Gabriel Byrne Movie:

				Salesrank: 282936
		MPAA Rating: R (Restricted) Media: DVD

Editorial Review:
After a two-year hiatus that included recovery from heart surgery, Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to the big screen in November 1999 with End of Days, a Thanksgiving turkey if ever there was one. Overcooked and bloated with stuffing, this ludicrous thriller attached itself to the end-of-the-millennium furor that kicked in a year too early. A prologue begins in 1979 with panic in the Vatican when a comet signals the birth of a child who will, 20 years later, become the chosen bride of Satan, destined to conceive the devil's spawn between 11 p.m. and midnight on December 31, 1999. It's hard to decide who has the more thankless role--Robin Tunney as Satan's would-be bride, or Schwarzenegger as Jericho Cane, the burned-out alcoholic bodyguard assigned to protect the girl from Satan, billed as "The Man" and played with cheesy menace (and an inconsistent variety of metaphysical manifestations) by Gabriel Byrne.

With kitschy character names like Jericho and Chicago (Arnie's partner, played by Kevin Pollack) and lapses in logic that any 5-year-old could spot, End of Days is a loud, aggravating movie that would be entertaining if it were intended as comedy. But Schwarzenegger and director Peter Hyams approach the story as an earnest tale of redemption and tested faith, delivering a ridiculous climax full of special effects and devoid of dramatic impact. You're left instead to savor the verbal and physical sparring between Satan and Jericho, resulting in the most thorough pummeling Schwarzenegger's ever endured onscreen. Of course he eventually gets his payback, just in time for New Year's Eve. Perhaps he was touched by an angel. --Jeff Shannon

End of Days [Region 2] Reviews:
Via Dolorosa
2009-11-12 - Since suffering is the means of salvation,
I probably merited a bit by enduring this
entire film.
Then again, a truly virtuous man may have
removed the DVD from the player,
burned the DVD and sprinkled the player
with holy water.
I will probably take the coward's way out
and sell the DVD to recover my money.

Why then the two stars?
Because the action and effects were very
good and, in themselves, entertaining.
Some of the sets and cinematography
were very well done.

This is not a horror film even though
it is promoted as one.
It is never scary.
It is an Arny action flick,
which is not all bad.
I like most of them.
This one ultimately fails because it
tries unsuccessfully to be something else.

The plot was beyond stupid.
If one is to use a religion
and a human institution
that has existed for over 2000 years
as a player in a plot, not done often
enough considering its influence in
human affairs, one ought to at least
try to do so in a somewhat realistic
and credible way.
This film does not even attempt that.

Spoiler
**********************
One example is the ending.
Our hero, after having a religious
conversion experience before the
altar of God in a Catholic Church,
exerts his will to commit suicide
in the church to prevent his Satan-
possessed body from serving the
interests of it's new tenant.
This merits him, we are led to
believe, a place in God's kingdom
alongside his dead wife and daughter,
who appear to welcome him home.
There's a wee theological problem
with that.
Suicide or self-murder, according to
Christian morality,
is a sin, an objectively evil act,
never good or heroic.

I didn't realize that 666, the number of
the beast in Christian sacred scripture
is actually 999 upside down,
and that means the reign of Satan
will begin in the year 999.
No, wait a minute, there was also
supposed to be one in front of it,
so Mr. Horny guy will ascend in 1999.

No big deal, but why was the Pope speaking
Italian to the members of the hierarchy.
The language of the Church is Latin
and the Pope at the time of the film
was Polish.
Vatican City is just by Rome
and Rome is in Italy,
therefore...
Oh OK, I get it.

********************

If your a big-time Arnold fan,
you'll enjoy this movie,
and as I wrote above, it is an
effects-action-violence extravaganza;
so if that is your cup of tea, you'll
like it for that.
If you're a Christian, or someone who an
understanding of the nature of the Church
and its teaching, you'll spend as much
time annoyed as entertained.

Note bene:
There is a scene of incestuous sexual
activity with nudity that includes
a mother with her apparently young
daughter, that is, too young,
and is entirely gratuitous.
Enough of a reason to say goodbye
to this one.



One of Schwarzenegger's Best
2009-09-03 - End Of Days is a Supernatural Action Thriller set in NYC during the Y2k Scare of 1999 but having to do with Satan's return to claim the woman (played by Robin Tunney) who will have his child.Schwarzenegger plays Jericho a burned out Security type cop whose family was murdered and gets involved with a client whose body was taken over by Satan (Gabriel Byrne).He learns of the End of Days and must protect the girl who he is after while also questioning his faith.The Action is non-stop and Explosive,there is some scares here and there and some Satanic scenes of devil worship.Schwarzenegger is Excellent and the story plays well and is highly Entertaining and fast paced.I dont understand all the bad reviews i loved the film and i think people should give it a second look.It's got a little bit of everything including some great dialogue and Byrne is fantastic as old scratch himself.It's a winner in my book 10/10!

Under-rated and Very Creepy
2009-03-21 - An oddity, Arnold playing against type as a drunk. The possessed priest is very creepy, the scenes in his basement squat are NYC disgusting, and it just rants and rolls from there.

Not great, though not bad either
2009-02-26 - End of Days brings to the screen the story of an alcoholic, down-on-his-luck, former cop who joined a private security firm that offers wealthy people protection. Things become rather complicated when the client in need of protection is... Satan.
There are slight hints of the Omen, Constantine, and Ninth Gate with a touch of the X-Files so the movie falls into the action/adventure/mystery/thriller/horror type of category.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Byrne, Robin Tunney, and most of the rest of the cast carry out their performances well.
The plot, the setting, the dialogues, the music, and the special effects, are all good.
In short, End of Days is a movie worth watching if you are in the mood for some good entertainment and/or you are a Schwarzenegger fan. 4 Stars



Arnold saves the world from the devil in 2000
2009-02-25 - The 1000 years has past since Christian people thought the world would end in 1000 AD. Again it is predicted that the devil will spawn a child on
an human woman and a new reign of evil will result.
The cycle of the rings seems based on that same sort of legend
in a world where superstitions ruled:
The Lord of the Rings: Motion Picture Trilogy - Special Release: Tolkein Month Movies Poster Print, 27x40
Instead of swords and arrows Arnold has an over and under grenade launcher
machine gun.
The special effects are pretty good, but the plot has been done several times before and after.