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Dogma Customer Reviews (46 - 48 of 80 Reviews)

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.

It's nice to laugh at our religion
Entertainment Weekly calls it 1 of the best 10 movies of 1999. I loved this movie. The best movie in the New Jersey Chronicles(Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Clerks Uncensored the animated series, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) all of which were written by Kevin Smith.This movie also has a star cast of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Florentino, Salma Hayek, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, Alan Rickman, Chris Rock, and Kevin Smith.
Ok now to give you the plot. Long ago Bartelby and Loki(Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) talked back to God and were banished to Wisconsin. Someone has sent them a newspaper clipping in the mail pointing them in the direction of a loop hole to get back in Heaven. By going into back into Heaven they prove God wrong which would unmake existance. Bethany(Linda Florentino) a women who works at an abortion clinic and has lost her faith is the only person who can stop them. The voice of god(Alan Rickman) appears at Bethanys house and tells her she must stop 2 renegade angels and will meet 2 profits. One of them doesnt speak much but the one that does will mention he is a profit. There are many other interesting characters that she will meet on her journey. Now you are wondering, Will Bethany stop them? Who sent the newspaper clipping to the angels? and, Why doesnt God take care of this his/herself? If you want to find out rent this movie. After seeing it once you know you will want to buy it and watch all the time. Don't miss out on one of the funniest movies ever made.

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