Starring:
Bill Pullman as Dr. Richard Massey
Natascha McElhone as Sister Josepha Montefiore
Michael Massee as Isaiah Haden
Mark Rendall as Hawk
Martin Starr as Rubio
Chelsey Coyle as Olivia Beaudrey ‘Livvie’
Brittney Coyle as Olivia Beaudrey ‘Livvie’
Fred Durst as Ogden
John Rhys-Davies as Prof. Jonah Lampley
Alexander Skarsgård as Gunnar Eklind
Special Features:
On-set interviews with Bill Pullman, Natascha McElhone, Michael Massee and writer/producer David Seltzer
Deleted Scenes
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.78:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 4 Hours 30 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“The time of miracles is once again at hand in the six-hour epic event, Revelations. Bill Pullman (Independence Day) stars as Harvard professor Dr. Richard Massey, an astrophysicist who’s certain that all worldly events can be explained by science. He is challenged by Sister Josepha Montafiore (Natascha McElhone, Solaris), a devout nun who leads him on a quest through a world of true believers, heretics and Satanists. Drawn together by personal tragedy, they are swept into a deepening mystery when they discover evidence that the world, as predicted by The Book of Revelations, has reached The End of Days. Join the battle for the fate of mankind in the electrifying phenomenon, Revelations. Time Magazine declares, “It delivers.” James Poniewozik (Time Magazine)”
Revelations is not rated.
The Series:
I don’t usually like supernatural thrillers. I usually find them to be repetitive, at times hokey, and boring. And as a Christian I frequently find myself annoyed at seeing the Vatican portrayed as the sole authority on God, the Bible, and all things religious. Despite this, I was intrigued by Revelations. It was kind of a religious version of The X-Files. Bill Pullman is the Scully of the duo as Dr. Richard Massey. Natascha McElhone is the Mulder of the team as Sister Josepha Montefiore. Together they travel the globe following clues trying to foil a Satanic cult. Many reviews also compared the show to The Da Vinci Code and that’s a pretty accurate description, too.
The first episode sets up the series pretty well. You’re introduced to the big cast of characters and brought up to speed quickly. The show looks beautiful and is filled with exotic locations, moody sets, and cinematic shots. Everything comes together to give the mini-series an air of class. Revelations then takes a number of soap opera-like twists and turns to lead up to the big climax. Unfortunately, that climax isn’t so big and isn’t so climactic. It concludes on a bit of a ‘thud’ and it becomes apparent that they intended for this series to continue beyond 6 episodes if it was a hit. As of now I haven’t heard of any plans to turn it into a series.
The acting is pretty good. Bill Pullman plays Dr. Richard Massey, an agnostic who is teamed with Sister Josepha to foil the Satanic cult that killed his daughter. He’s a tortured soul and is a good contrast to the Sister. They provide some lively theological debate. Natascha McElhone is also good as Sister Josepha Montefiore. Despite being a religious crusader, she’s a likable character and she holds her own against those who disagree with her. She’s by no means meek. Michael Massee makes a good psychopath as Isaiah Haden, the leader of the cult. Limp Bizkit member Fred Durst even has a small role as Ogden, one of the cult members. John Rhys-Davies also has a role as Prof. Jonah Lampley, the mentor of Massey.
Who should check out Revelations? Anyone that likes The X-Files or The Da Vinci Code. People who like supernatural thrillers will also probably get a kick out of it. But the slow pace of the show and the anti-climactic ending may make it less enjoyable for many people.
The Extras:
There are two bonus features on this DVD:
On-set interviews with Bill Pullman, Natascha McElhone, Michael Massee and writer/producer David Seltzer This is a very brief video promoting the show. They go over the plot, the locations, etc. The cast and crew are interviewed.
Deleted Scenes There are over 10 minutes of deleted scenes. Most are rather unimportant, but one shows Sister Josepha debating Massey at his book signing in the first episode. The two verbally spar in front of a large crowd. It quickly sets up the beliefs and personalities of the two characters.
The Bottom Line:
Revelations features a good cast and an intriguing plot, but the pacing and the ending make it a little unsatisfactory. Fans of The X-Files will probably find a lot of it familiar and likable.
