Review of Dogma (1999) by Adam G — 29 Nov 2011

Now that I own this on DVD and have seen it several times I can say that Kevin Smith is a guy that makes some of the very most rewatchable films of all time. He writes in such a way that seems to make things just as enjoyable each time around. His cheesy jokes are never self serious, and are particularly applicable here with his satire of the catholic church, "Dogma".

One of the most controversial movies ever at the time it was released. It was protested by many Catholics the world over simply because of it's satirical take on the religion. While it does poke fun at the religion, any Catholic who is worried about being offended will likely not have to worry much at all. The movie does not take itself seriously, and most of those people who protested likely would have stopped had they actually gone out and seen it. It reaffirms god as the almighty and basically makes it very clear who the bad guys are and who the good guys are. It's not like the movie has the devil butt raping Jesus while Jay and Silent Bob laugh on the side lines. Nothing even close to that insanely over the line appears onscreen at any point. That's basically just my way of making sure anyone who always just kind of discredited this as offensive smut because you're of catholic faith, you should probably see the movie before you say this.

The style is over the top, but also straightforward. It's not kill bill, but don't expect to see death taken seriously. Smith's style doesn't get him very far, it's his writing that really does the trick, and it, for the most part, makes almost all of his movie's, that are so beloved by many younger males, so enjoyable and fun. The screenplay for this film is absolutely hilarious. Smith manages to create his own little world using Catholicism as his backdrop, but he constantly pokes fun at both the church and modern American values. The fantastic ideas Smith has about angels and god, and some of the randomness of it as well (Alanis Morisette... nough' said) makes for a very enjoyable ride for the entirety of the film.

No one can deny the other strength of many of Smith's films is the casting. He manages to get, what is likely the best cast of his career in film making in "Dogma". With his regular's like Jason Mewes showing up along with himself, but also Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, Alan Rickman, and many more star as various religious figures in the expansive list of characters that have small and large parts in the film. Damon, Affleck, and Lee no doubt being the funniest and most interesting of the film because they're all the bad guys, meaning demons. They're perfectly cast, and deliver many of their ludicrously dark lines with the perfect intensity or lack thereof, depending upon which is needed. Lee is much more on the stupid side of the acting spectrum, while Damon and Affleck both act like straight men throughout almost the whole film.

There are a few flaws in some areas. The movie is not totally amazing the entire time and is by no means completely perfect. Some people will find it overly cheesy or corny, despite the fact that it's all totally intentional. Others might just not be able to get past Smith's fairly graphic language, and his fearlessness from a content stand point. He did not set out to offend people with this film, but if you are extremely serious about your religion, and you are catholic then maybe this will offend you a little, but the overall message of the film is certainly more of a, as Smith himself calls it "Love letter to God". Obviously not a stereotypical one, but from the mind of the oddly brilliant writer/director Kevin Smith.

This is a very solid movie that I can watch over and over again. You'll certainly appreciate the film if you like Smith and his writing style, or if you like most of the actor's listed above. If you're a devout catholic and are extremely sensitive to a little fun being poked at your religion then I suppose this movie may be a little offensive to you, but otherwise this should be a non-issue. Overall, this is a very funny film that's worth seeing if you're in the mood to laugh at the value structure of the USA.

8.5/10.