Don’t worry, readers, I haven’t gone all ultra-religious on you. Priest (2011) is the kind of movie you’d get if a graphic novel, a goth rave, and a spaghetti Western walked into a bar, got drunk, and decided to raise a CGI vampire baby together.
This could be a good film to show Muslims and people of other faiths. You know, to convert them to Christianity. Of course, we’d have to tell them the more boring reality at some stage. Like, no, you don’t get to kill vampires.
The vampires themselves are pretty odd. Not like ordinary vampires. They have no eyes, and walk on all fours. More like some crazy aliens.
The story has nothing to do with reality, of course. It’s way out there, and that’s bad coming from me.
From Wikipedia –
A centuries-long war between humans and vampires devastated the planet’s surface and led to a theocracy under “The Church”. Despite vampires’ vulnerability to sunlight and humans technological advancements, their strength and speed made them impossible to defeat until humanity sheltered in walled cities and trained elite warriors, the Priests, who turned the tide. After the war, most vampires were killed, while the remainder were placed in reservations. After the war, the Clergy abandons the surviving Priests, who struggle to integrate into city society. Outside the walled cities, some humans seek out a living, free from The Church’s totalitarian control.
One particular Priest (only referred to as Priest) is approached by Hicks, the sheriff of a free town, Augustine. Hicks informed Priest that a vampire group killed Priest’s brother Owen and his sister-in-law Shannon, and kidnapped his niece Lucy. Being in love with Lucy, Hicks asks for Priest’s help in rescuing her. Priest asks the Clergy to reinstate his authority, but leader Monsignor Orelas refuses, dismissing the vampire story. Priest leaves the city and Orelas sends three Priests and a Priestess to bring him back.
Paul Bettany stars as a warrior priest in what I would consider to be a good performance. Some of the action scenes are quite brilliant. There were times, though, when a bit too much CGI was used.
I give the film four stars out of five. A great way to spend a spare hour and a half.
Have you seen it? Let me know in the comments.
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