Wonderful Movie

Thanks for the memories!

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

RELEASED IN 1999 and directed by Robert Marcarelli, "The Omega Code" is a biblical thriller about the end-times focusing on two men caught-up with the so-called 'Bible Code,' hidden cryptograms within the ancient Torah that supposedly reveal global events of the past, present, and future. One man (Michael York) seeks the power to control the world while another, a motivational speaker (Casper Van Dien), risks everything to find the truth. Michael Ironside plays the former's aide while Devon Odessa plays the latter's wife in a troubled marriage. Catherine Oxenberg is on hand as a reporter.This was a TBN production that cost $7.5 million in 1999 dollars (which means it'd cost about twice that today). Most of the money was spent on the excellent locations (Israel, Italy & California), as well as the main cast and the CGI, which is cartoony but decent for 1999. The story is a meshing of "Left Behind" (2000) and "The Apocalypse" (2000) with a similar tone, but less effective in regards to story (of course, both of those movies came out the next year). Anyway, it helps if you're up on biblical prophecy, as detailed in Daniel and Revelation; if not, you'll likely be lost.The movie starts good. Van Dien plays an interesting protagonist and you care about his family, but by the midway point I didn't find myself absorbed in the story despite the thrills (explosions, chases, etc.). Things perk up later, but the ending is decidedly forgettable. I can't even remember if the motivational speaker got back with his family (and I just viewed it last night). Somehow the human interest element got lost in the hubbub. Still, it is interesting observing a cinematic interpretation of biblical end-time prophecy, comic booky though it is. The main cast members are earnest and there are worthwhile moments here and there. Just one question: WHERE is the Rapture ('cause it ain't in this movie)? THE FILM RUNS 100 minutes and was shot in Jerusalem, Rome & the Los Angeles area (Costa Mesa). WRITERS: Stephan Blinn and Hollis Barton. ADDITIONAL CAST: Jan Tríska & Gregory Wagrowski play the two prophets.GRADE: C

This is clearly a dreadful movie, but it's still difficult for me to rate, since I think it's a contender for So-Bad-It's-Good status. It's a last-judgment-end-of-days-prophecies supernatural horror thriller, and it had a pretty decent budget, enough to hire a few name actors and to film on location in Italy and Israel (as well as the U.S.) Even so, the special effects are amusingly crude for 1999; there's no suspense, since the ultimate battle between Evil and Good comes off a bit like "Bambi meets Godzilla"; and it suffers from the prophecy movie problem that none of main characters' actions seem to have any effect whatsoever on the outcome. But what's wonderfully awful about this film is the way the non-supernatural events are vastly more implausible than the supernatural ones: that is, it's possible to suspend one's disbelief when viewing the supernatural plot elements, but you can't watch the supposedly human action without thinking "no effing way would that ever happen." A good one to laugh at with bad-movie-loving (and at least somewhat irreverent) friends.

How well I remember back in 1999 when the Crouch family went into the movie producing business with this end times film, The Omega Code. End times films are a regular cottage industry among the evangelicals and the beauty is that it can be interpreted so many ways that those who want to make these films will have yet another interpretation of scripture.Usually they're not very good and this one is no exception. But with a network at your command The Omega Code was promoted like only a Disney film would be. Paul Crouch and his wife Jan who looks like a Christian version of Mae West put their son Matthew in charge and he directed this film. I suspect that players like Casper Van Dien, Michael York, Catherine Oxenburg and Michael Ironside probably directed themselves. Each made very sure there presence was known often clashing with the others. No one was piloting this ship.And of all things scandal befell this Christian movie as Casper and Catherine found love while married to others. A dime store version of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Not the kind of publicity you want with the fundamentalist audience you are trying to reach.Scandal did not hurt Casper Van Dien's career, but I suspect association with this product did with mainstream audiences. He had done so well playing Tarzan and with Starship Troopers. Here he plays a charismatic motivational speaker along the lines that Tom Cruise did in Magnolia. He gets a call from international media magnate Michael York to work for him as a kind of press spokesman. That arouses some jealousy in Michael Ironside who plays a Satanic hit-man. As for York he's getting the ultimate kind of help for the ultimate kind of ambition.Those who are fundamentalists will not be deterred from seeing The Omega Code. It's better than some Christian films, not as good as others.

Seriously, this movie was really truly bad! The story is filled with some gigantic plot holes and because of this already 50% of this movie doesn't even make sense anymore and gets very unpleasant to watch. The movie is ridicules and at times laughable bad and it all just leaves a pointless impression.Visually the movie looks like an average made for TV-movie, complete with some stupid cinematography and horrible looking special effects. But even worse is the awful directing. Poor Casper van Dien and Michael York, they try the best they can but even their efforts can't save the horrible script, awful dialogs and the even worse directing by Robert Marcarelli. Van Dien seems uncertain how to play in most of the scene's, at times he plays his character with sarcasm and fun (kind of like in "Starship Troopers") but in other scene's he plays him totally serious. Not really van Dien's fault but more the director's I think.Only thing that saves this movie from being a complete disaster is Michael Ironside. He does what he can do best; play the villain. I mean just look at the guys face, great villain actor! Basically he plays his "Total Recall" role all over again. Catherine Oxenberg always is quite a good actress in this but what the point of her character was?...Most of the characters are just mainly confusing. Also it was kind of fun to see William Hootkins in this, by the "Star Wars" fans he is better known as Red Six, Porkins from "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope".Poorly made movie, on every front and a waste of the quite good cast. Most certainly not worth your time!2/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/