Priest 2011

Critics score:
15 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: High production values and slick editing can't save this picture. Nor does its overbearing soundtrack music, which tries to strong-arm viewers into believing they're watching a pulse-pounding thriller. Read more

Mike Hale, New York Times: The film, based in name only on a series of South Korean graphic novels, has nice, washed-out desert exteriors and some cool jet-powered motorcycles, but there's nothing in the hackneyed story or the derivative action scenes to make you take notice. Read more

Keith Uhlich, Time Out: The God of Aborted Franchises will be pleased. Read more

Logan Hill, New York Magazine/Vulture: When you watch Bettany, you can't help wondering why the hell a talented actor is stuck in such an ungodly mess. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: The simplistic directness of its storytelling is refreshing. It's as if the filmmakers realize they're wasting everyone's time, so they at least want to take up as little of it as possible. Read more

Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: "Priest'' is based on a series of Korean graphic novels. What it's really based on, though, is other movies - a whole lot of other movies. Read more

Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly: Adapted from a graphic-novel series (and what isn't these days?), this unholy mess of horror and Western cliches is, at least, blessed with a wonderfully loony premise. Read more

Eric D. Snider, Film.com: Too good-looking to be dismissed entirely, not bad enough to be worthy of outright scorn, but not good enough to watch, either. Read more

Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: Doesn't have a prayer. Read more

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: The film is somehow a disappointing combo of too-full and oddly empty. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: The whole thing -- which in less than an hour-and-a-half manages to insult Catholics, Native Americans, John Wayne fans and anybody with two I.Q. points to spare -- all climaxes in a lot of fire and smoke and CGI explosions. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: [If] you're looking for a diverting sci-fi actioner that handily mixes the DNA of several different movies, with a few flying crosses thrown in and a heavy dose of Western mythology, sink your teeth in. Read more

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: Did Paul Bettany know, when he donned the cowl of the albino monk in 'The Da Vinci Code', that he would soon be typecast as Hollywood's go-to guy for God-bothering multiplex action movies? Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: A mash-up of vampire horror and period westerns stewed with Blade Runner cityscapes and ridiculous religious images in a bubbling cauldron of dumb ideas and sinfully bad dialogue. Read more

Leslie Felperin, Variety: Not exactly an unholy mess, but still a rather too pious retread of classic sci-fi/action/horror riffs that lacks originality or pizzazz. Read more