Revelation: The End of Days

I am giving "Revelation: End of Days" an extra star ONLY because I am a big fan of the "found footage" (aka "faux documentary") genre. I loved "Blair Witch" and "Cloverfield", and I think that "September Tapes" is one of the most underrated films of the new millennium. The style of "Revelation" is similar to "ST", but this couldn't be more blatant fundamentalist Christian propaganda if it were being broadcast on CBN, starring Kirk Cameron, and with a special cameo by Pat Robertson. The fact that History Channel produced it is rather odd. I know that they have had several "documentaries" that were very theologically biased to please the devout, but this is beyond even those. It is like Ed Wood cross-dressing as Leni Riefenstahl in a conservative Sunday suit. If that mental image frightens you, then definitely avoid watching this at all costs. :)

A lot of reviews I've read, for many different things, start off with, "I didn't expect to like this as much as I did," and for me, this is very true of this release. The shaky camera work only put me off in the first 10 minutes or so, as I realized what the mini-series was doing. This was not filmed in a way that called for tripods and good lighting. It was filmed to look like a chronicle of the end of days.

A lot of people have commented that the story didn't match the bible or that there were liberties taken with the Good Book. I didn't much care about that. I was looking to be entertained and for almost three hours, I was. The main characters in the form of a documentarian and front-of-the-camera talent, were both engaging and convinced me that in the world of this film, they believed in what they were experiencing. Some of the Canadian accents were noticeable, but not off-putting, just unusual to an American ear.

Shout out to the editors also. They seamlessly intercut their filmed footage with real news footage and although I didn't notice any missteps, others seem to have done so. That rarely bothers me as I don't sit down to watch something to analyze it for accuracy, or to enter a "Goof" here on IMDb. Even the ending was well-done. There was really no other way to do it and not look ridiculous, so bravo to that too. All in all, a good evening if you're in the mood for adventure, some biblical prophecy, and lots of things blowing up. Recommended.

I had looked forward to this mini-series. I like disaster films and what could be a better subject, but it was so poorly done it was virtually unwatchable. They decided to make it like a homemade documentary with the camera jumping around all over the place, characters poorly introduced and some scenes so dark the viewer could not tell what was going on. No real cohesive story telling, it jumps around as much as their camera shots.

I watched an hour of it before giving up, and will not bother with watching part 2.

A major disappointment.

The basic premise is familiar. The (Christian) rapture occurs and those left behind attempt to interpret and react. An important event if/when it comes to pass, to be sure. Perhaps I've been desensitized by other disaster movies, but the first part left me disappointed. Surely if a large group of people disappear at one time those left will be more inquisitive? I reluctantly stuck around for part 2 and was glad I did. The storyline was better thought out. The scenarios were imaginatively presented. Not a masterpiece, but not a bad try either. Portraying prophesied events is no easy task. Here's hoping that other storytellers pick this thread up and try again.

I had to laugh at the politically correct rapture. The writers, who know very little about Biblical prophecy and history, picked and chose verses they thought could fit and ,many times, rewrote them to fit their story. I realize this was fictional, the way they chopped it up they should have left any reference to the Bible out. Sure they had a couple of the characters, but this was absolutely horrible. The filming could have been done better by amateurs. Next time, read and study your source yourself, and don't rely on someone to tell you what it says. It was sloppy, and poorly done. I would be embarrassed to have my name associated with it. History channel, I know you are biased against the Bible, but this made a fool of your channel.