Left Behind: The Movie (2000) PG13 - 2½ Stars

It's sort of ironic my sister and I were just having this conversation about if she suddenly disappears, I should not be worried because I will know where she has gone. With everything that is going on in the world right now, we have much debate into it's destiny. I choose to look at the world in more of a pragmatic fashion and entertain prophecies of the bible, Nostradamus predictions, and the Mayans calender as they are all open to interpretations of their content. I than prefer to form my own beliefs based on open minded and factual information. However, I can not dismiss the deep feelings I have that the world is headed for a major disruptment. I look for answers from the earth itself just getting tired of mankind taking it's toll on her over time. I feel she's ready to do something major to kick a bunch of us off. Reversal of the magnetic poles or something catastrophic to wake us up. My sister on the other hand, 100% believes in the bible and everything that is happening is just as it says it will. She constantly urges me to take a stand with God and avoid the horror that will be left for the non believers and sinners left on the planet. This movie is based upon a series of books written explaining Revelations and the Antichrists that will visit before Jesus makes his return to earth. Though in looking at some of the reviews, I fear the movie leaves a lot out.

I spent one entire weekend with the History Channel watching these different interpretations played out. First few hours was religious prophecies of the bible. Next few hours all about the Mayans and their calender that is suppose to show the world ending on Dec. 12, 2012. And then the predictions of Nostradamus. I choose to form my own opinions based on education and not faith. Maybe that is my problem too. I have no faith in much other than that of what I place in myself for my determination to get something down. Perhaps that is why it's sort of strange for me to keep finding myself renting movies that unbeknown to me, carry a religious content. Is something trying to tell me something? I am a spiritual person and do believe in a higher power that created us all and I do believe Jesus Christ did exist. I've even prayed to God many times for purely selfish reason, "PLEASE GOD, get me out of this one!" But it takes faith to believe in Adam and Eve, the rising up of Jesus from the dead, and that 12 virgins that are awaiting the Ala believers. For me, who's religion can possibly be the right one?

It would appear that organized religion is the cause of most problems in the world today. Ask a Muslim, a Jew, a Catholic, Buddhist or Christian and they all think their religion is the truth, just as my beliefs tend to come more from the earth itself. I guess I have more Mayan, Pagan, Indian belief that what we do in this world will come back to you. So now let me step off of the preachers box and get back to this movie regarding the "Rapture." It does seem a bit scary when you witness the scene at the United Nations where the Antichrist uses mind manipulation to gain control over the members. They walk out the door speaking a different tune then what was just played out. Basically the movie is about surrendering our lives to Christ before it's too late. I think "Left Behind" is a fair movie of the beliefs of the Christian faith. Though it was made 11 years ago, it sure fits into what the world is becoming today. I think it did a good job at taking the story to the big screen. At least giving me one more thing to rack around in my head regarding the return of Christ.

Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron) is a journalist headed to London where pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson) is at the helm. Without warning, some of the passengers awake to find their loved ones are missing. All that is left in place is their material belongings, clothes, jewelry etc. But on a plane flying over 37 thousand feet, this is impossible. So where could all of these children and people go? Pilot Steele turns around and heads back to Chicago where he finds the same occurrences on the ground. It seems millions of people and all of the innocent children have vanished without a trace. As he arrives home, he finds his wife and son also are gone and the only thing remaining are the clothes left exactly as if they had melted out of them. Now, feeling extremely guilty over the affair he's been having with a flight attendant Hattie Durham (Chelsea Noble), to make up for the time he's felt his wife was wasting devoted to the church, he is beginning to take the bible more seriously.

Buck, being the journalist, is determined to get to the bottom of these disappearances as he ponders over reports about Dr. Chaim Rosenzweig (Colin Fox), an Israeli scientist who can turn the soil into the Garden of Eden making anything easy to cultivate in the soil of the earth. Dr. Rosenzweig is just ready to make his announcements to Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie), who's taken over as head of The United Nations after some of the world leaders have vanished. Buck believes that Nicolae might is the Antichrist and that Revelations has begun. God help all us non believers now.

Cloud Ten Productions, Angel Studios, Namesake Entertainment
Director: Victor Sarin
Writers: Paul Lalonde, Alan B. McElroy, Joel Goodman
Producers: Ralph Winter, Peter Lalonde, Joel Goodman

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