Are you ready?
Chloe Steele (Cassi Thomson) is coming home to spend time with her family. But there's a few issues surrounding her family. Her father, Ray (Nicolas Cage) is always gone and is on the line of infidelity in his marriage. Her mother (Lea Thompson) is a devout Christian living in the here and now with Cassi's brother, Raymie. So what is she supposed to do? She gets googly eyed for a reporter named Buck Williams (Chad Michael Murray) and her father, after seeing his daughter suddenly before a job, goes on another flight mission on his birthday. While out with Raymie, Chloe witnesses the Rapture. With so many (including all children) gone, Chloe and the others run around in hysteria. Its also madness on the plane. What could this all lead to?
The visual effects are really top-notch for a small-budget production. The disaster effects are very realistic. I also thought the amount of suspense and action were very intriguing. It kept me at the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The plane scenes were well-shot and the action scenes shot on the inside were realistically-done also. The cinematography, as a whole, was decent. I have to credit the production team's decision for allowing the rapture to occur after a very positively-emotional moment, which had Chloe leaving nothing unsaid in front of her younger brother.
The best thing about Left Behind was its message. The story lets us know that we never know how much time we have before the unexpected might happen, and that time is precious. And this movie, like the Kirk Cameron one before it, explores how important it is to have faith and be ready for when the Rapture does happen.
The acting is decent, though some don't rise to the occasion. Cage and Thomson are the strongest ones here, as their characters have the most time on screen. They nail the emotion and integrity of Ray and Chloe, at least for the most part. In contrast, Lea Thompson isn't given enough time on screen to get past a brief notice. Besides that, some of the additional characters are fine, though Murray isn't quite as convincing as Kirk Cameron was as Buck Williams (why demote the reporter from the main character spot anyway?). Jordin Sparks' small role sometimes isn't quite there either. And a familiar actor (Martin Klebba) from Mirror Mirror may actually have had a better performance than both of them.
Also on the downside, the character development isn't quite enough. We don't really know much about Ray or his family's dilemma before the rapture happens. I guess the event happens long enough into the movie, but I wish we could have spent a little more time getting to know some of these characters. The music score also isn't exactly great, with some of the sound effects overshadowing it.
I remember a friend bringing Kirk Cameron's Left Behind to watch one night. I saw about an hour of it and was just so intrigued by the concept as well as its depiction of future events. That being said, this re-imagining does take some liberties here. More modern touches have been added. However, some of the emotional integrity I saw in the original has been left intact here.
And the update to the 21st century makes the films' message very timely. The world is going downhill. ISIS has threatened many. Ebola has caused a lot of pain. And the subject of same-sex marriage being legalized is causing a lot of controversy. As a Christian, I find it really important for the message of being ready for the impending future to be spread. And the movie clearly shows that having faith in Jesus Christ is more important than anything.
That being said, is this a breakout faith-based movie that might become a sought-after classic (like the brilliant Heaven is for Real and God's Not Dead)? No. Some production qualities seen in this adaptation are somewhat shoddy.
But it is entertaining. It successfully keeps you in suspense up until its' cliffhanger ending. It makes you want to see more. For that and its message alone, this remake is a great thrill ride, and definitely worth watching.
Score: 7.4/10
Content Problems Families Should Be Aware Of
Language: One or two uses of "oh g--" in shock. Buck utters the s-word under his breath.
Adult Content: A few form-fitting outfits. A father plans to commit adultery (but is stopped by the impending events). Someone says "I'm gonna find a way to pay you back".
Violence: The initial rapture happens in a matter of seconds and it's results are unsettling. Some violence includes someone being shot (a little blood is visible), a school bus falling over a bridge and crashing, a plane crashing into a car, and a minor plane collision (one falls out of the sky). People are threatened with guns. A couple of characters nearly commit suicide (but are stopped). Someone etches a message on her hand.
Alcohol/Drugs: One terrified plane passenger is shown with a bag of an unknown drug in a bathroom (and later emerges looking wasted).
Other: None.
