Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

Wuchak Released in 2000, "Left Behind" chronicles events when masses of people all over the earth disappear, leaving only their accouterments behind. Kirk Cameron stars as journalist Buck Williams, a passenger on a plane when the mysterious disappearances occur. Brad Johnson plays the pilot, Janaya Stephens his daughter and Chelsea Noble (Kirk's wife) as a hot flight attendant. Gordon Currie co-stars as an up-and-coming world leader, Daniel Pilon as a wealthy banker and Clarence Gilyard Jr. as a left-behind minister. TD Jakes has a good cameo.Most readers know this, but the story is based on prophetic accounts of end-time events from the Bible. I have studied eschatology (end-times prophecies) and do advocate the pre-Tribulation "Rapture" based on scriptures like 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and Luke 17:24,34-35, which doesn't mean, of course, that I agree with every jot and tittle of the theology featured in the movie. It doesn't matter, however, because it's a fictional story. In any case, you don't have to believe in the Bible whatsoever to enter into the story of the characters and enjoy the movie for what it is – a "What if the Rapture really happened" mystery/thriller. I don't believe in powerful androids that time-travel from the future, but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying the Terminator flicks.The more-mainstream 2014 version with Nicolas Cage severely truncated the story, focusing only on the first three chapters of the book, which involve the airplane coming back home after the vanishings, plus cutting-&-pasting the romance of Buck & Chloe from later in the book to the beginning of the movie. This didn't make it bad, although uber-fans of the book likely object to the smaller focus. Regardless, the 2014 version worked for me simply as a survival/mystery story. By focusing on one family and one airplane & two passengers, it drives its point home without being convoluted and awkwardly preachy. The two strong male protagonists and two female co-stars are a plus. Furthermore, the plot is "amazing" because how else would you describe a situation where millions of people, including all children, suddenly vanish with only their clothes left behind? It would be an incredible experience, to say the least, not to mention a serious wake-up call for those remaining. So the 2014 movie is effective as a "What if?" survival/mystery and set-up for sequels (which will never happen because it failed at the box office).This 2000 version with Kirk Cameron is much more ambitious even though it cost significantly less and is 15-minutes shorter. Incredibly, the screenwriters were able to cut out the fat and cram most of the book into 95 minutes without seeming overly convoluted, although much of the first act might be a little complicated to people who haven't read the book. The CGI effects appear near the beginning with an air-attack over Israel and they're noticeably weak (the aircrafts look like blurs in the sky). But the score is quite good and the story is compelling with believable characters and well-done prayer/ministry sequences, which aren't easy to pull-off. Lastly, they didn't do too bad with the "Antichrist" element.The film was shot in Israel, Missouri, Chicago and Toronto.GRADE: B

SnoopyStyle There is a worldwide food crisis. GNN TV reporter Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron) interviews scientist Chaim Rosenzweig in Israel about a surprising Eden-like harvest. Without warning, the country is attacked by an overwhelming enemy air force. The planes are destroyed by an invisible force. Rayford Steele leaves his family behind in Chicago to fly a plane from New York City to London on short notice. He's having an affair with flight attendant Hattie Durham. Back in NYC, Buck is contacted by his source Dirk Burton who warns him about a coming global currency, a crisis and a conspiracy by humanitarians Stonagal and Cothran. Buck takes the flight where people starts disappearing leaving behind their clothing.This starts off badly with some pretty awful CGI. Not only does it look cheap. It looks really silly. Other problems continue throughout the movie. The writing, the acting and everything else are all pretty bad. People act in unrealistic ways. It is so unnatural that it becomes incredibly awkward. Obviously there is a apocalyptic conspiracy that is central to some believers. I try not to judge it unless it's done poorly. This is done very poorly with very simplistic unreal world politics. This is a movie that relies on the words faith-based. One must have faith to believe in the logic of this movie. There is more unreality here than the most ridiculous zombie TV show.

Michael_Elliott Left Behind (2000)* (out of 4) Reporter Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron) and pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson) are shocked with several passengers from the plane go missing with only their clothes left behind. Once back on land their shocks continue as millions are people are missing including Steele's wife and son who he always made fun of for their religious beliefs. Soon the reporter confirms their worse fear.I haven't read the novels that this film is based on so I can't compare the two and I understand that many religious people hold them and this movie in high regard. I'm not here to bash religion or anyone's beliefs but this movie was pretty darn horrible from the start up until the very last frame. I'm sure many will say everything in this movie is true and a warning for us but Cecil B. DeMille made some of the greatest and most entertaining religious pictures out there but he wasn't afraid to change things in order to make them more entertaining.I think the biggest problem with this movie is that it was made on such a low-budget and it contains so many bad things that it just never stood a chance. I mean, take a look at the horrid CGI at the start of the film as various planes fall from the sky. Things don't get any better once the "story" sets in because the performances and the direction are so awful. There are countless scenes where family members are crying because they realize that their loved ones are gone. Do these scenes make the viewer cry with them? No, we're actually laughing at them because of how poorly acted and staged they are. I mean, the scenes with the clothes just laying there like someone had set them out for work the next day was laughable enough but throw in actors who can't cry right and the scenes are even worse.Obviously this movie is meant for Christians but not for a second do I believe you have to be one in order to enjoy a movie like this. No matter what your religious beliefs are you should be able to find a movie entertaining. LEFT BEHIND is awful in every way imaginable. In fact, I'm really shocked at how big of a following this movie has because of how poorly made it is. Even if you believe the message it's giving, it's hard to get past the bad acting and various other issues. Is there anything good here? I'd say it's badness is so incredibly awful that the film remains entertaining throughout simply at how many laughs it gives you. Unintentional laughs certainly isn't what the filmmakers were going for but that's the only thing they were able to deliver.

zardoz-13 Lord, I haven't read the Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins novel, but I have suffered through the movie, and it is abysmal! "Left Behind" concerns the Rapture, or when Christians are called to Heaven by God. Amateurish tripe at best, this risible, one-dimensional, religious saga strictly preaches to the choir, with performances as lackluster as the subject matter is bland. You'd think that an epic about Biblical prophecy dealing with Armegeddon would pack more punch, but it barely registers. Kirk Cameron of "Growing Pains" fame toplines a forgettable cast as a globe-trotting journalist with GNN (Global News Network)who starts out covering a miracle in the Israeli desert where crops are growing. Suddenly, the Iraqi Air Force launches the surprise attack on the Israelis, only to endure abject defeat. Brad Johnson is the one actor here who seems to know what he is doing, but this is far and away one of his least memorable turns. The rapture scene itself is hilarious nonsense. During a jet-ride on a 747, a mature lady asks our stalwart hero Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron)to check the lavatory to see if her husband is in there. Next to her on the seat once occupied by her spouse is a crumpled suit and tie without a body to fill it up. Johnson is cast as a philandering pilot who wishes that he had paid more attention to his wife when she took up church-going. Meantime, Buck and two girls--one of whom puffs away on a coffin nail, track down a conspiracy with the villainous Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie) out to control the world. "Partition " director Vil Sarin generates little momentum in this sluggish tale and none of the leads conjure up an ounce of charisma. This low-budget release appeared initially as a straight-to-video movie with little to recommend it. Ironically, even some Christians have blasted it for the nonsense that it is. "Left Behind" has no conviction.