drug induced high actually explains it all in about 30 seconds.  Then it's right back to the plane in crisis.

I was not happy with this version of the book.  I think Cameron's version was much better.  It was more to the point, and had more of the message that is the intent of the media.

I'm sure this movie would play great for the male audiences but as a mode to get the message out to the world, it failed.

I wonder now if LaHaye will sue yet again?

I did read where the sequel to this Left Behind is in production now, and slated for Fall 2016 release, "because the message is too important to sit on".  I truly hope part two focuses a little more on the message, "Jesus is coming".

No-one knows the day or the hour, it could be tomorrow.  Know Jesus, so you're not left behind.

Left Behind by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B Jenkins

I read this 16 book series about 5 years ago.  I found this series to be a very quick read which is quite surprising for a 16 book set.  It was gripping and held me wanting to find the next book and read it as well.

I found this trilogy of movies on NetFlix.  It's the first two books, in three movies, from what I could find out about it.  I've included below a piece where LaHaye filed suit to get the rights back to remake the films, due to overwhelming dissatisfaction with the quality of the movies.  The first of which was released on DVD first, with a "coupon" for a discounted matinee ticket when it was released at the theater.  In other words the movie was not expected to be a success.

I found the first two movies very well put together, yes there were some "cheesy" lines, but that happens in all movies, they for the most part were true to the story line of the books.  The third in this series however, I agree was horrible.  It diverted completely from the story line of the books, and "attempted" to wrap the series up quickly.  Jumping forward in timeline by a year, maybe more.  Brought in a character that was not explained or set up, just "HERE she is".  Very disappointed with the third in this series, and it ended in such a campy style, like really "that was non-productive, and totally stupid".

So I do understand WHY LaHaye sued, his "baby" was totally massacred.  And the movie has already been redone by Nicolas Cage, to be released soon.  I look forward to seeing "if" they can do better.  But think that Kirk Cameron did an excellent job in the movies, and should be given credit for his accomplishment here.  Even if the rest of the third movie really sucked.

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2. Left Behind is a series of 16 best-selling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, dealing with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatological viewpoint of the end of the world.

Left Behind is a Christian based film released in 2000 and starring Kirk Cameron, Brad Johnson, Gordon Currie and Clarence Gilyard. It was directed by Vic Sarin. Left Behind was proclaimed by its creators as the biggest and most ambitious Christian film ever made. It is based on the Left Behind book series.

According to Wikipedia:  "The film received all around critical backlash and negative reviews. It received a 16% positive rating among reviewers on the Rotten Tomatoes website. The Washington Post's Desson Howe, described it as "a blundering cringefest, thanks to unintentionally laughable dialogue, hackneyed writing and uninspired direction. The more this movie tries, the worse it gets. Its sincerity ends up becoming a bulging bull's-eye for rotten-tomato throwers."

And, "Owing to dissatisfaction with the quality of this movie and its sequels, LaHaye filed suit against Namesake Entertainment and Cloud Ten Pictures in July 1999, claiming breach of contract. On July 3, 2008, Tim LaHaye and Cloud Ten settled legal disputes on the film adaptations of the book series.  Part of the agreement grants LaHaye an opportunity to remake the series. He asserts:

My dream has always been to enter the movie theater with a first-class, high-quality movie that is grippingly interesting, but also is true to the biblical storyline -- and that was diluted in the first attempt. But Lord willing, we are going to see this thing made into the movie that it should be, and that all the world sees it before the real Rapture comes.

As of October 1, 2010 the rights to the Left Behind film series have officially been reclaimed by Cloud Ten Pictures."