"The Omega Code"

Starring: Michael York, Michael Ironside, Casper Van Dien

100 Minutes
Rated PG13
1999 TBN Films

[APRIL 11, 2000]  This film convinced me to revise my rating system. In my previous reviews I have been using stars to convey the quality of the film: five stars for a wonderful film beyond description, one star for a film you shouldn’t waste your time on. The average film gets about 2-3½ stars. Watching “The Omega Code” put me to sleep three times, and so in addition to my star system of rating, I am adding the nap system. “The Omega Code” is a three-nap movie.

Now it is not that I failed to notice or appreciate the point of the film. This is an apocalyptic movie depicting scenes and concepts from the end times. In terms of theological content, it does a rather good and honest job portraying what some might say is the dispensational pre-millennial view of the end of the world. And in keeping with the title of the film, it centers on the concept that there is a predictive code hidden anagrammatically in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. To me this is all very interesting stuff.

But “The Omega Code” is only worthy of a deep yawn.

 

 

The first downfall of this movie is the acting. Gillen Lane (Casper Van Dien) could be a very intriguing character, but in fact is repulsive, eclipsing and unbelievable because of chronic overacting. The Antichrist himself, Alexander Stone  (played by none other than Michael York – where have they been hiding him for the last 20 years?) needs better lines, needed someone to remind him what his motivation is, and needed the ability to look diabolical. Dominic (Michael Ironside) tries hard throughout the movie to look diabolical as he kills people, blows up things and generally carries out the Antichrist’s plans for world domination, but instead looks really cheesy.  I failed to notice the director’s name, but he needed to continually shout from his little director’s chair, “No more cheese, please!”

   

  The second downfall of this movie was the filming itself.  At times it looked remarkably like a home movie of Jerusalem (look for the bobbling camera, the use of the same rooms and alleyways to portray different locations, and poor lighting). The special effects were pitiful (hey guys, go hang around the lot at Industrial Light and Sound for a few hours and pick up a few pointers, please). The camera position and angle conveyed the idea that no one making this film cared about it and the whole thing left me unable to emotionally connect with this movie.  

Finally, the plot itself lacked clear definition, did not take itself seriously and failed to adequately explain or deliver on the concept of the code itself. This might have made a good farcical comedy instead, but it wasn’t meant to be funny. And this movie ends poorly with the wrong conclusions (you’ll find yourself asking the question, “Was that the end?”).

In defense of this film, it is probably difficult to produce a film depicting your theological position. Also in defense of this film, they probably had about $1.57 in the budget and made the best film for the buck.

And so, you might ask, why did I spend the time to review this movie at all? I didn’t seem to have one good thing to say about this movie, I didn’t even describe the plot at all and I didn’t tell you anything new about the code or the characters.  Well…. I wrote this review because I felt that many people might be thinking about renting or buying this video because they were intrigued by the subject, by the title, or were duped into thinking this would be a worthwhile film, and I wanted to save them the agony.

Don’t rent this unless you need some good shut-eye. I give it ½ star, and three naps.

 

[midge]

 

Don’t agree with me? E-mail me your critique of my critique at midge@lincolndailynews.com

 

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