User reviews

This film begins with a crisis in the Middle East which causes several nations to send their armies into the Valley of Megiddo (also called Armageddon) to defend their national interests. While everyone is concerned that this showdown will result in a massive nuclear war, one person adamantly suggests that he will not allow this to happen. This person is the President of the European Union who goes by the name of "Franco Macalusso" (Sam Bornstein). Also involved in this crisis are two reporters named, "Helen Hannah" (Leigh Lewis) and "Bronson Pearl" (Richard Nester) who are responsible for covering it for the international news organization "WNN". As part of the coverage, Bronson travels to the Valley of Megiddo while Helen anchors the news desk at WNN headquarters. It is at this time that millions of Christians suddenly disappear in an event known as "the Rapture" which causes an impending nuclear war to cease due to the massive chaos that follows. Anyway, rather than reveal the rest of the story and risk spoiling the film for those who haven't seen it, I will just say that this movie wasn't too bad for this particular genre. At least I didn't think so. However, that is not to say that it didn't have some faults. For starters, some of the acting was definitely second-rate. Additionally, there were quite a few spectacular events which were so crammed together that the film failed to convey the magnitude that each of them would have deserved if they had actually happened. On the other hand, while some of the secondary actors were clearly amateurs, the main actors managed to perform their jobs adequately enough to get the job done. Likewise, the film was punctuated with some good music in key places which gave the film a certain amount of respectability. Having said that, I fully realize that this movie is definitely not going to appeal to all audiences due to the simple fact that it involves a controversial religious topic that isn't shared by many people outside of a limited group. Be that as it may, my primary concern was on the entertainment value of this movie. As I stated earlier it has some good points and it has some noticeable flaws. All things considered then I give it an average rating and I recommend it to those people who enjoy movies of this type.

It is too bad that such a potentially good film with such a great plot has to be flawed by such poor talent in every other area. If only the production of this film, and others like it, would JUST TELL THE STORY with good acting and let the message be intuitively realized by the viewers instead of being rammed down their throats with soap operatic soliloquies and didactic preaching. Christian films, such as this one, tend to influence the viewer to seek salvation in other places than Christian Heaven.

However, with all its flaws, it may, for some, be worth watching and can even have you on the edge of your seat at times.

First off, I'm a Christian. Even I laugh insanely at this film. I don't know how anyone can watch it and not laugh. When my mother (who writes Christian devotionals for a living) and I watched this together when it first came out we almost died laughing.

Yes, it's that bad.

The camera work is horrible. The script is worse. It's filled with incredibly self righteous people. Stereotypical Christians run rampant. I don't understand how this movie got made. But hey, I'm glad it did. Whenever I feel the need to chuckle I just pop this in. I'm serious. I love how bad it is.

The film is an odd- well at least odd for the mainstream- mix of drama, stock footage and evangelism. Several scenes consist of the main characters watching the televised pontifications of the producers. . .not exactly very gripping. The packaging claims that the film was 'Shot on location on six continents' and I guess that is technically correct- of course the stock footage was shot by _someone else_-- seems a little misleading for a film destined for the Christian market. The soundtrack is perhaps the one thing that saves the film, and features popular songs from top names in Christian music.

Combining stunningly inept film-making and obnoxious religious zealotry, this shot-on-video quickie manages to make the Apocalypse look, well, not really all that bad.

Compared to, say, a radiation-scared Jason Robards stumbling through the smoking ruins of a nuked Kansas City in "The Day After" - this Peter & Paul Lalonde vision of the End Of Everything looks positively cheery and stress-free. Everyone is well scrubbed during the Tribulation and look like they get plenty of rest and regular meals. Sure, there's a bit of bother with the Antichrist, but that more-or-less sorts itself out and, anyway, the One World Order doesn't seem to affect anyones day-to-day routine like a 10 megaton thermonuclear weapon tends to.

The only thing that saves this film is, well, nothing. Nothing saves this film. Sorry. I can't lie. "Apocalypse" is a complete waste of video tape from back to front. The wooden acting is unwatchable, the sets are poverty stricken and the script is lowest-common-denominator god-bothering trash that alternates between laughable and hackneyed.

There are plays written by 7th graders that have more depth and nuance than this miserable pile of dime-store eschatology. But the absolute worst is the film's smug expectation of forbearance. It permeates every wretched frame like a sulfurous stink. "Apocalypse" expects it's audience to forgive it's definitive lack of anything even remotely resembling competence because it's intentions are good.

And we all know which road is paved with good intentions.

1st watched 1/9/2009 –(Dir-Peter Gerretsen): OK media-like account of the Christian belief of Apocalypse and what that will be like, supposedly. The movie centers around a couple who head a news anchor team for "World Wide News" and the movie uses this format to display the events. The cameras used for the movie make the movie look like a soap opera and this isn't very appealing. Also, the acting and production values are so-so, but I guess I shouldn't expect much from an evangelist(since it was produced by one). But anyway, Leigh Lewis does a good job in her role of the women anchorperson who sees the light after losing her grandmother with the believers going back to heaven during the worldwide disappearance of souls that happens right before nuclear bombs are supposed to explode in all areas of the world. Then a foreign leader calls himself the new messiah and stops the bombs. He, of course, is really the anti-Christ but at first brings peace to the world. All of this is probably foreign to those who haven't read the Bible, but this movie is just one man's interpretation of what he's read and the movie is definitely trying to sell his point of view as him and his wife are also in the movie. This all makes for a kind of cheesy movie that doesn't accomplish much because of it's obvious intended purpose – to save all us poor lost souls. Well, I think the reverend should go back to what he apparently does best and it's not making movies.

This is a dreadful jumble of bad writing, bad cinematography, and laughably bad acting. Time is short, so don't waste any of it trying to watch this "movie".

As an educated 21st Century citizen of the Western Word, I am flabbergasted and Disgusted that millions of individuals in advanced, modern societies continue investing so much energy, time, and resources to produce, promote and encourage films, broadcasts, internet, music, and books advocating absurd, mythological prophecies in connection with any beliefs in so-called divine entities. How come these irreconcilable set of absurd beliefs remain in vogue all over our planet? Why so many millions of individuals continue worshiping so-called divinities represented by Christians, Jews, Hindus, Shinto, Muslims, and Buddhists (to mention those which are still popular today)? I truly hope that by the end of this century, Humankind will be united in the most fundamental purpose of all advanced, technological species in our Galaxy: The Pursuit of Knowledge, Peace. Cooperation and Integration across the Universe!

This movie follows two broadcast journalists who are reporting on the impending war in Israel. Suddenly millions of people disappear. The two search for an answer and soon come to the realization that the events are fulfilling biblical prophesy. A true edge of your seat thriller.

`An instant classic!', screams the promo on the back of the box. Well, if you like unintentionally funny drama, this is one for all time.

This `film' bears all the hallmarks of an amateur promotional video for a firm of cowboy builders, and twenty times as many jokes, though none of them scripted.

Cobbled together from a skim-reading of the book of Revelation, this might just as easily have been lifted from the pages of Nostradamus. This is an amateurish production, boasting fifth-rate acting, shoddy scripting, home video-quality photography, and not-so-special special effects. There is also some bizarre product placement for, of all things, Jack Van Impe Ministries.

How on earth something so monumentally dreadful could have come from the same company that produced `Left Behind' simply beggars belief. As my friend so eloquently put it, `There aren't enough words in the English language to describe how bad this film is!'.

Whoever greenlighted this one should have walked the plank.

So, I think that having the news be the way we see this unfold was smart. The people left behind have to grapple with what's happening, a new leader rises.

Of course, in this Universe, the book of Revelation isn't a revenge tale on Rome but a coming attractions...read disasters if only you'd heed before too late.

Acting is somewhat decent with Helen Hannah but she's convinced so quickly it feels unearned but necessary

The villains are campy and fell like they're coded gays. Hannah's boyfriend is not a strong actor to be in that position.

Overall, it's done okay and the series does better in other films, you do have to start s somewhere. While not terrible, remember it's the starting line but not too many excuses

It's engaging and the nearly folded clothes were a little bit like...huh? The angels are folding laundry when rapturing people? I think if you're looking for something theologically protestant, you're in the right place. Good? Meh... More like passable.

EDITED TO ADD: Some of this movie was cut into a 1998 John Hagee produced film Vanished. Maybe they worked on both side by side and used other footage for that one with a new cast.

At first, I thought it looked like it was made like a soap opera, but very quickly it centered on only what the two main characters experienced and a lot was presented in the form of news casts. For the battle scenes they used actual footage from the battle called 'Desert Storm' in the Middle East. The plot was easy to follow. And the story line followed closely to the chapter called Revelation in the Bible. I was so engrossed in the story I bought the sequels (Revelation and Tribulation) and I can't wait for the movie Judgement to be released on dvd. I'm also waiting for another movie called "Vanished" to be released. I also recommend the movie "Left Behind".

As a Christian, I get frustrated by how rarely my religion is honorably depicted on film, for most of the time, Christian characters are depicted as "misguided", "stuck-up," or else downright villainous. It is a frustrating stereotype, and I am glad that such films as Apocalypse exist to give honor to what I believe to be an honorable religion.

Apocalypse is a film that relies on a strong storyline and likeable characters, rather than a fancy set. As appearances go, the film comes off looking like somebody's home video(this is not a bad thing, considering that this is a low budget picture), but as the plot thickens and the characters grow(and their performances, particularly Richard Nestor's, grow on you), it is easy to get past this and get lost into the story. And what a story it is! Writers Peter and Paul Lalonde have constructed a thought-provoking script that depicts the coming of an all-powerful world leader who turns out to be the Anti-Christ, and his effect on the world and the people with in it. His coming particularly impacts news anchor Helen Hannah(Leigh Lewis, who gives an exceptional performance), a woman who would rather rely on her own instincts than on faith,despite the words of warning from her Grandmother, who believes that the chaos rocking their world(including a potential nuclear war) is a symbol that they are in their last days and that God is coming. Helen listens, but takes no account until a fatal day when, with only seconds remaining until the earth faces the danger of being destroyed by nuclear weapons, powerful leader Franco Macaluso comes into the picture and all violence stops. The planes containing nuclear weapons vanish, and so do millions of people all over the world, including Helen's grandmother. With Macaluso dubbing himself the true Messiah and claiming responsibility to these disappearances, it does not take long for Helen to realize that her grandmother was correct about God, and correct in the fact that the world was, in fact, entering its last days. With that in mind, Helen becomes a Believer and soon realizes that Macaluso, who is uniting the world through a hatred of God, must be the Anti-Christ. She tries to warn fellow anchor man Bronson Pearl(Nestor), but he has become so swept up in the "changes" Macaluso is making within the world that he continuously refuses to see the obvious signs that determine Macaluso's true identity until it is too late.

As Macaluso and his evil assistant(David Roddis) continue to overpower the world, all you can do is hope that the new Believers Helen and Bronson will come through, but anyone familiar with the Bible knows otherwise. "Apocalypse" proves to be a good character study, with a strong, impacting ending that makes one eager to see "Revelation" and the future "Tribulation." These are films to be admired.

To all who gave this movie a good review. A true Christian wouldn't be looking for perfect acting. These movies began as a way for people to find Christ not to entertain anyone. I watch this movie and every one if the others in the series every night. And every night I renew my faith by asking Jesus into my heart. Left Behind was the beginning of my relationship with God and Jesus. And Apocalypse. Revelation, Tribulation and The Judgement were just as inspiring. The fact that most of the actors, especially the well known ones, Christians is impressive to me. They believed in what they were doing and had faith that at least one person out there would find salvation through their work. I watched all the extras on the dvds (yes I own all of them as well as the 1st 3 of the Left Behind movies) and that's how I learned about the cast. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. After all, God gave us the right to choose. And I choose to love all these movies because they raise my spirits, renew my faith and remind me that I am saved and will not be left behind. Amen!

WOW I loved it............the movie was basically just the way I've always imagined how it would be when Jesus returns. The Leader of European Union being the Anti Christ........wouldn't surprise me if it really turned out that way.

I can't believe how bad this film is. It's amazing. The low budget stock footage, bad acting, bad directing, bad lighting, bad sound track and just tons of exposition on the end of the world according to the Christian myth!

I am glad I am not swept up into this like all the other responses on here! It's fun to watch and laugh at! I don't know what's funnier, the film or people who think this is good and take it seriously!

I was blown away! By how absolutely idiotic and muddled and confusing this movie is! I laughed my head off at the stupidity. Not only that, the video, being bad as it is, costs twice as much! Folks, this movie is poorly depicted, poorly done, horribly acted and confusing all the way through. It's like they tossed together old Saturday Night Live bits for the movie!

I seen this film a while back and as I remember this is what the movie Left Behind is, It was made before it and it was on lower budget but it was just as good as LB. I look forward to get this into my movie library because it has make me think about the current times and what could possibly happen in the near future. Some people will scoff at this movie but just as it said in the Bible that these things would happen before Jesus Christ comes back. A lot of people might not like this movie because they are not saved yet and have to wrestle with the idea of what could ultimately happen to Christians in the end of times, just like Jesus Christ, Christians could become sacrificial lambs. This could happen within a decade or may 3 decades only God knows and just in case it does happen I want to be prepared!!

If you didn't like this movie, then you didn't get it or you don't care. Don't ruin it with bad comments for someone it may help in the future just because of your personal belief (which you are entitled to just as well as we are). Every movie is a clencher and gets better, it makes it difficult to wait for the next one to come out. Unfortunately there is not a lot of money in the mainstream for Christian films. I don't necessarily take every bit of these movies as literal fact, but it at least gives a good idea of a possible future and what could happen if........If you haven't seen this movie, give it a try. Then watch the others like # 4, Judgement with Mr. T. There is also the Left Behind series which follows the same basic storyline but with a bigger budget (and the movies are as good as the books!). Crusader