Dogma Movie Review:


Oh how I wanted to love this movie to bits. Clerks is one of my favourite movies of all time and was I in the queue to go see this when I had heard about the subject matter I was even more excited. Kevin Smith having a rant against God, sounded way cool.

But why oh why has Dogma ended up being something Ma Dog would spew up?

Could it be because Kevin Smith tried to go big name and big budget on this one and actually have special effects? Kevin Smith, in my opinion, has always been at his best when he has concentrated on the talking in his movie. Great dialogue is what really zings for his movies, what ACTUALLY happens is pretty much secondary.

But with this movie he tries to actually do something, and play it as a road movie. But his limitations as a director start to glare in this one. He does not have an eye for action at all, and the shit monster (yes that is right, a shit monster) is completely and utterly unscary and unfunny. If it had been at least one of those I could have been happy.

The movie also feels like it has been hacked to bits in places, could this be because in his other movies it wouldn't have been that hard to cut stuff as there wasn't that much of a plot holding it together. But when he is trying to follow a plot, it all just feels so disjointed, especially the Road section, which feels like a mess.

Linda Fiorentino who so sizzled and destroyed the screen in The Last Seduction, also sleepwalks her way through this, Kevin just doesn't get into her characters head at all.

Only Silent Bob and Jay come out of this movie intact, but thats because they just do what they do. Also there is a ridiculous cameo by Alanis Morrissette at the end of the movie, which I personally feel is because Kevin fancies the pants of her. Self indulgent.

Buy the Clerks and Silent Bob & Jay comics instead, way way funnier.

Gary Gray

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