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Dogma (Special Edition) Customer Reviews (67 - 69 of 81 Reviews)

Reigning catechism and dogma
A friend asked me a while back if I'd ever seen a Kevin Smith movie. As much as I try to keep up with cinematic trends, I had to admit I hadn't quite gotten around to Mr. Smith's work so far. So recently, I made a point to pick one up. Freud says there are no accidents, so does that mean that I unconsciously sat down to watch DOGMA in the wee hours of a Sunday morning before I realized it was, in fact, EASTER SUNDAY? And if so, does that mean, I'm merely irreverent--or completely sacreligious. This while everyone else is trundling off to take in THE PASSION. Yikes! I scare myself.

Oh, wait. I read what others have posted and am somewhat relieved. Smith himself does not view the film as sacrilege. It's his funny Valentine to the Church itself. (Don't expect flowers in return, Kev, but at least a few of us lapsed get your drift). And, hey, as even Madonna is quick to point out, once a Catholic always a Catholic.

It doesn't really matter that the theological ramblings of some of the characters are kind of sophomoric, even freshmanic. Even you've ever had an all-night theological bull session in college, you'll relate. And it doesn't really matter that the characters who most often indulge in the bull throwing are in fact angels who should probably know better. After millenia of being banished to the third ring of Wisconsin, how can you expect much else? And why are these angels named after the Norse god of thunder and a Herman Melville's less than motivated scrivener?

In other words, this movie really is a movie of ideas. Whether these ideas are really all that profound is another matter. Can Church law actually be twisted in such a way that the very universe unravels? Can God possibly look like Alanis Morissette--and sound like a Wookie? These are questions that won't keep anyone up at night, but the movie is just brainy enough to let the eggheads and the budding theologians in on the overall fun.

And it is fun. Good cast, pretty good script--dialog that is mostly sharp (with some clunker lines interspersed among the gems). Unfortunately, as the amazon.com critic above observes, the movie suffers due to direction that is only fair to middlin'. It took me a while to realize that the actors weren't off, so much as the pacing. A lot of the dialog seems rushed. Linda Fiorentino is normally such a natural, but in many scenes her dialog seems alternately rushed and repetitive. Eventually, it dawned on me that she (and Alan Rickman and other normally very good actors) had been indeed been "on," but the camerawork, the choppy delivery of lines and overall pacing--all directorial concerns--contributed to the impression that the actors weren't doing all they could. (Actually, they were probably doing MORE, actually working harder than usual.) I mean, Chris Rock should always be slam dunk funny. Here he has his great and not-so-great moments.

So the film remains something of a shaggy dogma story. And if you keep that in mind, you'll likely find the film a lot of fun. I don't know how it fits in with his entire oeuvre, but it piqued my interest to check out more. Kevin Smith is an original talent. And besides, Jay and Silent Bob are cool guys.

FUNNY AS HELL...EVEN IF YOU ARE CATHOLIC
Forget about any controvery, this movie is a laugh a minute. Being Catholic I was wary of this film, knowing the church was not too pleased with it. Having watched it once, I then bought the DVD.

Granted, Smith takes some artistic license here. I doubt that there was a 13th apostle and I doubt that Jesus had brothers and sisters that we never heard about, but he uses his "theories" with amazing comedic effect. He also mixes in some poignant generaliztions about the faith that ring somewhat true (i.e. Salma Hayek "Catholics don't celbrate their faith , they suffer it)

The cast in this flick is great. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are a couple of fallen angels looking for a loophole that will get them back into heaven. Damon is surprisingly relaxed and funny in his portrayal as the angel of death Loki. The only people that can stop them are Linda Florentino (the last zion), Rufus the unknown 13th black apostle, and Jay and Silent Bob (the prophets?). Chris Rock is hillarious as Rufus and Jay and Silent Bob are......well if you have ever seen a Kevin Smith movie you know they are good for some laughs.

Other supporting cast include Salma Hayek (serendipity - wow, dont miss her dance scene!) and George Carlin(priceless as the cardinal). Overall the cast is fantastic although Linda Florentino was a little off on her timing.

Watch this film with an open mind and you'll watch it again. If you are easily offended, don't even bother....let the rest of us enjoy it.

The Ten Commandments + MallRats = DOGMA
Dogma, the latest in Writer/Director Kevin Smith's line of unrelated movies starring the same actors, is an absolutely hilarious satire of organized religion. I'm sure that this movie has and will continue to offend many catholics, but at it's core, dogma is simply an incredibaly funny and well written movie. As two angels, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's chemistry is as good as ever. They bounce off each other with perfect timing and rythm. Chris Rock adds his own element as the 13th apostle, Rufus. "Knew him (christ), nigga owes me 12 bucks," Rock says of his relationship witht the Messiah. Alan Rickman stars as the voice of God, a windswept ball of stress trying to save existence. The movie is full of satire and parody, and if taken as that and nothing more, the movie is just plain funny. Expecting more will only lead to disappointment, as the movie's near apocalyptic ending falls short of expectations. It's undeniable however, the characters and the script are a ruckus of laughs and "oh wow, did he just say that?" types of reactions. Throughout, the movie is full of laugh-out-loud jokes and scenes. It won't change anyone's views on religion (no mentally stable person anyways), and it won't cause a revolution. It's simply a funny movie that should be viewed in the same light as Mel Brooks movie, or any of Kevin Smiths' other films.

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