Average Rating: 
Rating:  - The STAR WARS of Christian FilmMaking!
Years ago when the Left Behind plot-line was first conceived by Dr. LaHaye, there was no way he could have predicted the impact this solid story would have not only on Christians, but also on those lost in the world today. For quite some time I had anticipated this movie, and thus had many pre-conceptions of how it should be completed. When I received it, it was different than I expected, but definitely in a good way! While there were changes made to the plot of the Left Behind novel, these changes really help the flow of the plot and trim away un-needed details that somewhat made the novel move slowly. This movie not only has action and riveting suspense, but the acting is the best element. In previous Christian works, the acting has been the most criticized element, but in Left Behind, each character is believable and will capture the hearts of moviegoers everywhere! In particular, Gordon Currie takes the character of Nicolae Carpathia and twists it into a "trust-worthy" character that takes the audience by surprise. Clarence Gilyard who portrays the lost minister Bruce Barnes, pulls on the emotional strings of the audience in a way that causes one to realize the truth of the message. Coming from a past of TV fame, Kirk Cameron does a remarkable job of stepping into the skin of Cameron "Buck" Williams, as do Brad Johnson and Janaya Stephens who portray Rayford and Chloe Steele, respectively. Last but definitely not the least, Chelsea Noble IS Hattie Durham in looks, personality, and every other way. She is exactly what I imagined Hattie as. The cast is remarakable even despite the lack of "blockbuster" stars. One piece of constructive criticism I have is on the length of the movie. I wish it was longer and included more character development, but on the 1 1/2 hours that it runs, it does a very well job of quickly introducing the characters without slowing the action down. Even with a modest budget, this movie does the job of conveying the horror and terror that will follow the rapture, but does not overlook the feelings of those who will be Left Behind. It is believable, realistic, and has the ability to change Christian film-making like Star Wars changed the secular world!
Rating:  - Great for fans. Others may be Left Behind.
Fans of the best-selling "Left Behind" book series and Evangelical Christians will probably enjoy this big screen adaptation of the first book. Others may be confused."Left Behind: The Movie" looks at the events immediately before and after the Rapture through the eyes of several nonbelievers. The Rapture is the physical transportation of believers to Heaven, sans personal effects, prior to return of Jesus Christ to Earth. Cameron "Buck" Williams (Kirk Cameron, Growing Pains) is a top correspondent for the Global News Network, whose logo from a distance is indistinguishable from CNN's. Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson, Soldier of Fortune, Inc.) is a troubled airline pilot who avoids strains at home by spending more time on the job. There he shares a mutual, but unacted upon, attraction with chief flight attendant Hattie Durham (Chelsea Noble, Growing Pains). Steele's withdrawal alienates daughter, Chloe (Janaya Stephens), and wife Irene (Christie MacFadyen), who has turned to religion for comfort. The movie does a surprisingly serviceable job at capturing the twists and turns of the book, though readers will note minor changes in location and story line. These are probably due to the film's reported 17 million dollar budget. The film's biggest flaw is an assumption that viewers are familiar with the story and the Bible. Events occur suddenly, with little or no setup. If this is intended to build dramatic tension, it fails. Often we must wait until much later to learn what happened. This is a shame since reporter Buck Williams could have been a perfect narrative device to move the plot along and fill in the holes. The acting is more TV-style than big budget. Still Cameron and company perform better than many actors in low budget films released by major Hollywood studios. Kirk Cameron is curiously passive for a hard edged journalist who earned the nickname "Buck," for bucking the system. In fact, following the Rapture, Williams vanishes to the home of his videotape editor instead of going out and aggressively reporting about the disappearances, as he does in the book. He then mysteriously rejoins the press corps for the finale. Johnson is stiff and misses some of Rayford Steele's emotional complexity. Stephens is refreshing as the rebellious daughter, though she's a redhead here, instead of a blonde.
Rating: - EVERYONE needs to see this!
Left Behind: The Movie is a movie I believe every person needs to see. Even non-believers will enjoy it as an action film/drama. The producers deserve a pat on the back, and a hearty "amen" for their effort. All in all, they stayed true to the book. There were some differences of course, due to time constraints, but they did not take away from the story being told. The only thing that comes close to being classified as disappointing was due to the lower budget as compared to other movies of the day, ie. special effects, but again, this does not affect the story at all. Imagine what they would have been able to accomplish with a larger budget! The acting is very good, especially considering that not all the actors were Christians. The story in a nutshell, tells us what may happen when Jesus Christ comes to rapture His people from the earth. We are shown a bit of the chaos that will ensue when drivers of automobiles simply disappear from behind the steering wheel. It shows the pain and fear of those whose loved ones are gone in an instant, with only their clothing and jewelry left in a small pile. Many exlanations are brought forth, from nuclear warheads to UFOs and space aliens, but a small group are led to the truth, by the raptured themselves. A husband remembers his wife telling him what will someday occur. A pastor leaves behind a video tape telling the same, only in more detail. No question is left by the end of the movie, when the most skeptical of all, a dyed in the wool logical thinking reporter, sees the truth & accepts it for himself. In this group, each person comes to know why he or she was left behind. This movie brought tears to my eyes more than once. I could see myself at different points in my life in these people. I saw friends and family members in these characters. It should make one think long and hard about one's state of salvation, but also about how easy it is for Satan to deceive us. As I stated earlier, this movie should be seen by everyone. I believe it will touch them even if they aren't expecting it to. There is no offensive language in this movie, no sex scenes, and what violence was necessary to the storyline is not vile and gory. There are adult themes, though, so I wouldn't recommend this for the smaller children of the family. If I were to use the current rating system, I'd put a PG rating only because of the adult themes.
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