Holy Terror
"The Omega Code"
Overall Rating: **
One commentator described "The Omega Code" as "The Blair God Project." The similarities to last summer's hit "The Blair Witch Project" are striking. "The Omega Code" was made outside the Hollywood system--by the Trinity Broadcasting Network--with a low (by Hollywood standards) budget, and promoted unconventionally. Sadly, while these conditions produced innovative results in "The Blair Witch Project," we aren't so lucky with "The Omega Code."
When "The Omega Code" opens, we witness the murder of Rabbi Rostenberg, a biblical scholar. The murder is in no way ordinary, for Rostenberg, searching for prophesies in hidden codes in the Bible, foresaw his own death and concealed his work from his killer--work recovered by two mysterious men who later confront the murderer. All this seems to have little direct bearing on Dr. Gillen Lane (Casper Van Dien), a popular motivational speaker who is obsessed with the codes that Rostenberg was studying. Lane, however, will soon catch the attention of Stone Alexander (Michael York), a prominent European politician and media tycoon whose mere presence seems ominous.
Michael York is the real star of the cast. York had the challenge of making Alexander both charming and sinister. His performance succeeds on both counts. The crowning touch is the most subtle: his pronunciation of the word "evolution," pronouncing the first two syllables like the word "evil"--here, it reinforces his character's anti-religion nature. (I'd also note that the character uses the word frequently.) Michael York is excellent in his malevolent role.
The big problem is the film's presentation. "The Omega Code" is often very confusing. For instance, there's one place in the film where the dialog seems to allude to the passage of three and a half years--but the text on the screen just before that sequence reads "one year later." Then there's the sequence that explains what happens to Lane's wife and daughter: it ends in a dream sequence--or maybe not; whether the character was dreaming or was simply deluded is not clear--though either way, it leaves the fate of Lane's family up in the air. Nor does Lane's disbelief in God, but belief in hidden codes in the Bible make much sense. Aside from the confusing elements, the film has a very preachy feel, with stretches where the film plays more like a sermon than entertainment. For instance, at the opening of the film, Lane is about to get a divorce. Lane has a wife and child, but puts his career ahead of them; their main function in the film is a manipulative subplot--but it doesn't go anywhere; frustratingly, the family drops out of the movie completely when Lane's career shifts from motivational speaking to fighting the Antichrist.
The film also has problems in the special effects department. The majority of the special effects are well done. Most of the time, the film maintains a sharp look. The problem is the few times it doesn't. When the effects look computer generated, they look extremely animated. Between the importance of those scenes, and the contrast with the majority of the film, this is a serious lapse.
Any parents thinking of taking children to see "The Omega Code" should definitely screen it first. The usual suspects are absent: I didn't catch any strong language, there is very little sexual content, no nudity, no drug content, and the violence is extremely muted for a modern film--there are some on-screen murders, most of them bloodless like those in old movies. The theological messages are the big concern. The film, depicting events from the Bible--specifically, the books of Daniel and Revelation--includes scenes where the Antichrist pretends to be God. Parents may also be concerned that the film depicts the Apocalypse as taking place in the near future. "The Omega Code" also portrays many non-Protestant religions as aligning themselves with the Antichrist--the Catholic Church being especially prominent among these.
I had high hopes for "The Omega Code." It held the promise of a fresh artistic voice. Unfortunately, the fresh voice winds up delivering an incoherent sermon.
Title: "The Omega Code"
Release date: October 15, 1999
Overall Rating: **
One commentator described "The Omega Code" as "The Blair God Project." The similarities to last summer's hit "The Blair Witch Project" are striking. "The Omega Code" was made outside the Hollywood system--by the Trinity Broadcasting Network--with a low (by Hollywood standards) budget, and promoted unconventionally. Sadly, while these conditions produced innovative results in "The Blair Witch Project," we aren't so lucky with "The Omega Code."
When "The Omega Code" opens, we witness the murder of Rabbi Rostenberg, a biblical scholar. The murder is in no way ordinary, for Rostenberg, searching for prophesies in hidden codes in the Bible, foresaw his own death and concealed his work from his killer--work recovered by two mysterious men who later confront the murderer. All this seems to have little direct bearing on Dr. Gillen Lane (Casper Van Dien), a popular motivational speaker who is obsessed with the codes that Rostenberg was studying. Lane, however, will soon catch the attention of Stone Alexander (Michael York), a prominent European politician and media tycoon whose mere presence seems ominous.
Michael York is the real star of the cast. York had the challenge of making Alexander both charming and sinister. His performance succeeds on both counts. The crowning touch is the most subtle: his pronunciation of the word "evolution," pronouncing the first two syllables like the word "evil"--here, it reinforces his character's anti-religion nature. (I'd also note that the character uses the word frequently.) Michael York is excellent in his malevolent role.
The big problem is the film's presentation. "The Omega Code" is often very confusing. For instance, there's one place in the film where the dialog seems to allude to the passage of three and a half years--but the text on the screen just before that sequence reads "one year later." Then there's the sequence that explains what happens to Lane's wife and daughter: it ends in a dream sequence--or maybe not; whether the character was dreaming or was simply deluded is not clear--though either way, it leaves the fate of Lane's family up in the air. Nor does Lane's disbelief in God, but belief in hidden codes in the Bible make much sense. Aside from the confusing elements, the film has a very preachy feel, with stretches where the film plays more like a sermon than entertainment. For instance, at the opening of the film, Lane is about to get a divorce. Lane has a wife and child, but puts his career ahead of them; their main function in the film is a manipulative subplot--but it doesn't go anywhere; frustratingly, the family drops out of the movie completely when Lane's career shifts from motivational speaking to fighting the Antichrist.
The film also has problems in the special effects department. The majority of the special effects are well done. Most of the time, the film maintains a sharp look. The problem is the few times it doesn't. When the effects look computer generated, they look extremely animated. Between the importance of those scenes, and the contrast with the majority of the film, this is a serious lapse.
Any parents thinking of taking children to see "The Omega Code" should definitely screen it first. The usual suspects are absent: I didn't catch any strong language, there is very little sexual content, no nudity, no drug content, and the violence is extremely muted for a modern film--there are some on-screen murders, most of them bloodless like those in old movies. The theological messages are the big concern. The film, depicting events from the Bible--specifically, the books of Daniel and Revelation--includes scenes where the Antichrist pretends to be God. Parents may also be concerned that the film depicts the Apocalypse as taking place in the near future. "The Omega Code" also portrays many non-Protestant religions as aligning themselves with the Antichrist--the Catholic Church being especially prominent among these.
I had high hopes for "The Omega Code." It held the promise of a fresh artistic voice. Unfortunately, the fresh voice winds up delivering an incoherent sermon.
Title: "The Omega Code"
Release date: October 15, 1999
MPAA rating: PG-13
Overall rating: **
Overall rating: **
Aprox. run time: 100 min.
Director: Robert Marcarelli
Writers: Stephan Blinn, Hollis Barton
Stars: Casper Van Dien, Michael York, Catherine Oxenberg (plays Cassandra), Michael Ironside (plays Dominic)
Director: Robert Marcarelli
Writers: Stephan Blinn, Hollis Barton
Stars: Casper Van Dien, Michael York, Catherine Oxenberg (plays Cassandra), Michael Ironside (plays Dominic)
Labels: Movie review, ReviewsbyJohn
posted by John at 11/03/1999 04:54:00 AM
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