Priest
Screen Rant ’s Ben Kendrick reviewsPriest 3D
Priest , the 2011 film that reteams director Scott Stewart with Paul Bettany ( the pair conduct and star inLegion , severally ) , is an adaptation of the Korean risible serial publication of the same name by Hyung Min - woo . However , thePriestof Korean print tells a very unlike story than that of its Hollywood movie counterpart . Instead of battling fallen backer , the American Priest fights beastly vampires – who sleep in casket and keep humans as pets .
That said , plenty of comic book - move around - motion picture adaptation have gain from originative liberties here and there . While Stewart’sPriesthas for certain postulate more liberties than most – it ’s still potential that the final motion-picture show is beneficial for the alterations , right ?
Unfortunately , Priestjoins other lustreless films ( such asMy Soul to Take ) that were delayed upon pass completion and retrofitted with post - converted 3D to avail attract audience to a film that otherwise has very picayune choke for it – aside from a few slow - motion - heavy activity set pieces . The adjustment to the corePrieststoryline ( originally about an undead Pilgrim Father who is born-again after merging with a supernatural force ) make one of the weirdest narrative oddments in recent retentiveness .
One of the most disappointing aspects ofPriestis the shameless want of populace - building . In typesetter’s case you ’re unfamiliar , the film takes property in a ( potentially ) fascinating alternate populace where human race and beastly vampires have war for century ( The Crusades , World War II , etc ) - though the film never take in reward of this groundwork . To turn the tide , the Church unleashes " the Priests , " humans with super - human - like reflexes , who take the vampires into exile .
human beings takes shelter in large fortified Church - political campaign cities , and instead of eradicating the vampires altogether , the creatures of the Nox are quarantine in denseness pack - like facility , while the Priests are forced to exist in obscurity , since the church fear the warriors might rebel against the aging religious regime . This status quo is sustained until a vampire attack on a farming residential area place Bettany ’s Priest on a journey of revenge which opposes the will of the church drawing card , who ( predictably ) have become egotistic and later on stigma Priest a trouble - maker , electing to ignore the lamia threat and attack the imposing warrior instead .
Paul Bettany in ‘Priest’
As mentioned , the film never really takes reward of anything more than the most basic configurations and story beats – never really touch on the vampire stratum ( i.e. , that there ’s more than one sort ) , the day - to - solar day spirit of the endure humans , or what could be an interesting juxtaposition in the character of Priest ( a human being of faith who relish killing ) . Instead , the film sharpen on the cliché report of a " true " serviceman of faith who must do God ’s work – in maliciousness of a vacuous and incompetent church constitution . Even though the canonic plot is n’t particularly fresh , Prieststill had room to capitalise on its less - ceremonious aspects , given the motion picture ’s dystopian Western setting and challenging admixture of innovative / traditional vampire trope . Unfortunately , the motion picture is too one - preeminence to take reward of anything but a linear race to the concluding Priest - on - vampire battle .
While the phrase " Priest - on - vampire battle " might sound epic and exciting , the film manage to underwhelm even in the one orbit that many action fans were looking forward to – the legal action . Sadly , there are really only about three activity set - opus in the film and the first one is ( by far ) the best ; after that strong starting signal , the film never grapple to regain impulse . Despite a duo of isolated combat chronological succession during the culmination , the whole thing mostly goes out in a non - sensical whimper ( specially if you ’re Cam Gigandet ’s fibre , Hicks ) .
While it might sound like brow - drubbing , the problems with the tale and action sequence are largely connote on the film ’s power to make even a fictitious character as ( theoretically ) badass and ( potentially ) interesting as Priest into a complete bore . likewise , Karl Urban ’s “ Black Hat ” is kept in the shadows so long that , by the time he ’s fully let out , it has already become clear that there ’s very little substance to the case – or his backstory . Gigandet ( best known as James fromTwilight ) plays a Western Lawman ( the aforementioned Hicks ) who provides a few entertaining moments , but mostly serves as a enhancer for Priest , and an alibi for Bettany to deliver heavy exposition about the in - and - outs of vampire hunting .
Based on the Korean graphic novel series by Hyung Min-woo, Priest is an action horror film that sees Paul Bettany play “Priest,” a specially trained man of the cloth with a brutal aptitude for dispatching otherworldly foes. When the war between humanity and vampires reaches a head, the last cities fortify themselves and train an elite group of warriors known as Priests, turning the predators into prey.
Even the more successful lineament minute are undermined by some of the most clichéd and profound - handed dialogue in recent computer storage . Priest just murmuration generalisation under his breath ; Black Hat rave the Greatest Hits of all important villainous platitudes - “ You ’ve done well ” and “ I ’m bet on it " ; Maggie Q ( who plays her usual contemplative distaff warrior role ) has the only heartfelt and ( almost ) magnetic talks in the photographic film . deplorably though , the lack of execution with the rest of the task makes even the moments between Priest and Q ’s Priestess follow across as overly - melodramatic .
Similar to the film ’s twist ( which has very piffling bearing on the aroused complexity of the report ) , the 3D inPriestis totally unnecessary and is one of the more gross attempts at sell audiences on a mess of a celluloid by slapping post - converted 3D on it . The 3D itself does n’t fail as bad as the infamousClash of the Titanspost - conversionbut it ’s still entirely unnecessary and only succeeds in not puddle the film any worse than it would be – except for the high ticket price .
unavoidably , some action devotee will read this review and say something along the lines of , “ It ’s just an action movie – it does n’t need character development or competent negotiation . " and I somewhat harmonize . In some cases , it ’s fair to look out on whether a movie istechnicallygood , in favor of it being vastly entertaining ( Fast Fiveis a in force example ) . However , Priestis an especially rotten action movie with very little compelling action , slow character , and a convoluted plot , all put together by a radical of film producer who failed entirely at capitalise on the more compelling aspect of the core construct . And give that they had an surplus year to get the film into theaters ( it was primitively set for an August twenty-seventh 2010 discharge ) , it ’s only more disappointing that most that was done to sample to salvage the wreckage was tempting audience with a post - conversion three-D whatchamacallit .
That said , if there ’s one thingPriestgets correct , it ’s Genndy Tartakovsky ’s beautiful animated prologue - which you could view FOR FREE in its entiretyHERE .
If you ’re still on the fence aboutPriest , match out the dawdler below :
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Priestis currently playing in 2D and 3D theater of operations .
base on the Korean graphical novel series by Hyung Min - woo , Priest is an activity horror film that construe Paul Bettany play " Priest , " a specially trained man of the material with a brutal aptitude for dispatching otherworldly foes . When the war between humanity and vampire reaches a psyche , the last cities fortify themselves and train an elite group of warrior known as Priests , turning the predators into quarry .
