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Dogma [1999]


RRP: £9.99
Our Price: £7.08 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Bored of being eternally banished to earth, two errant angels hatch a plan to sneak back into heaven. Unfortunately, if they use the required loophole in religious Dogma, they'll prove God fallible and undo the very fabric of the universe, ending all existence. Bummer. Enter the distant grand niece of Jesus Christ and an army of angels, beautiful mythical figures, saintly apostles and all entities good and holy. And Jay and Silent Bob.

The phrase "it's a religious comedy" must have caused Hollywood to have a sacred cow. And, as Smith's first attempt to move away from the early lo-fi, character-centred, relationship-based comedies (Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy) toward the narrative-led big-budget spectacular, Dogma is not without problems. Proving controversial on release, stones were cast by churchgoers and Smith devotees alike. Frothing-mouthed extremists levelled charges of blasphemy at the more colourful elements (a Malcolm X-style 13th apostle, the crucifix being binned as uncool and God not being a white-bearded patriarch), leaving the devoutly Catholic Smith, who's intentions were to celebrate the mystery and beauty of religion, completely bemused. Equally, the Luddite Clerks obsessives who wrote it off as "Smith-gone-Hollywood" should have recognised that the script was written way before he gave us his black-and-white debut.

More ambitious than his previous mates-roped-in cheapies, the apocryphal and apocalyptic Dogma is still blessed with water-into-wine performances, pop culture gags, postmodern self-referencing and stoopid shagging jokes. Though it may not be wholly miraculous, this is still a righteous movie; and, in comparison with the average big-buck formulaic Hollywood evil, it's practically saintly.

On the DVD: Dogma's budget outstripped the early Smith films by miles, and the 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen transfer does it justice, with divine colour and heavenly sound. The picture quality of the extras--including trailers, TV spots and cast and crew interviews--is not so good and pixilation occurs throughout. The interviews are provocative enough, though, giving huge insight into the film. And it's quite something to see Smith looking all "Clark Kent" in his civvies. --Paul Eisinger


Dogma - blu-ray review for UK purchasers
Review date: 2008-10-26 Rating: 10 out of 10

As there are numerous reviews of the movie on this site, I will only mention here that this blu-ray release delivers a fabulous crystal clear picture and HD Audio and comes with a good number of extras including commentaries and interviews, deleted scenes, outtakes etc. This disc is coded A-B-C so UK fans will be able to purchase and play it without any problems and without waiting for a UK release which is not yet available or listed as forthcoming at the time of writing.

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Reviews


Great idea, but too long and not enough laughs to fill 2 hours
Review date: 2008-06-08 Rating: 4 out of 10

I liked the idea of this film, but for this to truly succeed as a comedy it should have been half an hour shorter as there was simply not enough jokes/humour in the film.

I thought that Matt Damon, Alan Rickman, Linda Fiorentino were all good, sadly the only true comic Chris Rock was not given enough screen time to be particularly effective, as for Ben Affleck he was awful, one fart joke would have been significantly funnier than all his "funny" lines put together.

This was OK with some really good bits in it, sadly not enough for a film that is nothing special by any means, the writer/s and the person/s who casted this film must take a large amount of the blame, people who can't do comedy should never be cast in such roles.

I'd say rent first if you're thinking about seeing this as I'm sure alot of people will be disappointed with this tame effort at comedy.

Kevin Smith Delivers Yet Another Belter Of A Comedy
Review date: 2008-03-31 Rating: 8 out of 10

It's a shame that there aren't more film makers like Kevin Smith in the industry these days, as this film, along with the brilliant Clerks movies and the hilarious Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, is just pure genius. Some people may not like it for the overuse of strong language and it's nothing-is-sacred approach to christianity, but if these points don't bother you then your in for a treat. Of course Jay and Silent Bob draw the most laughs here, and the scenes they share with "13th Apostle" Chris Rock are comedy gold. This film is a must for the majority of comedy fans, especially those of religious satire. All I can say now is roll on the next View Askewniverse film!

Quick Reviews!
Review date: 2007-09-29 Rating: 8 out of 10

POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!

While Clerks dealt with our relationship with work and capitalism, and Chasing Amy dealt with our relationships with each other, Dogma opts for controversy and deals with our relationship with religion and faith, and in this case, God. You only have to read the reviews here to see with how much venom people hate this movie, because of their religious viewpoint (hate being an important word in religion). Look past the controversy, as i'm sure most movie goers will and Dogma, aside from being very funny, is quite life-affirming (A phrase i don't like using because i don't feel that i need a film or song to make me feel happy about my life), and will make you think twice about your faith, or lack of it. Watching Alanis Morisette as God, smiling, taking pleasure in doing a handstand against a tree was, for me, suspiciously moving.

But if you just want fart and sex jokes delivered in a fast, witty way then Kevin Smith is your director, and Dogma is your movie. There is a Demon made of sh*t, Salma Hayek stripping for dollars, decapitations, and the usual capering from Jay and Bob, along with some classic dialogue. Most of the cast have small roles, but they all do well, and Jay And Silent Bob get their largest roles yet. I'm not a fan of Affleck or Damon, but when they are with Smith, they do okay. Rickman and Lee are excellent as always, though Lee's part in the film does seem criminally small.

The film follows fallen angels Affleck And Damon on a road trip to get back into Heaven, therby proving God's infallibility and destroying all creation. Reluctantly trying to stop them is Linda Fiorentino, a descendant of Christ who has lost her Faith in God, and mankind. Along the way she meets various figures who try to help or hinder her, and all the while she questions her Faith. There are many witty and clever scenes here, in the middle of the usual lewd jokes from Smith, but perhaps that is the point. We shouldn't get so annoyed by a few rude jokes, or 'inappropriate' words, when there are many more important things we could be concerning ourslves with. Sure, The Lord may not approve of the film's swearing and images, but how many modern mainstream movies make (ooh the alliteration) a genuine point about faith?

The DVD has plenty of extras, the commenary and deleted scenes being the best of these.

Buddy Christ!
Review date: 2007-07-03 Rating: 8 out of 10

This film is great for so many reasons!

Alan Rickman was a great surprise for me, his delivery is just perfect as Metatron. The 'wings unfurling' is one of my favourite film moments as is the gory end which I feel is such an eerie and strangely stirring image.

Ben Affleck is one of those actors who has been viewed as a bit naff over recent years, which is a shame as he is one of the best actors around. Although his performance in this isn't as career defining as the one in Chasing Amy, he is still a strong actor who helps to confirm this as a classic film. His performance compares nicely with Jason Lee as Azrael, who also manages to act his knackers off to make the character truly believable.

The plot is simple(ish) and is not intended to mock Catholicism, instead it mocks the modern culture of rebarnding and selling what we already have. In this case "Buddy Christ" the new hip and trendy idol for the masses is introduced to attract more people to the church. Set with moral dilemmas of abortion clinics, and a holy war which could destroy the world - this is a funny and yet thought provoking film.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Linda Fiorentino
Matt Damon
Ben Affleck
Chris Rock
Jason Mewes

Creators:
Ben Affleck (Primary Contributor)
Matt Damon (Primary Contributor)
Kevin Smith (Editor)
Kevin Smith (Writer)
Robert D. Yeoman (Cinematographer)
Scott Mosier (Editor)
Scott Mosier (Producer)
Jonathan Gordon (Producer)
Laura Greenlee (Producer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Cinema Club
Manufacturer: Cinema Club
EAN: 5014138291082
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, PAL,
Release date: 2002-10-21
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 123 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1999-11-12
Language: English (Original Language)

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