Review of End of Days (1999) by James S — 17 Sep 2010
Can even the devil himself prove more than a match for an ageing Arnuld is this rather poor actioner?
Of course he can't, don't be absurd. Certainly don't be any more absurd than the idea that in the hour leading up to then dawning of a new century, beelzebub himself will come to the surface to sire a child with a woman who was picked out years ago and break open gateways to all kinds of fiery doom.
End of Days weighs heavily on the use of religious tones and iconography which is all well and good but there's only so many avenging angels one can take before wanting to see Arnie kick some devil ass. Unfortunately Arnie was on the wane by this time and his action scenes are very diluted. Robin Tunney does okay on the screaming damsel/chosen one front but she's really only required to look a bit scared through out.
Thankfully Gabriel Byrne as the big bad saves this film from total boredom. His performance is slippery and sleazy, a real genuine touch of evil about the way he moves, talks and slithers around the screen.
But ultimately he can't save the film from being anything other than a disappointment. Terrible effects, dreary action, obvious plot twists which are then reneged on as this was the tail end of the caring, sharing 90s - a terrible decade for the action movie.
If this truly was the end of days, it's hard to imagine anyone choosing this as their last movie to watch ever....
This review of End of Days (1999) was written by James S on 17 Sep 2010.
End of Days has generally received mixed reviews.
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