Average Rating: 
Rating: - No one will want to be Left Behind!
Based on the first book in a series of bestsellers by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, this movie deals with the Christian issue of the Rapture. It also deals with the first period of the Tribulation and gives a taste of what it will feel like to be left behind.Mass panic sets in as mother's realize their children are missing and wives and husbands find their spouses have left only their clothes, rings and shoes on airline seats. A State of Emergency is declared and the United Nations takes a prominent leadership role. The story revolves around Biblical Prophecy of the End Times which will start with the disappearance of millions of people all over the earth. The prophecy to rebuild Solomon's Temple is finally to be realized and a Covenant of Peace is promised to Israel. This is the time of the rise of the Antichrist, although this movie doesn't take on the full story. This is just the beginning and it will spark your curiosity. You will want to know more. My husband has read all the books in the series so far and says they are quite a bit more detailed than the movie. If you want to truly find out the whole story, perhaps watch this movie and then read all the books in the series. Yes, this has a made-for-TV feel about it. Kirk Cameron just seems very young in this movie and yet he plays the part of a journalist. Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie who has a great accent) is evil and contrasts sharply with the softer nature of Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron). If you are not a Christian, you will become very curious as to the story behind the story of Left Behind. While it does take a bit of study to find out exactly what the Bible prophesies, it is well worth the time it will take. If you want to be entertained along the way, then I recommend reading the full LaHaye/Jerry Jenkins series. I know I will be reading it soon! Even though I am very aware of the prophesies, never before have they been presented in such an entertaining way.
Rating:  - Great for fans. Others may be Left Behind.
Fans of the best-selling "Left Behind" book series and Evangelical Christians will probably enjoy this big screen adaptation of the first book. Others may be confused."Left Behind: The Movie" looks at the events immediately before and after the Rapture through the eyes of several nonbelievers. The Rapture is the physical transportation of believers to Heaven, sans personal effects, prior to return of Jesus Christ to Earth. Cameron "Buck" Williams (Kirk Cameron, Growing Pains) is a top correspondent for the Global News Network, whose logo from a distance is indistinguishable from CNN's. Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson, Soldier of Fortune, Inc.) is a troubled airline pilot who avoids strains at home by spending more time on the job. There he shares a mutual, but unacted upon, attraction with chief flight attendant Hattie Durham (Chelsea Noble, Growing Pains). Steele's withdrawal alienates daughter, Chloe (Janaya Stephens), and wife Irene (Christie MacFadyen), who has turned to religion for comfort. The movie does a surprisingly serviceable job at capturing the twists and turns of the book, though readers will note minor changes in location and story line. These are probably due to the film's reported 17 million dollar budget. The film's biggest flaw is an assumption that viewers are familiar with the story and the Bible. Events occur suddenly, with little or no setup. If this is intended to build dramatic tension, it fails. Often we must wait until much later to learn what happened. This is a shame since reporter Buck Williams could have been a perfect narrative device to move the plot along and fill in the holes. The acting is more TV-style than big budget. Still Cameron and company perform better than many actors in low budget films released by major Hollywood studios. Kirk Cameron is curiously passive for a hard edged journalist who earned the nickname "Buck," for bucking the system. In fact, following the Rapture, Williams vanishes to the home of his videotape editor instead of going out and aggressively reporting about the disappearances, as he does in the book. He then mysteriously rejoins the press corps for the finale. Johnson is stiff and misses some of Rayford Steele's emotional complexity. Stephens is refreshing as the rebellious daughter, though she's a redhead here, instead of a blonde.
Rating: - Big surprize!
I read the book before I bought the video, and as is usually the case, the movie did not quite reach the level of enjoyment as the book, but it was darn close. The cast was well picked, and did a great job. I thought there might have been a little too much preaching than was needed, but it was, after all, meant to be delivering a strong message. Good family video if you, the parent, have the time to explain what is going on to the younger viewers. Buy this video, and watch it often.
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