Somewhere between heaven and hell
Dogma (1999)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:122
Fresh:82
Rotten:40
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: Provocative and audacious, Dogma entertains without overtly offending.
Runtime: 2 hrs 13 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Imaginative theology and a bigger than usual budget make Kevin Smith's fourth film a kind of post-Catholic fantasy that only a comic-book enthusiast of his caliber could dream up. The plot is set... Imaginative theology and a bigger than usual budget make Kevin Smith's fourth film a kind of post-Catholic fantasy that only a comic-book enthusiast of his caliber could dream up. The plot is set in motion by two banished angels, Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck). After a few millenia in Wisconsin, they've discovered a loophole in Catholic doctrine that would allow them back into heaven--but prove the fallibility of God and destroy the universe. Unaware of the peril, they make their way to New Jersey to receive a plenary indulgence. Meanwhile, God has dispatched a seraphim (Alan Rickman) to recruit lapsed-Catholic Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) to stop the angels. She finds help in muses, prophets (Jay and Silent Bob), and the forgotten 13th apostle, Rufus (Chris Rock). Before long, all hell breaks loose (literally), and God (Alanis Morrisette) has to put in an appearance of her own. The success of the film is in the juxtaposition of Smith's trademark acerbic attitude and witty dialogue against the enormous canvas of Christian iconography and apocalyptic conflict. [More]
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino, George Carlin
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino, George Carlin, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock, Alan Rickman, Jason Lee, Bud Cort, Alanis Morissette, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Janeane Garofalo, Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Guinevere Turner
Director: Kevin Smith
Director: Kevin Smith
Screenwriter: Kevin Smith
Producer: Scott Mosier
Composer: Howard Shore
Reviews for Dogma
A top-notch Smith script, partnered with fine actors and a respectable budget.
One of the most intelligent, engaging, and gut-bustingly funny revelations to come along in a while.
This is not a neatly wrapped package -- it’s a noisy, messy, outrageous rampage most of the time. But enough sticks to the wall with sufficient frequency to recommend it.
Kevin Smith, also known as Silent Bob, writes and directs very funny films, but there is always a dark, brooding angst lurking among the laughs.
The film has freewheeling energy, intellectual vigor and a cool cast.
Since debuting with Clerks, Smith has grown as a director, particularly in terms of working with actors.
Like the worst seasons of Saturday Night Live, most of the film's setups go nowhere or just fall flat.
An hilarious satire that challenges our preconceptions and encourages something other than a fundamentalist interpretation of the bible.
The thrill of the movie -- and the reason you don't have to be religious to be caught up in it -- is the thrill of watching a director wrestle with his obsessions.
We were amazed that anyone, in the name of defending Catholicism or faith in general, would go through all the trouble of prosecuting a movie that hardly puts out enough substance to be funny, let alone offensive.
Really, it’s pro-religious, wanting to reinvigorate faith with joy and hope.
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