Plot: What’s it about?
I am not certain, but I believe that one thing Nic Cage will never leave behind is a film role. Seriously, does this guy ever turn down a film? I can’t say I blame him, but his choices lately have certainly left a lot to be desired. For every Joe we get a Seeking Justice, Trespass and the film at hand: Left Behind. While this one might’ve sounded promising on paper, the final product is something of a disaster. Coincidentally, the film features many scenes of disasters. Maybe there’s something deeper going on here? All kidding aside, Left Behind leaves a lot to be desired. Cage stars as a pilot named Rayford Steele. His daughter Chloe (Cassi Thomson) has recently become extremely religious. Chloe has hopes that her father will reconcile with his estranged wife Irene (Lea Thompson). Close to boarding, this isn’t the first thing that is on Raymond’s mind. It doesn’t take long before strange things start happening: people begin to vanish into thin air, leaving only their clothes behind. We then follow Chloe as she seeks to find the answers to what’s going on. There’s a bit of tension on the plane as some of the passengers begin to point the blame at each other. For long stretches, though, Cage is off screen, and the focus is on Chloe. It might not be hard to see where the film is headed since it takes a fairly routine path to reach its climax.
After reading some pretty terrible reviews of the film, I can’t say I was expecting much. I’m hard-pressed to call it terrible, but it did very little for me. The film is more than a little heavy-handed at times and can feel overly preachy more often than not. Cage certainly calms down for this role; he’s not his usual over-the-top self. His performance isn’t bad, but there’s little to distinguish it from most other actors that would’ve taken the role. One of the frustrating things about the film is that we never really learn why these things are happening. It doesn’t delve into specifics at any time. I don’t expect a film to spoon-feed me everything, but a little more explanation would’ve been welcome. I could see some religion classes studying the film and having discussion about its themes, and that’s fine. As entertainment goes, I can’t find much here to recommend. Skip it.
Video: How’s it look?
We get a decent transfer here. It’s far from terrible, but it’s not quite as pristine as I’m used to at this point. Details seemed fine, but the image just wasn’t as sharp as I was expecting. I think one of the problems is that later in the film the lighting isn’t as sharp, and that causes problems. The first half of the film that introduces most of the characters has stronger clarity than the later portions. Still, I think most people won’t nitpick it too bad. The image is AVC encoded with a 2.39:1 ratio.
Audio: How’s it sound?
We only get a Dolby Digital 5.1 track here, that will likely raise some eyebrows as to why we didn’t get a lossless track. Still, there weren’t any major issues since dialogue remained clear throughout. The bass and rear channels kick in during the disaster sequences and those add a bit to the experience. While not quite the robust track some would expect, this still satisfies.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Behind the Scenes Featurette – This is a 19 minute standard look at the making of the film. Expect the typical fluff and not much else.
- Behind the Scenes Slideshow – Pretty self-explanatory.
- Cast and Crew Interviews – These are broken into smaller segments with several members of the cast and crew.
- Author’s Reflections – This features two more interview segments with the novelists.
- Theatrical Trailer
- Previews
The Bottom Line
Fans of biblical-themed films might get more out of Left Behind than I did. I was mostly bored during it, and can’t offer up much praise. The bluray leaves a bit to be desired as well. Proceed with caution. The film might evaporate from your memory much like the characters vanished in the film. Skip it.
