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Title: The Moment After 2: The Awakening.
Rating: Unrated.
Film Companies: Signal Hill Pictures, ChristianCinema.Com.
Cast: David White (Mercy
Streets), Brad Heller, Kevin Downes, John Gilbert, Dr. Asad Farr, Don Decker,
Bree Pavey, Monte Perlin, Lonnie Colon, Christopher Greer, Jason Brock, Ron Hughart,
Kim Estes, Mark Davies, Wes Llewellyn, Deanne Bonneau, Gene Gong, Bobby Downes,
Jared Geesey, Delious T. Kennedy, Dan Wells, Thunderwolf, Carlin White, Eddie Ramos,
Khamara Pettus, Andrea Logan White, Maria Correa, David Pires, Ed Dyer, Kass Conners,
Mark Atteberry, Christine Anne Scholle, Pastor Paul Ferguson, Tobin Hale, James
Roland, Dennis Leggett, Jesse Jam, Allister Buchanan.
Crew: Rick Lowitzki, Frank Lowitzki (Executive
Producers), Kevin
Downes, Bobby Downes, David A.R. White (Producers), Amanda Llewellyn (Writer, Producer),
Wes Llewellyn (Director, Producer, Editor),
Brad Heller, Andrea Logan White (Co-Producers), Mike Welch (Editor), Todd Baron
(Director of Photography), Rick Lowitzki, Frank Lowitzki (Executive Producers),
James Roland (1st Assistant Director), Matt Miller, Jamie Broadnax (2nd Assistant
Directors), Jonathan Stanley, Pat Denson, Mike Rinaldi (Production Assistants),
Jonathan Dale (Assistant Editor), Stephen McCurry (Post Production Supervisor),
Rich Paisley, Donovan Mlcoch, Jeff Wilksons, Stephen McCurry (Additional Photography),
Monte Perlin (Stunt Coordinator), Michael Webber, Mainsail Production Services,
Austin Brooks Productions (Visual Effects), Vlad Pineda (CGI Designer/Animator).
Synopsis: Nine childhood friends are brought together by the death
of a mutual friend. Conflict arises as they seek to renew old friendships amidst
broken lives. A dramatic comedy.
Theatrical Release: Concluded.
DVD Release: 2007.
Review:
I had high hopes for The Awakening. Signal Hill Pictures
is one of my favorite Christian film companies and has worked on a number of excellent,
high-quality films such as Mercy Streets, The Visitation, Thr3e. My favorite Christian
actor (bar none), David A.R. White also plays a key lead role and took part in the
production of the film, so this also raised my hopes. I was to be sadly disappointed.
The film starts out well-enough. The opening cinematography
is beautiful, the music haunting. In fact throughout the film the cinematography
and music continue to hold out top notch, as everything else falls flat. Significant
shots are taken throughout the film that stretch what had been previously done by
Christian camera people, but this cannot make up for the film's other deficits.
One of the weakest areas in the film are the characters. Everyone
feels one dimensional, flat, simplistic. David A.R. White, Brad Heller, and Logan
White have the most dynamic characters in the film, but overall even they are flat.
The Christians are the good guys, the militia and the global government are the
bad guys - plain and simple, there are no shades of gray. Each character plays stereotypial
roles and refuses to show the complexity that is human life.
These one dimensional characters are probably the direct result
of a poor script, as is most of the films' other weaknesses. With the great cinematography,
music, and acting skill that was encompassed in this film I can find no other causal
reason for the poor overall show.
Part of this is caused by the genre in which The Awakening attempts
to insert itself. The apocalyptic genre is far too over-crowded and there really
is no need for one more film in this arena for at least another ten years. If one
is to try this genre one must come up with a unique storyline, otherwise the film
will feel too much like its predecessors - Moment After, Apocalypse, Tribulation,
Revelation, Judgment, Left Behind (all three of them), Gone, Vanished, and the list
goes on.
But the problems go far beyond genre. Besides the one dimensional
characters the storyline is essentially one dimensional - there is no mystery, nor
any great drama. The movie flows slowly from start to finish, with the greatest
pace of excitement coming in the first five minutes.
Still, that isn't to say the film didn't have its good moments
- in fact, moments of genius. Rather the film was spattered throughout with "good
ideas" which would have made for a great movie if the connective tissue had not
been of such poor quality.
For example, there is great tension built up between White
and Colon's characters. White and Colon were lovers, but when White was sentenced
to prison and eventual death Colon married another man. Now the two are still deeply
in love. Sadly, the film rather than honestly dealing with the issue for more than
five minutes summarily executes the husband by a third-party hand, leaving White
and Colon free to pursue their relationship.
Another example is Brad Heller's moment of anger after his
good friend is executed by the world government military. He breaks out into a rage,
calling on his right to be angry, struggling with surrendering this anger to God
- for a moment the one-dimensional character disappears, but then the film trods
on.
The film attempts to be realistic in its grim portrayal of violence,
but at the same time summarily executes it. While there are several scenes of gun
fights, these scenes are generally relegated to only a few seconds. Yet, at the
same time one powerful and well-architected fight scene occurs between two lead
characters. This is then followed by one of the best portrayals of demonic possession
I have seen.
The film struggles with issues such as marital infidelity, violence
by Christians, God's purpose and other topics, but unlike other productions such
as Mercy Streets and Hidden Secrets which successfully grapple and offer dialogue
on these questions, The Awakening attempts to offer answers summarily and comes
across as dry and unoriginal cardboard.
If you are a hardcore Christian film fan and want to see some
great cinematography, some excellent acting by White and Colon, a few good fight
scenes - rent it. Just be forewarned that you will alternately be surprised by the
quality and yanking your hair out in frustration. |
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