Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

When a minister's wife is abducted and slain in a Satanic ritual, the minister "Travis Jordan" (Martin Donovan) becomes angry and discouraged and leaves the ministry. Three years later, the only thing he cares about is his dog, "Max". When Max gets sick he takes him to a new veterinarian in town "Morgan Elliot" (Kelly Lynch) who tells him that Max is suffering from distemper and nothing can be done to save him. Not long afterward he buries Max. The suddenly strange things begin to happen in the small town of Antioch. Morgan's teenage son "Michael Elliot" (Noah Sagan) is involved in a nasty car accident and while he is lying on the ground he sees three angels who inform him that a very special person is coming soon. Max returns from the grave to greet Travis with great happiness. People who had been suffering from all sorts of ailments are healed and a stranger named "Brandon Nichols" (Edward Furlong) is the catalyst behind it. But who is Brandon Nichols and what does he want? Rather than answer the question and possibly spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it I will leave it for the viewers to see for themselves. I will say though that this film was rather explicit for a Christian film. In fact, although it certainly didn't have the budget or the necessary expertise, some parts seemed more appropriate for a film like "Polterguist" than a typical Christian movie. But that is just my opinion. Even so, I liked the performances of Martin Donovan and Randy Travis (as the Pentecostal preacher named "Kyle Sherman"). But it was Kelly Lynch who really gave this film some added liveliness. On the other hand, I thought Edward Furlong was terribly miscast and consequently lowered the film's overall effect. In short, while I liked this movie I thought it fit more into the mold of a horror film than one within the Christian genre.

"The Vistation" is a well-made supernatural thriller. The plot is: Brandon Nichols (Furlong) comes to a small town. He was touched by God and wants to relive it to other people. But Brandon has something more sinister in mind... Reverend Jordan (Martin Donovan) and Morgan Elliot (Lynch) figure out the secret of Brandon and try to stop him.This movie is very good because it was so low-key. It doesn't have fancy effects. (It has some, which look decent). The film is fueled by the acting. Donovan and Furlong are excellent. The both show the sadness and evil in both characters. Randy Travis was also a surprise. He has an interesting role as a paraplegic. Kelly Lynch was okay. She doesn't do much except stand around. She's better in "Road House"."The Visitation" is worth looking out for.For more insanity, please visit comeuppancereviews.com

I honestly think that I could have offered better ideas for adapting this book to film while still keeping it under 2 hrs. The dramatic moments seemed to be focused in the wrong spots. I didn't really care about a dog coming back to life. (which wasn't even in the book)Furthermore, I was disappointed that Morgan Elliot was a veterinarian instead of a Methodist minister. Most of the messages about religion were deflated to appeal to a secular audience. And, in general, I felt that the movie was much darker than it had to be. I understand that it is considered a "thriller," but many of the more humorous characters, such as Dee Baylor, were either merged with other characters or left out completely. I so wanted to see Dee Baylor running down the street after Jim Baylor with a gun in her hands or Penny getting blown up in Don Anderson's appliance shop. For some reason I had imagined lighter moments when I was reading the book. Most of the movie is literally dark; it is either night time or we are stuck in a dark basement or something. And, what was with those lights flickering on and off in the supermarket? It looked like some sort of aliens or monsters were invading. Finally, I have to say something about the unoriginal special effects used when the demons are leaving the bodies. It honestly looks like a sorry attempt to mimic the same effect they used in "The Green Mile." The book is amazing, but this movie is less than spectacular. I really felt like it was a waste of time. Just read the 600 page book!

This is a cut above a lot of the movies of this genre.... call them "Omanesque." They usually fall into one of two categories: Some defrocked priest is confronted by the devil and is reborn....or The whole thing is just a big hoax and the devil-likes are nothing but clever cons. I was afraid, for some time, that this movie was going to fall into the latter category. It didn't. But it didn't fall completely into the drivel that usually occurs when the "lost one" discovers a biblical god again. Close. The special effects were pretty good. The plot had some holes but not as big as a lot of these movies. No jumping cats out of closets with the attendant crash of cymbals. Drama level was high and the interest in the primary characters is also...unlike so many, when you feel like, "oh, who cares? Let 'em go to the devil." I had genuine empathy for our hero and heroine. My only problem with the whole category is that I think it re-enforces the idea that if some statuary starts weeping...it's a miracle! And god will save the sinner. Life is a little more complex than that.