Review of Dogma (1999) by Harry W — 09 Jan 2015

With Kevin Smith taking on an all new genre, Dogma sounded like a hilarious romp.

Serving as one of Kevin Smith's more largely budgeted films, Dogma serves as a chance for him to explore a more high concept plot than the more simple ones he has explored in the past. Apparently, Kevin Smith's idea of a big budget film is one about angels and demons packed with pop culture references and strange religious jokes. A simplified explanation of the film would be that it is completely out there, and in a good way.

The one problem with Dogma is the fact that there are so many characters. Dogma is full of hilarious characters with some supporting ones who are present to ensure the story moves forward which completely makes sense. But there are so many of them who are very essential to the story in various ways, meaning that there is a lot to keep up with. Usually a large amount of characters can be pulled off in a Kevin Smith film, but this time there is more focus on plot than on characters or script and many of the characters play very essential parts in the story which means that a lot is happening. It isn't too much to keep up with, but the amount of characters in the film coupled with all of the language referring to multiple complicated concepts of religious mythology can make the feature overwhelming in some areas. All in all, Dogma is a very narrative oriented film which doesn't necessarily work to Kevin Smith's expertise because he can only control so much of it and I found myself walking away from the film confused about a couple of major plot points. Luckily enough Kevin Smith's iconic brand of humour is more than enough to carry Dogma to the end and ensure that it remains a good film even if it remains scattered in parts.

The film's exploration of religious mythology is very intriguing. Exploring legitimate religious concepts and characters as well as original ones crafted by Kevin Smith, Dogma uses the platform of religion as the source of many clever plot dynamics and even though things can get somewhat confusing occasionally, the general view of religion's relevance to the contemporary age as well as the sight of religious characters brought into modern day life is clever. Kevin Smith may not his every mark with Dogma, but he hits more than enough to ensure that it turns out a clever new step for the writer-director-actor for experimenting with combining his brand of material with fresh subject matter. All in all, the film is more than funny enough and very easy to watch which means that it should easily deliver justice to Kevin Smith's fanbase.

The thing which really makes Dogma entertaining is the way that the cast work with the material so well.

Once again, Ben Affleck proves that he can pull out his best acting talents when working with either Kevin Smith or Matt Damon. His performance is one which is full of energy, but more impressively he shows off a complete understanding of all the complicated religious concepts. He delivers all of his lines with ease without a single stutter, and he never comes off as melodramatic or short on charisma. Ben Affleck must really have a knack for working with Kevin Smith because he is able to work a lot of life out of the casual nature of the material, as well as the fact that the chemistry he shares with Matt Damon is easy and pretty funny.

Matt Damon does a nice job as well. He brings a familiar persona to the role, but considering the comic twist of the film it is an interesting opportunity to see him taking on alternative material. Matt Damon proves his comic value in Dogma because of how he conveys a comic sense of internal conflict in approaching the situations. The gimmick of seeing him teamed up with Ben Affleck proves entertaining, and Matt Damon is able to hold his own even if he may not stand out as actively as many of the other cast members.

Chris Rock is interesting to see in Dogma. As he has proven in standup and countless films, Chris Rock has his own iconic hilarious charismatic style. So seeing that combined with a Kevin Smith script is a really interesting thing to behold. Combining Kevin Smith's hilarious strength at crafting a screenplay and Chris Rock's energetic comedy style, Rufus, the thirteenth apostle becomes a hilarious addition to the collection of characters in Dogma. Chris Rock says every word of the script with energetic confidence and passion for getting the character right, so he makes a grand addition to the collection of characters.

Alan Rickman is a perfect casting decision for the role of Metatron. Playing on his status as an actor who frequently play villainous characters well, seeing him take on the heroic but still dark role in Dogma is a strong fit for him. Yet the surprise comes from the fact that he essentially parodies himself and goes for a crude edge of humour which he is flawless at. Alan Rickman is hilarious in Dogma in such an unconventional role for him, and it presents a creative step forward for his career by displaying his potential in comedic material.

Linda Fiorentino is good, Salma Hayek is sexy and sharp with her line delivery and the supporting role of George Carlin is just utterly hilarious because he is always on par with energy flowing over the top. Considering the comic potential of his character, George Carlin really steals the show whenever he is on screen.

And as always, the cameos of Jay and Silent Bob are a hilarious element, particularly considering the fact that the context of their cameos is so utterly ridiculous this time around that it cannot help but be hilarious. Jason Mewes manages to keep the energy alive in these scenes by saying everything with hilarious overconfidence and without second thought while Kevin Smith maintains a lot of questionable facial expressions. The two of them make a strong duo once again in Dogma, and their presence is a wonderful treat for fans of Kevin Smith films and the View Askewniverse, and it is great that they get a lot more screen time this time around.

So although Dogma is uneven in terms of story, Kevin Smith's material is fresh and the cast never have a dull moment.