May 13, 2011 Priest
Studio: Sony Pictures Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, disturbing images and brief strong language.
"Priest" is based on a graphic novel, and set in an alternate future.
Paul Bettany stars as a man of the cloth who has spent much of his life destroying vampires. Man has been waging a war against the undead for centuries, before finally prevailing.
But the bloodsuckers build their strength and wage a comeback, bringing Bettany's priest out of retirements.
In the midst of the carnage, the priest's niece is kidnapped by the bad guy...called...and I'm not kidding here...Black Hat. Played by Karl Urban, he's having a good time, reveling in his villainy.
Director Scott Stewart re-teams with Bettany on this effort. They previously collaborated on the abysmal action movie "Legion."
Thankfully, this film is better than that one. But that's not a huge compliment.
Watching "Priest" I had the feeling that I had seen all of this before. It borrows liberally from several films as it features a pretty simple tale of good versus bad.
I will say this, the special effects are impressive, featuring a sparse, futuristic landscape and eyeless vampires popping out of nowhere to wreak havoc.
But this is a pretty thin plot. It didn't require me to invest much feeling in the characters or their fates. It's more like an amusement park ride that's mildly entertaining but something you forget five minutes after it's over.
On my rating scale, "Priest" earns a DOUBLE.
PRIME PICKS THE BIG BANG THEORY Tonight at 7:30 PM The Zarnecki Incursion
The guys try to figure out who hacked Sheldon's online-game account
May 13, 2011
