MOVIE REVIEW: Left Behind

 

Back in 1995, a preacher, Tim LaHaye, and a novelist, Jerry B. Jenkins, released a joint novel called Left Behind. It told the story of a time when millions of people simply vanish from the earth, causing panic among the remaining populace and the virtual collapse of most of the governments of the world. Following a small group of people who come to believe that this mass disappearance is actually the rapture (the time when the biblical Jesus calls his believers to Heaven), it follows bible eschatology, including the introduction of an Antichrist in the form of a little-known member of the United Nations council who steps forward to leadership during the crisis. This stars Kirk Cameron as a journalist named Buck Williams, who becomes involved with the small group of Christian survivors by chance, and entangled with the Antichrist by career. The cast also includes Brad Johnson as Rayford Steele, the captain of an airliner that has a number of passengers disappear, and Gordon Currie as Nicolae Carpathia, the infamous Antichrist. 

Not a real nail biter, this still has its moments of suspense and high tension, making for a watchable if not very exciting time. The book series runs for another fifteen novels, with two spinoff series that included an additional seven. There were two cinematic sequels to this movie, and a reboot of the original that premiered in 2014. Many of the Christian faith have hailed these books as a faithful representation of biblical prophecy. There is no erotism, no strong language, and very little violence, so it is passable for children, but may not be interesting enough for them to sit still long enough to watch it.

BOOK REVIEW: Forestium: The Mirror Never Lies by Christopher D. Morgan

 

This is a young adult fantasy, the first of a trilogy, about a young man named Joshua who, in a quest to find his missing father, discovers that his destiny is to defeat a monster known as the Goat, who has kidnapped hundreds of people and sent them into another world. Joshua’s mission is to find three magical orbs that, when brought together, will create a portal to the world where the Goat is holding his hostages and bring them back. Along the way, Joshua finds adventure, danger, and new love.

This is what can be termed a “cozy” book, in that there are no adult scenes, no strong language, and the violence is very understated. However, that does not take away from the adventure and mystery surrounding the antagonists, or the fun of the story. The reader cares for the hero and cheers when the villains are defeated. Comparable to C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, this is a good read for any age group.

MOVIE REVIEW: Leap!

 

This is the story of a young girl who, having grown up in an orphanage, runs away to Paris to try to make her dream of becoming a ballerina come true. In the process, she meets a woman who becomes a mother figure, and learns what it means to be true to the people she cares about.

A 2016 animated film, this features Elle Fanning (Dakota Fanning’s older sister) as the voice of the main character Felicie, and Carly Rae Jepsen (finalist in 2003 Canadian Idol television show) as Odette, her coach. A collaboration between French and Canadian studios, this is a solid, wonderful movie about working toward dreams and the price of success. This is highly recommended for family night.

BOOK REVIEW: Fatal Cure by Robin Cook

 

Originally published in 1994, this follows a man and wife team of doctors, fresh out of medical school, who leave the big city to move to what is apparently an ideal community, Bartlett, Vermont. There they hope that, not only will their careers be stable enough to pay off the enormous debt they have incurred for their education, but also that their young daughter, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, will be in an environment where her lungs will be able to heal. But soon they discover that Bartlett is not all it’s cracked up to be. Strange deaths begin to claim patients at the hospital where they are working, while the HMO that has almost complete charge over the hospital can think only of how much money is being spent. Add to this a sheriff that is completely unconvinced and unwilling to believe that the attacks on their lives and property are real, and this makes for a very tense and entertaining medical mystery drama. There are quite a few undefined medical terms in this that the layman may not understand completely, but this does not take away from the story. A good one for a light read beside the fire on a cold winter night.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Dustwalker

 

This is an Australian film that was released in 2019 for television consumption in that country. It concerns a small town in the outback of Australia that is basically isolated from contact with the outside world. When a strange object from space lands in the desert near it, several people in the town start turning into mindless killing machines. It is up to the female sheriff, a schoolteacher, a doctor, and four young people just out of their teens to try to make sure someone stays alive to fight the alien presence that has appeared.

The only actor in this that might be recognizable to US audiences is Jolene Anderson, who plays the sheriff, and who was also in the 2019 film Prey. The rest of the cast is made up of Australian performers that have spent their careers almost exclusively in the studios down under. This does not mean that they are anything but fantastic, however. The screenplay of this one is a little understated due to the fact that, though Aussie television standards are somewhat more liberal than in the US, certain aspects still have to be pared down to some extent. For this reason, there is no gore, no erotica, and very little strong language. There is, however, plenty of suspense and terror, which makes for a very watchable and entertaining horror movie.