Because I know you didn’t watch the movie Priest, .
During the course of that trailer, chances are you were thinking at least one of these two things:
1) That movie looks as if it prefers style over substance.
2) That movie looks as if it were made by the same director of Legion.
You’re right on both accounts, BUT even with both of those things in mind, it’s a better movie than you might think. It might not be worth going to the theater to see, but it’s still worth a watch.
Before the film – This story begins on January 22, 2010. On that day, Sam and I went to the theater to watch Legion foolishly assuming that it was going to be a movie worth watching. We were sorely, SORELY disappointed. Angels as villains was an interesting concept, but it was nothing more than that. The characters were flat and boring. The action was confusing and poorly choreographed. It was a dull, vapid, horrendous movie by all accounts.
Going into Priest, both Sam and I were concerned that it would be on the same level of awfulness as Legion. Maybe we should have been asking ourselves why we would want to risk going to an awful movie, but we were in the mood for an action movie, so we were willing to risk it.
Acting – One can only imagine director Scott Stewart’s notes to actors. Chances are, he tells them, “You’re being grim, but you need to be more grim. There’s no room for personality in your character. Just be really serious and speak in a breathy, intense voice the entire time.”
Paul Bettany is the lead in this film and for all intents and purposes, he plays the same character as he did in Legion. Priest and Michael are both the toughest soldiers on the planet, they have issues with religion, and their emotional distance is portrayed as being noble and pious. Still, as one dimensional as he is, Bettany is a convincing tough guy in this film.
Cam Gigandet plays a small town sheriff in love with the Priest kidnapped niece and he might be the worst part of the film. He talks tough, but never has any real personality.
Karl Urban’s appearance in the film was a welcome surprise. Since Star Trek, I’ve become a fan of Urban, and while he is serviceable in this movie, Sam noted that she felt his presence felt a bit out of place.
In short, the acting just isn’t all that fantastic, but there is a nice surprise with the inclusion of Brad Dourif (the doctor from Deadwood) as a traveling salesman.
Story – The film begins with an animated segment that establishes the world. The animation looks a bit like The Secret of Kells, but without the fluidity that film is known for. It’s an interesting opening and an excellent way to get viewers into the world of Priest.
Honestly, this movie is a mash of lots of different genres and stories that you’ve seen many times before, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re looking for a movie where you can just sit and not think about anything. Movies like Priest will never win any Academy Awards, but they serve a purpose in their own way; to have visual aesthetic and to portray and convincing world.
As bad as the acting is, Priest does an excellent job of crafting a world. Sure, vampires vs. humans is a concept that has been done to death, but that is such a small part of the world of Priest. The movie also evokes dystopian tones mixed with the Wild West. One gets the sense of Huxley’s Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984, but this oppressive government is based around the Catholic church (it’s interesting that director Scott Stewart has made two films and both seem to be focused around religious commentary).
The city is dark, and industrial. At times, it felt as if I were playing Final Fantasy VII. Meanwhile, the wastelands were bright and empty deserts with empty, abandoned buildings in the background. Much has happened in this post-apocalyptic world and while the animated opening did much to establish the universe, I was still left wondering what had happened, but I never really wanted an answer and I was never given one. The film allows for a mystique to continue to permeate the world.
Action – I was very pleased with the action scenes in this movie. While I was never really in awe of anything, per se, the film still had moments where I was impressed with the fight choreography. Considering that Legion was almost devoid of action, I was surprised at the amount of action, and the quality of the film itself. I never felt as if the movie was low-budget or cheaply made. I actually marveled at how much they were able to accomplish. Very well done.
How to watch this film – Remember that the movie isn’t going to wow you at all. Be in the mood for an action movie and you’ll be satisfied, but to really enhance this movie, just imagine that it takes place in Stephen King’s Dark Tower universe. Imagine that the vampires are just slow mutants and that all of the action takes place somewhere far from Gilead. There are plenty of ideas, themes, and shots that remind me of The Dark Tower that I was able to really believe that this world was the same.
Also, considering that it’s not looking too promising that we’ll actually get a Dark Tower movie, this film might be the closest thing we’ll ever get, so enjoy it while you can.
Box Office Reception – Priest debuted at number 4 at the box office at $14.5 million which is respectable in my mind with all things considered.
Thor was number 1 for the second week in a row with $34.5 million.
Bridesmaids at 2 with $24.4 million.
Fast Five at 3 with $19.5 million.
Not a bad weekend for Priest, but one would have thought it could have beaten Fast Five.
