Manga comics have a lot to answer for in this misbegotten Franken-movie, combining classic Western The Searchers with Mad Max, The Matrix, Blade Runner and a big dollop of creature-feature CGI vampires lifted from Cowboys and Aliens. And we know how that turned out.
A mis-cast Paul Bettany keeps his acting integrity as the titular priest, but for everyone else, it’s grimace and bear it and pick up the cheque.
The premise of this post-apocalyptic (aren’t they all) distopian future Western probably sounded good to the studio. Bullet-proof Monk type Priests versus Silent-Hill, Pan’s Labyrinth vampire creatures, lots of black leather, epic landscapes, cityscapes, caves; a Matrix-style fight atop a speeding train. What could go wrong?
The flattest movie in 3D, that’s what. Continue Reading