Dogma (1999)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Joshua W

  
  It's really hard to satire religion yet stay respectful of the religion. But this film does it. Kevin Smith is one of my favorite comedic writter/directors of our time and this film is a perfect example of his art. This is one of the only films I can stand Ben Affleck. Matt… More
  It's really hard to satire religion yet stay respectful of the religion. But this film does it. Kevin Smith is one of my favorite comedic writter/directors of our time and this film is a perfect example of his art. This is one of the only films I can stand Ben Affleck. Matt Damon should do more comedies like these. And for God sake please make another Jay & Silent Bob film please!!!

• AJ V

  
  What an amazing cast! Seriously if you don't see this for any other reason, you will still enjoy it. Who would have thought this group of people would ever work together? Only Kevin Smith can pull it off so seamlessly. I love this movie, although I don't promote its… More
  What an amazing cast! Seriously if you don't see this for any other reason, you will still enjoy it. Who would have thought this group of people would ever work together? Only Kevin Smith can pull it off so seamlessly. I love this movie, although I don't promote its ideas of religion, it doesn't matter, this movie is entertaining, funny, and exciting no matter what you believe, so don't get bogged down in that part of it. The story is utterly original and timely for people today. I highly recommend this movie.

• Tim S

  
  Kevin Smith followed his indie success Chasing Amy with Dogma, a chance to not only take a stab at Christianity, but also to honor it. The film really stands out in his body of work and isn't his typical fare. It's sort of whimsical and Wizard of Oz-ish, but also very much… More
  Kevin Smith followed his indie success Chasing Amy with Dogma, a chance to not only take a stab at Christianity, but also to honor it. The film really stands out in his body of work and isn't his typical fare. It's sort of whimsical and Wizard of Oz-ish, but also very much sounds like something he's had a hand in. As far as content and storyline goes, it's unique among the features he's done before or since. Visually, it looks phenomenal. Shot in widescreen, we're treated to some very nice camera work and some wonderul visuals. As far as the cast goes, everyone shines - particularly Alan Rickman. I believe that his performance along with the lovely score of Howard Shore elevated the film well above the level of a typical low brow comedy. Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino and Jason Mewes also give excellent solid performances. The only downside was that the film just wasn't the vision Kevin ultimately had in mind. Not that I'm insinuating that any changes would improve the film, but it's a shame that he didn't get to make the film he set out to make in the first place. I'm sure he doesn't see it that way, and it could've been either better or worse, but we'll never know. What he was able to achieve is not to be overlooked in the least. I really enjoy Dogma, and I'm happy that he got to make it at all.

• Graham J

  
  Smith's smartest film is a highly imaginative tale.

• Matt G

  
  Jay: I feel like I'm Han Solo, and you're Chewie, and she's Ben Kenobi, and we're in that fucked-up bar. What can I say that hasn't been said, Dogma is simply great. One of Kevin Smith's best films, but doesn't quite rank up there with Clerks or… More
  Jay: I feel like I'm Han Solo, and you're Chewie, and she's Ben Kenobi, and we're in that fucked-up bar. What can I say that hasn't been said, Dogma is simply great. One of Kevin Smith's best films, but doesn't quite rank up there with Clerks or JASBSB, but anyways, onto the film. Dogma is a very controversial film, but still great. The reason I'm not giving this five stars is due to Selma Hayek's shitty performance. Otherwise, Chris Rock, Alan Rickman, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and especially my buddies Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith (Jay and Silent Bob) all give fantastic performances. I do have to say that this is not a typical Smith film, it's a bit edgier, longer, yet more thought provoking. This film is truly great. If you're looking for a funny time with a bit of hardcore action, this film is absolutely perfect for you. Highly recommended. Read more reviews at www.CreedsDelight.com

• Jeff "

  
  Dogma is one of Kevin Smith's best films. He has never done anything that has come close to Dogma. Without a doubt, this is my favorite film of his. I love the fact that the film pokes fun at religion, and does it in such a unique it's original. Dogma has one great cast of… More
  Dogma is one of Kevin Smith's best films. He has never done anything that has come close to Dogma. Without a doubt, this is my favorite film of his. I love the fact that the film pokes fun at religion, and does it in such a unique it's original. Dogma has one great cast of comic actors including George Carlin, Chris Rock and Jason Mewes. Dogma is a well film with plenty of laughs. I think that it's a smartly crafted comedy film, and like I've mentioned, this is Kevin Smith's best film. I think that his writing talents peaked with this film, and Dogma is really a hilarious film that has many memorable scenes. If you love Smith's earlier work, you will most likely love this new direction. The film is a slight departure from what he usually does, and it works, and works well. This is a well crafted comedy with a strong cast. What I like about Dogma is that it mocks religion and doesn't shy away from it's controversial subject matter. Kevin Smith got death threats from Christian groups over this film. That just shows how messed up religion can be. Dogma is pokes fun at all of this, and Kevin Smith has done something really terrific with this film. He's made fun of something that society "isn't" supposed to mock. Well, Smith did it, and he joins a few other comedians that dare poke fun at something that most people believe in, and at many occasions, go overboard with that belief. Dogma is a well written comedy with lots of the usual Smith Flair that makes everyone of his films good, funny and watchable. He has made other good films since, but for me Dogma is my favorite and I see it as his best film as well.

• xGary X

  
  When a pair of fallen angels discover a loophole that means they could re-enter heaven, the last descendant of Christ and a motley assortment of supernatural helpers set out to stop them before they cause the end of all creation. Fair play to Kevin Smith for this brave attempt at a… More
  When a pair of fallen angels discover a loophole that means they could re-enter heaven, the last descendant of Christ and a motley assortment of supernatural helpers set out to stop them before they cause the end of all creation. Fair play to Kevin Smith for this brave attempt at a deconstruction of biblical mythology because it's quite a nice idea and obviously risked a backlash from the usual assortment of religious nutters. The problem however is that although he clearly did his homework and made sure he got all his facts straight, a lot of the material he used is lost on anyone who doesn't go to Catholic Bible class and so much of the script is spent explaining the stories and characters he is sending up. Unfortunately, if you have to explain why a joke is funny, that means it isn't funny. He obviously decided to shore up the idea with the usual Jay and Silent bob nob jokes, but they don't sit well with the rest of the story and the result is a bit of a messy, meandering tale, intermittently stalled by far too much religious waffle. It certainly has its moments, mostly provided by Affleck and Damon's self righteous bloodbaths, but Salma Hayek is hot yet irrelevant and Jason Lee and his bad guys are all terminally lame. It's made watchable by having a strong premise but it could've been so much better.

• Jameson W

  
  A pretty good film. Absolutely hilarious! A completely original story that has a sort of silly seriousness to it that captivates the audience. I really liked it!

• Ginny  

  
  And I give you, the buddy Christ. ---- BAHAHAHAA!!

• Chris W

  
  Along with "The Last Temptation of Christ", this just may be the best film about Catholicism specifically, and religion and faith in general. This is a comedy, and it's a satire, but it's got some really good and seriosu discusiions going on as well. The big… More
  Along with "The Last Temptation of Christ", this just may be the best film about Catholicism specifically, and religion and faith in general. This is a comedy, and it's a satire, but it's got some really good and seriosu discusiions going on as well. The big issue I think a lot of people have with this movie is that they can't take a joke, and can't accept that it's just a movie- even if it does deal with some real issues. Being a Catholic, Smith is a great choice for writer/director since he knows what stuff to make fun of, and how to do it correctly, even if it involves some exaggeration and some fantasy here and there. Being Catholic myself, I can definiely relate to this movie, and that's why I like it. I'm not offended by it. Honestly, I don't know why a lot of Catholcis were so upset about this. My feeling is, is you can't poke fun at your beliefs once in a while, what's the point in having them to begin with? The perforances are great, and it's just ironically awesome to see George Carlin playing a cardinal. The choice of having Alanis Morisette play God is an inspired one, Rock is hilarious as the ignored apostle, and Fiorentino is excellent as the conflicted Catholic going through a crisis of faith who gets tapped to go on a mission of grave importance, despite the fact that she feels God is dead, works in an abortion clinic, yet still goes to church, even if she mainly goes just to get her checkbook balanced. All of the writing is great, whether it's the funny stuff, or the joke-free theological discussions. The general concept of the film is also a fun an interesting one, and yes, to an extent (for those that doen't know), the Church does traditionally feel that God is infallible, so, in a weirds way, the basic premise of the film theoretically would work if you belief in such things. I didn't mention all of the casting and acting, but needless to say, it's all pretty damn strong. I can maybe understand how some of this moie might be a tad offensive, but then again, it also features a rubber shit demon, and it seems weird to me that something like that could anger people. I seriously wish my dad could take a joke and get over his hangups, because I think he'd probably get a lot out of this if just just sat down and tried to give it a chance. That also goes for the rest of you who may have some reason for avoiding this.

• Conner R

  
  Probably my favorite movie from Kevin Smith because it is his most intricate and intelligent film. It questions religion and at the same time makes it a justifiable belief system. The characters are great criticisms of their written counterparts. It is a movie that can be taken… More
  Probably my favorite movie from Kevin Smith because it is his most intricate and intelligent film. It questions religion and at the same time makes it a justifiable belief system. The characters are great criticisms of their written counterparts. It is a movie that can be taken seriously as well as with a sense of humor and a cruel one at that.

• Derek D

  
  More of a theological discussion trying to shock the viewer than an actual comedy, this film has its moments but they're few and far between. Not Kevin's best work, but I could name a lot worse than this.

• Wahida K

  
  inthebakset

• Dan S

  
  An irreverent, sometimes hilarious look on the Catholic religion, with two fallen angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) discovering that through a loophole in Catholic dogma, they could possibly enter Heaven again. If you've seen Kevin Smith movies in the past, you know what to… More
  An irreverent, sometimes hilarious look on the Catholic religion, with two fallen angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) discovering that through a loophole in Catholic dogma, they could possibly enter Heaven again. If you've seen Kevin Smith movies in the past, you know what to expect. Bad language is abundant, the humor is mostly crass, and once in a while a character will say something actually heartfelt amidst all the chaos occurring. This is a pretty well-made movie, sometimes the dramatic speeches made by the characters is a little to much since the comedy and gore are so over the top so you really can't take this movie seriously. Whenever Affleck and Damon are together bickering, its usually very funny, but at times it bogs down, running a bit too long for me to give this a recommendation.

• Coxxie M

  
  probably did for Kevin what the Arbys philly cheese does for Kevins arteries

• Anthony L

  
  This is a good film, Kevin Smith annoys me at the best of times but this is one of his best. Having Alanis Morissette play god was a great idea.

• Aaron N

  
  Bethany: You were martyred? Rufus: That's one way of putting it. Another way of putting it would be to say that I was bludgeoned to death by huge fucking rocks. Along with Clerks, this is my other favorite Kevin Smith film and one of my favorite overall movies. It's… More
  Bethany: You were martyred? Rufus: That's one way of putting it. Another way of putting it would be to say that I was bludgeoned to death by huge fucking rocks. Along with Clerks, this is my other favorite Kevin Smith film and one of my favorite overall movies. It's hilarious. Loki: Easy for you to say. You get off light in razing. You got to stand there and read at Sodom and Gomorrah, I had to do all the work. Bartleby: What work did you do? You lit a few fires. Loki: I rained down sulphur, man, there's a subtle difference. Bartleby: Oh, yeah, I'm sure. Loki: Hey, you know, fuck you, man. Any moron with a pack of matches can set a fire. Raining down sulphur is like an endurance trial man. Mass genocide is the most exhausting activity one can engage in, outside of soccer. A great ensemble cast makes up what is basically a comedy/fantasy epic set in a Kevin Smith world. It's not about preaching what religions you should follow or disbelieve, it's just a really funny movie with an original concept set mainly around Catholicism. Bethany: What's he like? Metatron: God? Lonely. But funny. He's got a great sense of humor. Take sex for example. There's nothing funnier than the ridiculous faces you people make mid-coitus. Bethany: Sex is a joke in heaven? Metatron: The way I understand it, it's mostly a joke down here, too. The story surrounds a women, working in an abortion clinic, who has lost her faith, Bethany, played by Linda Fiorentino. One night she is instructed by the voice of God, the Metatron, played by Alan Rickman, that she must stop two fallen angels from reentering heaven, or else the world will end. These angels are Bartleby and Loki, played by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, who have found a loophole after getting kicked out of heaven, and spending an eternity on Earth. They have an evil demon, played by Jason Lee, to thank, who has given these two the opportunity they need. Bethany must now travel to New Jersey, with the aid of two profits, Jay and Silent Bob, who else, as well as the 13th apostle, Chris Rock, and a muse, Salma Hayek, in order to stop the angels, before the angel's plan defies God's logic and unmakes existence. Jay: I feel like I'm Han Solo, and you're Chewie, and she's Ben Kenobi, and we're in that fucked-up bar. Each member of the cast works, starting with Affleck and Damon, before they parted ways on the movie scene, they made a great team together and play great off each other, with Affleck in particular giving one of his best performances. Fiorentino, Hayek, Rock and Rickman coming into this Kevin Smith world are also welcome and handle Smith style dialog very well. And Jason Lee also brings in what is needed as a villain, despite his small amount of time (that's what DVD is for). Bartleby: Why do they want to kill us? Azrael: Because your pissing people off! That's why. And once again Jay and Silent Bob provide the perfect amount of side laughs but even serve their own purpose this time around in terms of the plot. I put this as my favorite Smith film because it has that same sense of humor and the plot is just so neat and different from most comedies. Where else could one fine vulgar humor mixed with religious discussions centered around semantic arguments and pop culture references. Bartleby: You know, here's what I don't get about you. You know for a fact that there is a God. You have been in his presence. He's spoken to you personally, and yet I just heard you claim to be an atheist. Loki: I just like to fuck with the clergy, man. I just love it. I just love to keep those guys on their toes. An all around funny film with a good premise that is easy to continually watch. Jay: I get it! Holy Bartender! That's a great one!

• Film C

  
  i love this movie i thought it was really good alan rickmans character is hilarious and the rest of the cast are just brillaint its funy and entertaining and a pretty good storyline really worth a watch!

• Arash X

  
  I really like silly comedies but I hate it when they try to become serious & preachy at times, It really annoys me, Oh and Fiorentino & Hayek are annoying as well

• Jennifer X

  
  The weirdest mix of a Kevin Smith movie I've ever seen. In part home movie, in part religious satire, in part epic journey, this movie gives rise to the question of God but also makes you laugh. It's kind of clumsily executed but that's part of its charm too.

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