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Dogma (Special Edition) Customer Reviews (46 - 48 of 81 Reviews)

I found the movie cute & amusing!
Why is it that directors of indie films & the bizzarre often make box office flops when given a big budget & star power? Is it the audience that only expects greatness from b&w films, or movies shot w/a handheld camera & almost no budget? Maybe, because it happened w/david Lynch (Dune),Tim Burton (Mars Attacks), and now Kevin Smith. The fact of the matter is that these are all good films, they just seem to lack the "edge" attributed to their directors.Dogma is no exception.

The idea is very clever. 2 fallen angels attempt to regain entry into Heaven, which will mean the destruction of mankind if they do so, as it will prove God fallible. Neat. The angels are Damon & Affleck who are good, but really unneeded stars as leads. Linda Fiorentino, who hasn't lost her touch since Last Seduction, but just chose some bad scripts, is on top of her game here as a faith stricken Catholic. She is joined by Jay & Silent Bob (unusually nonabrasive in this role), as well as the Muse Salma Hayek, to stop them.

What I feel results is a fun, clever, well crafted film that was either overlooked or played down because of religious factions that opposed the movie. The only problems that I found, really, were the few mistakes made in regards to Catholisism; one being that a priest, bishop, or cardinal cannot sanction a "door" which will forgive all siners simply by passing thru it, which is what the 2 angels call their "loophole" for getting back into Heaven. Only the Pope is infallible in the Catholic religion, & I don't remember the film mentioning him sanctioning this "door." Another faux paus was that chris Rock couldn't be the 13th apostle, as there was a 13th apostle in scripture. He was Mathias, who replaced Judas after his suicide. Rock would be the 14th apostle. Other than that, the swearing got old real fast, but those are about my only complaints w/the movie.

I found that, intentionally or unintentionally,View Askew Productions created a faith affirming movie. Who wouldn't want God to be loving, beautiful (whether male or female), unspeaking, as we couldn't understand the sublime nature of an all powerful being anyway, and w/a sense of humor and wonder in all His creations, as evidenced by God's romp and tumblesets through the fresh,green grass.Just perfect! I know that this is the type of God I would want. A cute (bet that's the first time that word was used to describe Dogma)film.

Great writing, wonderful cast, bland direction.
Let's be frank: visually, "Dogma" is unimpressive. The special effects look TV-quality, the editing is jerky, the cinematography is bland and Kevin Smith's direction is unispired.

Thankfully, the sins of "Dogma" are far outweighed by its virtues. Smith's script is hilarious, thought-provoking, and ultimately touching. To act it out, he's rounded up a top-notch cast that brings genuine life to their roles.

Brainy bombshell Linda Fiorentino is Bethany, chosen seemingly at random by the sarcastic angel Metatron (Alan Rickman) to work for God. Her mission: to stop a pair of fallen angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) from exploiting a Catholic Church loophole that will get them back into Heaven. If they do, they'll prove God wrong, thus erasing everything He/She has created.

Bethany's reluctant allies in her quest include Chris Rock as Rufus, the unrecorded 13th apostle, kicked out of Earth, Heaven and history for rightly insisting that Jesus was black; Salma Hayek as a Muse with a heavenly body and a brain to match; and everyone's favorite potheads Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Smith.)

Fiorentino gives yet another great performance, contrasted nicely by Rickman's sad, exasperated angel. Affleck and Damon's menacing twist on their pretty-boy images is genuinely disturbing. Mewes is reliably funny as the imbecilic Jay, and Smith shows perfect comic timing and impressive range as Silent Bob.

The story mostly coasts along on a vast supply of smart-alec wit, but a few scenes rise above the rest: an unnerving parking-garage confrontation between Affleck and Damon, and a quiet lakeside chat between Fiorentino and Rickman. "Dogma" also scores points for keeping most of its script's excessive violence stylishly offscreen.

Bottom line: "Dogma" is not a well-made film, but it is a good one. You will laugh loudly and often, and come away with a greater respect for the power of faith and the importance of believing in something greater than yourself.

Film fans take note: in October 2000 View Askew will release the "collector's edition" of this film, with more than an hour of cut footage and plenty of other extra goodies.

BOLDLY CYNICAL (AND OCCASIONALLY FUNNY) LOCKER-ROOM PRATTLE
As a sweet bite of blaspemy this Kevin Smith stinker may do fine, supported by a star-studded cast and a crunchily inventive premise to sink our collective teeth into the heart of Catholicism.

But it is amusing to see a horde of reviewers call this clever and thoughtful. Sorry folks, the film's troop of eccentric characters do very little to bail it out of its convoluted ramble about theology.

When it comes to intellectual muck-raking, the film with its doozy "loophole" simply drowns under the weight of diminishing returns. Religion is not an intellectual exercise, it's role is to fulfill spiritual, psychological and emotional needs in our lives. A person needs his world to make some sense to them, and religion can comfort with answers that science can not yet provide.

If on the other hand you're game for some tongue-in-cheek degenerative humor (for example, giant monsters of bubbling human excrement) sure, this may be right up your alley. Just make sure you have plenty of time as the circus goes on for a while.

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