Feeling Sorry For Those "Left Behind"

Left Behind (2014)

PG-13

Starring Nicholas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, Lea Thompson, Cassi Thomson

Directed by Vic Armstrong

The Story:

Ray (Cage) is an airline pilot. Sometime during his flight across country, half of the passengers and crew on his plane simply disappear! Meanwhile, across the globe, the same phenomenon is happening, kids are vanishing and so are people. Cars are crashing, planes are crashing. I assume boats crash too.

What's happening?

Duh, it's The Rapture!

Perhaps if the rest of the people had listened to their Christian friends and family, they wouldn't be wandering around in a panic like they are now.

:D

Seriously though, as many atheists that claim they know the Bible backward and forward better than a Christian, it takes an alarming amount of time for the people left behind to actually put 2 and 2 together.

This was a movie back in 2000 starring Kirk Cameron as journalist Buck Williams. His character is now played by Chad Michael Murray, and he gets bumped back to the sidelines for Cage's character.  Based on the best selling book series of the same name, it will be interesting to see if this moves forward as a series.  They had tried before with direct to dvd efforts with less than impressive results.

I was expecting it to be horribly unwatchable, but it was engaging enough to keep my attention.

Cage gives a restrained performance as the pilot, so there's that.

Final Grade: C

Nothing A Little Armageddon Won't Cure..."This is the End"

Based on a true story.

Somewhat.

The Story:

Jay Baruchel comes out to L.A. to visit his best friend, Seth Rogen.  Rogen wants to go to James Franco's house for a party, but Jay is uncomfortable with all of Seth's Hollywood friends.  Seth assures him it will be fine, and so they head to the home. 

Naturally, that's when the Apocalypse happens.

So, in a few movies I've reviewed, I've mentioned that there are some actors who literally just play themselves on the screen.  Seth Rogen...Jonah Hill... those guys, right?

Well, this movie does one better, they actually play themselves, playing themselves.

Genius!

And for what it is, it works.

These guys are friends, or at least act like it in the movie.

Jay plays the outsider of the group who just doesn't click with the Hollywood crowd, and then the literal apocalypse kicks off, and people are raptured to Heaven.

Naturally, none of our cast makes the cut, and they spend the rest of the movie trying to stay alive, and not kill one another, while holed up in Franco's abode.

The crew of survivors also includes Craig Robinson and Danny McBride. 

They throw nearly any and every joke against the wall to see what sticks.  All the while, mayhem ensues.

There are some howlers, there are some eye rolling, but the guys give it their all.

Plus, there's Channing Tatum.  Apparently everything is better with more Channing Tatum.  That's the new Hollywood mantra.

However, I will give them a plus for having the decency to kill Rihanna.

: )

For the fans that have enjoyed all of their other films, you'll probably see no reason to miss this one.

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Once was enough, thanks.