I'm intrigued by the sudden surge of Mormon filmmaking and was truly looking forward to The Book of Mormon on the big screen. Yes, I am LDS, and yes, I do believe the Book of Mormon contains historical and theological facts and events. This being said, I went to this movie with an old friend and two of my roommates, found maybe a little over a dozen people in the theater, and by the end, six of them had walked out. Why didn't we? We were having way too much fun laughing (and at the same time crying) at how they had botched up the greatest book on earth.
First of all, to the people who claim that we who didn't like the movie "don't know what people want to see in a movie" or other such nonsense, I say maybe it's YOU don't know what movies are supposed to be.... When a filmmaker considers the audience so handicapped that they have to spell out the plot or characters (telling instead of showing) and insult us with a contrived and sappy script, it's simply offensive. Some filmmakers are truly able to consider the needs of both the hoity-toity, intellectual, film critic audience as well as the less-studied but just as valid movie watcher (consider The Lord of the Rings, or if you must go the LDS route, Brigham City).
About the movie, it was truly entertaining, but not at all in the way I had hoped. From virtually non-existent character development, poor casting with often wretched acting, and a laughable script, we wondered who would ever sit through countless more volumes of this movie! We felt bad giggling and whispering throughout until we noticed the handful of others in the theater were doing the same (particularly during the shocking of the apostates on the beach or Lehi's dream). We even tried to figure out why it was rated PG-13. When my friend leaned over to me, she said, "I think it was for bad acting." I replied, "No, I think it's rated PG-13 for murmuring and pride. Honestly, Laman and Lemuel's cycle of respect for and violence against Nephi truly is repetitive, and shows their ignorance and lack of the Spirit, but it can still be displayed pretty well if the characters are believable and they sound like they mean what they say.
Nephi.... Nephi, Nephi, Nephi... As much as I love the man, I couldn't help but side with L&L in this version. I wouldn't believe in Nephi either! First of all, he's twice as big as anyone else on screen (probably because he's constantly flexing, making his neck look ever thicker and his head look ever smaller), so he should have been able to knock any one of his attackers down with a single swipe of his hand. Secondly, his blank and often vague expressions indicated density and blandness rather than a somber mind and spiritual enlightenment. Thirdly (and mostly not the actor's fault), they tried so hard sometimes to get the ancient, scriptural vernacular right for most of the time, and then Nephi says things like "Oh, yeah..." and "okay." ??? Anachronisms are fine, don't get me wrong, just pick a time period and don't move out of it! It's distracting and absurd. Also, after the commandment to retrieve the daughters of Ishmael... "This is the best vision you've ever had! I WILL go and do..." The use of repeated scripture in this case, while it was supposed to be clever and charming, was nothing more than tasteless and tacky. He had a couple of good moments, but if I saw him eating dirt, foaming at the mouth one more time, I was going to walk out... And the splattering of Laban's blood on his face was such a lovely touch.
As for the rest of the cast, Laman's greatest moment was either when he pseudo-apologized to Nephi for, well, attempted MURDER, or his "I'm suddenly a cannibal and a mindless savage" dance around the campfire. Lehi was mostly bumbling, disappointingly ("Don't you underSTAND! The CITY is going to be DESTROYED!"--repeat until you are ushered off screen). Sariah was constantly under such strain she was a nervous wreck throughout. Sam seemed like a love/peace hippie ("Will you stop arguing?? That's all we ever do anymore!"). Nephi's wifey had too much face paint (since when are Nephites brown anyway??) and was given lines dripping with unbelievable sap. All the other wives seemed lifeless, but also like girls I've seen at stake dances (I especially thought the part when they were wearing hot pink tube tops and halters interesting, and Laman didn't even seem to mind that his wife was seducing Nephi...).
All in all, considering effects (understandable on such a low budget), sets and locations (some of which were lovely, but seemingly mismatched), acting and script (inexcusable... someone was paid no matter what it ended up like, the least they could do was get it right), some good music and some moments of good acting, this movie was like an over two hour joke. Would I take my non-LDS friends to see it? Not in this lifetime or the next. I would give them a copy of the book, and then point them in the direction of Brigham City for a movie that truly embodies what the LDS Gospel is about.
Sigh... even as a movie (besides the fact that it's doctrine), this story has such potential. Sometimes there's a time and a means something's supposed to be created in. For example, if the Lord of the Rings were made even five years earlier and by anyone else than the director/cast/etc they have, it would not nearly have been as good. Such it is for The Book of Mormon. From its opening of "Jerusalem About - 600 B.C." to its close of "THE END... OF THE BEGINNING" (I thought it should have said, "The end.... or is it?"), it was both an incredibly funny and painfully sad experience.
I say the same thing to those here as I said to those walking out of the theater: "Just read the book."
1.7/10
First of all, to the people who claim that we who didn't like the movie "don't know what people want to see in a movie" or other such nonsense, I say maybe it's YOU don't know what movies are supposed to be.... When a filmmaker considers the audience so handicapped that they have to spell out the plot or characters (telling instead of showing) and insult us with a contrived and sappy script, it's simply offensive. Some filmmakers are truly able to consider the needs of both the hoity-toity, intellectual, film critic audience as well as the less-studied but just as valid movie watcher (consider The Lord of the Rings, or if you must go the LDS route, Brigham City).
About the movie, it was truly entertaining, but not at all in the way I had hoped. From virtually non-existent character development, poor casting with often wretched acting, and a laughable script, we wondered who would ever sit through countless more volumes of this movie! We felt bad giggling and whispering throughout until we noticed the handful of others in the theater were doing the same (particularly during the shocking of the apostates on the beach or Lehi's dream). We even tried to figure out why it was rated PG-13. When my friend leaned over to me, she said, "I think it was for bad acting." I replied, "No, I think it's rated PG-13 for murmuring and pride. Honestly, Laman and Lemuel's cycle of respect for and violence against Nephi truly is repetitive, and shows their ignorance and lack of the Spirit, but it can still be displayed pretty well if the characters are believable and they sound like they mean what they say.
Nephi.... Nephi, Nephi, Nephi... As much as I love the man, I couldn't help but side with L&L in this version. I wouldn't believe in Nephi either! First of all, he's twice as big as anyone else on screen (probably because he's constantly flexing, making his neck look ever thicker and his head look ever smaller), so he should have been able to knock any one of his attackers down with a single swipe of his hand. Secondly, his blank and often vague expressions indicated density and blandness rather than a somber mind and spiritual enlightenment. Thirdly (and mostly not the actor's fault), they tried so hard sometimes to get the ancient, scriptural vernacular right for most of the time, and then Nephi says things like "Oh, yeah..." and "okay." ??? Anachronisms are fine, don't get me wrong, just pick a time period and don't move out of it! It's distracting and absurd. Also, after the commandment to retrieve the daughters of Ishmael... "This is the best vision you've ever had! I WILL go and do..." The use of repeated scripture in this case, while it was supposed to be clever and charming, was nothing more than tasteless and tacky. He had a couple of good moments, but if I saw him eating dirt, foaming at the mouth one more time, I was going to walk out... And the splattering of Laban's blood on his face was such a lovely touch.
As for the rest of the cast, Laman's greatest moment was either when he pseudo-apologized to Nephi for, well, attempted MURDER, or his "I'm suddenly a cannibal and a mindless savage" dance around the campfire. Lehi was mostly bumbling, disappointingly ("Don't you underSTAND! The CITY is going to be DESTROYED!"--repeat until you are ushered off screen). Sariah was constantly under such strain she was a nervous wreck throughout. Sam seemed like a love/peace hippie ("Will you stop arguing?? That's all we ever do anymore!"). Nephi's wifey had too much face paint (since when are Nephites brown anyway??) and was given lines dripping with unbelievable sap. All the other wives seemed lifeless, but also like girls I've seen at stake dances (I especially thought the part when they were wearing hot pink tube tops and halters interesting, and Laman didn't even seem to mind that his wife was seducing Nephi...).
All in all, considering effects (understandable on such a low budget), sets and locations (some of which were lovely, but seemingly mismatched), acting and script (inexcusable... someone was paid no matter what it ended up like, the least they could do was get it right), some good music and some moments of good acting, this movie was like an over two hour joke. Would I take my non-LDS friends to see it? Not in this lifetime or the next. I would give them a copy of the book, and then point them in the direction of Brigham City for a movie that truly embodies what the LDS Gospel is about.
Sigh... even as a movie (besides the fact that it's doctrine), this story has such potential. Sometimes there's a time and a means something's supposed to be created in. For example, if the Lord of the Rings were made even five years earlier and by anyone else than the director/cast/etc they have, it would not nearly have been as good. Such it is for The Book of Mormon. From its opening of "Jerusalem About - 600 B.C." to its close of "THE END... OF THE BEGINNING" (I thought it should have said, "The end.... or is it?"), it was both an incredibly funny and painfully sad experience.
I say the same thing to those here as I said to those walking out of the theater: "Just read the book."
1.7/10