| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
From director J.J. Abrams comes the next installment in the Star Trek saga, Star Trek Into Darkness. See it at Cinemark theaters now and pre-order on Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, DVD, and the Exclusive Starfleet Phaser Gift Set. Shop Star Trek Into Darkness and more in the Star Trek Store. Learn more |
Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Special Features
PS3 Theme
Weapons and Vehicle Exploration in 3D
movieIQ
Bullets and Crucifixes: Picture-in-Picture Experience
Commentary with Director Scott Stewart, Writer Cory Goodman, Paul Bettany and Maggie Q
Deleted and Extended Scenes
The Bloody Frontier: Creating the World of Priest
Tools of the Trade: The Weapons and Vehicles of Priest
Weapons and Vehicle Exploration in 3D
movieIQ
Bullets and Crucifixes: Picture-in-Picture Experience
Commentary with Director Scott Stewart, Writer Cory Goodman, Paul Bettany and Maggie Q
Deleted and Extended Scenes
The Bloody Frontier: Creating the World of Priest
Tools of the Trade: The Weapons and Vehicles of Priest
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
What's harder to kill than a vampire? The thriving vampire movie genre, which reappears here in the form of Priest, an entertaining mash-up of sci-fi, horror, and various Westerns adapted from a graphic novel by Min-Woo Hyung and starring Paul Bettany (The Da Vinci Code, Creation, Iron Man, etc.) in the title role. In Hyung's world (as depicted by screenwriter Cory Goodman and director Scott Charles Stewart), the future is a dystopian nightmare still reeling from centuries of conflict between humans and vast armies of slimy, humanoid vampires; having been saved (or so we're told) by fierce and noble warrior priests, people now live in a great, grim city that makes the Los Angeles depicted in Bladerunner look like a vacation resort, while the remaining vampires have been consigned to "reservations" in the desert. A few hardy souls subsist out in the barren wilderness as well, and the fun starts when a gang of vamps attacks one family, abducting pretty young Lucy (Lily Collins, Phil's daughter) and killing her parents. The girl's sharpshooting boyfriend (Cam Gigandet) seeks out Bettany's retired Priest, who's only too willing to defy the dire warnings of the arrogant clergymen who control the cities, jump on his supercycle, and head out to do battle with a foe that, far from being defeated, has been regrouping and now plans to--gasp!--lay waste to all mankind. A couple of twists involving central characters are eventually revealed, but the best parts are the action sequences in the vampires' enormous "hive," aboard (and on top of) a speeding train, and elsewhere as the Priest and a few of his cross-bearing (on their foreheads, that is) comrades, including action veteran Maggie Q, try to stop the head vampire dude (basically a fanged version of Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name) and his ravenous minions. Considering the range of 21st-century vampire flicks, from the arty Swedish import Let the Right One In to the romantic Twilight series, there's plenty of room for a popcorn chewer like Priest. --Sam Graham
Product Description
In a post-apocalyptic world, a savage war between man and vampire raged for centuries. A warrior priest (Paul Bettany) receives word of fresh attacks but now it`s personal, his niece has been kidnapped by a new hive of merciless vampires. To save her, he must break his vow of peace and hunt down the hive before it's too late. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel and packed with bloodthirsty action, this full throttle crusade takes you on the hunt for a deadly new breed of killer.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
120 of 130 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This visually arresting film is sure to please those looking for a popcorn-y monster movie diversion. The plot's not much to write about (based on a series of graphic novels:Priest: Genesis - Volumes 1-3), but the visual interpretation is at times nearly breathtaking on the big screen (especially in 3D). The priests are a special cadre of warriors commissioned by The Church (the new world's governing body) to hunt down and eradicate vampires in the land. According to the comic book-style animated backstory, they accomplished their mission and were disbanded. But wait, not so fast. Despite The Church's unexplained objections and denials, there may be vampire trouble brewing outside the protective walls of the cities. One priest renounces his vows to save a girl held captive by the marauding beasts.
This is a world that looks like Utah's stark salt flats without life or greenery, but with lots of space where one can really zip around on super-cool jet-powered motorcycles. The cities are grotesque gothic masses of steel and randomly placed video screens straight out of a monochrome version of Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition). The sets are stark and at the same time fantastic. One feels the clausterphobia and despair of a world without natural light or color. The CGI set designers seemed to take great care in developing a convincing post-apocalyptic wasteland, but the results are uneven. Adding in great amounts of detail in some scenes (3D dust particles, stunning lighting effects) is very impressive with its realism, only to be followed by a scene that seemed blurry, monochromatic, and feeling incomplete. Overall, the visual sets and effects are easily the most impressive part of the film.
Paul Bettany is convincing as a supercharged yet tortured vampire killer who gave up a shot at a normal existence (well, as normal an existence could be with vampires roaming the open plains) in order to dedicate his life to culling vampire herds and protecting mankind. Not much emotional range is needed for the role, but Bettany does a decent job of infusing it with some humanity. Cam Gigandet plays a squinty wild west-style gunslinger/sheriff bent on saving his girl. He's good with his knife but better with his gun (so he says). His character (and how Gigandet plays him) seems more of an annoyance to The Priest (and to the audience as well). Karl Urban steals his every scene with a deliciously snarling performance of a former priest gone bad. Maggie Q stoically kicks but while trying to hide her not-so-priestess-y feelings for our hero. The performance, while they won't be in line for Oscar consideration, are strong enough to carry the relatively weak story and drive the action.
The action is propulsive, albeit sometimes disjointed and difficult to follow in the vampire combat scenes. Not to worry, there's plenty of gory death and dismemberment for the mutants, which leads to this question: What does it take for a movie to get an "R" rating these days? There were amputations, decapitations, combustions, explosions, lacerations, and lots and lots of blood. Throw in a single "F"-word and they must've given the MPAA more than a few fits. I had to recheck my ticket to verify I'd actually seen a PG-13 feature. Sure enough, but still hard to believe. Anyway, it certainly satisfied the film's action quotient.
One aspect that may offend some viewers is that there seems to be open season on the Catholic church. The film makes no bones about its scorn for all things religious, especially if religion is used (in a paraphrase of Karl Marx) as the opiate of the masses. Christopher Plummer's immense talent is wasted as the control-minded monsignor of the church's highest office. He wails mantras through ubiquitous video screens to the city's public mind-numbingly plodding through the streets, obviously attempting to overtly brain wash. "To turn against the church is to turn against God" must be repeated 20 times in the film. We get what you're saying. Move on. Alan Dale's considerable acting chops are also squandered as he plays Plummer's right-hand monsignor. There was hope for what could have been a fantastic plot twist (a mole in the highest court) that never developed as his character took the wide path that leads to destruction, one of more than a few missed screenwriting opportunities.
But that's not necessarily why one watches a vampire-slayer movie. It's that kind of poor screenwriting that kept this film from being something really special and memorable. Instead, it's relegated to the class of effective but flawed genre film.
The bottom line is: I still liked it. I'd recommend "Priest" to anyone who likes films in the genre like Blade or Underworld (Widescreen Special Edition).
This is a world that looks like Utah's stark salt flats without life or greenery, but with lots of space where one can really zip around on super-cool jet-powered motorcycles. The cities are grotesque gothic masses of steel and randomly placed video screens straight out of a monochrome version of Blade Runner - The Final Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition). The sets are stark and at the same time fantastic. One feels the clausterphobia and despair of a world without natural light or color. The CGI set designers seemed to take great care in developing a convincing post-apocalyptic wasteland, but the results are uneven. Adding in great amounts of detail in some scenes (3D dust particles, stunning lighting effects) is very impressive with its realism, only to be followed by a scene that seemed blurry, monochromatic, and feeling incomplete. Overall, the visual sets and effects are easily the most impressive part of the film.
Paul Bettany is convincing as a supercharged yet tortured vampire killer who gave up a shot at a normal existence (well, as normal an existence could be with vampires roaming the open plains) in order to dedicate his life to culling vampire herds and protecting mankind. Not much emotional range is needed for the role, but Bettany does a decent job of infusing it with some humanity. Cam Gigandet plays a squinty wild west-style gunslinger/sheriff bent on saving his girl. He's good with his knife but better with his gun (so he says). His character (and how Gigandet plays him) seems more of an annoyance to The Priest (and to the audience as well). Karl Urban steals his every scene with a deliciously snarling performance of a former priest gone bad. Maggie Q stoically kicks but while trying to hide her not-so-priestess-y feelings for our hero. The performance, while they won't be in line for Oscar consideration, are strong enough to carry the relatively weak story and drive the action.
The action is propulsive, albeit sometimes disjointed and difficult to follow in the vampire combat scenes. Not to worry, there's plenty of gory death and dismemberment for the mutants, which leads to this question: What does it take for a movie to get an "R" rating these days? There were amputations, decapitations, combustions, explosions, lacerations, and lots and lots of blood. Throw in a single "F"-word and they must've given the MPAA more than a few fits. I had to recheck my ticket to verify I'd actually seen a PG-13 feature. Sure enough, but still hard to believe. Anyway, it certainly satisfied the film's action quotient.
One aspect that may offend some viewers is that there seems to be open season on the Catholic church. The film makes no bones about its scorn for all things religious, especially if religion is used (in a paraphrase of Karl Marx) as the opiate of the masses. Christopher Plummer's immense talent is wasted as the control-minded monsignor of the church's highest office. He wails mantras through ubiquitous video screens to the city's public mind-numbingly plodding through the streets, obviously attempting to overtly brain wash. "To turn against the church is to turn against God" must be repeated 20 times in the film. We get what you're saying. Move on. Alan Dale's considerable acting chops are also squandered as he plays Plummer's right-hand monsignor. There was hope for what could have been a fantastic plot twist (a mole in the highest court) that never developed as his character took the wide path that leads to destruction, one of more than a few missed screenwriting opportunities.
But that's not necessarily why one watches a vampire-slayer movie. It's that kind of poor screenwriting that kept this film from being something really special and memorable. Instead, it's relegated to the class of effective but flawed genre film.
The bottom line is: I still liked it. I'd recommend "Priest" to anyone who likes films in the genre like Blade or Underworld (Widescreen Special Edition).
31 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Amazon Instant Video|Amazon Verified Purchase
Dont get me wrong...this isnt an amazing display of acting or screenplay or what have you. However, what it definitely was....was bad ass. The imagery and landscapes were cool, the fighting was pretty neat, the characters were approachable, and the weapons were pretty awesome. It's only an hour and a half long, so you arent going to get that finely detailed development of a drama, but do you really need it? Nope. Basically, it's bad asses killing some creepy looking vampires, and feud between Priest and A) the Church (in this case, representing society and government along with the dogma and the deceit that comes with it), B) an old buddy turned nemesis, and C)occasionally with what is basically his sidekick.
I'll avoid revealing too much of the story, as sparse as it is, although you'll basically know what's going on within the first ten minutes or so.
To me,this was a movie made strictly to develop interest in a longer running series of movies, which promise to be even more bad-ass.
Excellent effort, worth the minor time commitment, pleasing to the eye. :)
I'll avoid revealing too much of the story, as sparse as it is, although you'll basically know what's going on within the first ten minutes or so.
To me,this was a movie made strictly to develop interest in a longer running series of movies, which promise to be even more bad-ass.
Excellent effort, worth the minor time commitment, pleasing to the eye. :)
46 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I'm sorry, "graphic novel" action film.
All sarcasm aside, "Priest" was exactly as advertised; excellent science fiction action, well suited for popcorn. And I enjoyed the heck out of it.
In an alternate earth, the Church and vampires have been at war for centuries. Technology didn't offer the solution, recruiting and training extraordinary fighters, the Priests, did. And when the church had won, and the vampires were contained in underground reservations, the Priests were not needed. The Church marginalized the Priests, and didn't want to admit that their control was incomplete, so when the vampires escaped the reservation and raided a farm house, they didn't want to acknowledge that the vampires were loose, or that the Priests were needed again. But the settlers killed and kidnapped by the vampires were friends of a Priest.
While Paul Bettany delivered an outstanding performance (of its sort) in the title role, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, and Christopher Plummer really carried it for me. Bettany delivered the brooding warrior priest very well, delivering intensity and portraying a man trying to reconcile conflicting duties well. The role didn't allow him great range, but he did the most with it. Maggie Q was allowed a far greater range as another Priest with chaste love for the hero. Her roles are getting more serious, and she is finally getting a chance to show her abilities. Well, she's always gotten to show off her martial arts gifts, and she does again here too. Karl Urban also gets a well earned, central role in this one, but aside from saying that he does an excellent job in a different character from earlier roles, I can't go further without spoilers. Christopher Plummer, of course, was excellent, adding depth and power to the role of the senior clergyman and political leader in the Church.
The action was first rate, the plot was solid, and the actors were exceptional. OK, so sci-fi action flicks aren't for everyone, especially ones from comic books. If they are, you'll enjoy this one a lot.
E.M. Van Court
All sarcasm aside, "Priest" was exactly as advertised; excellent science fiction action, well suited for popcorn. And I enjoyed the heck out of it.
In an alternate earth, the Church and vampires have been at war for centuries. Technology didn't offer the solution, recruiting and training extraordinary fighters, the Priests, did. And when the church had won, and the vampires were contained in underground reservations, the Priests were not needed. The Church marginalized the Priests, and didn't want to admit that their control was incomplete, so when the vampires escaped the reservation and raided a farm house, they didn't want to acknowledge that the vampires were loose, or that the Priests were needed again. But the settlers killed and kidnapped by the vampires were friends of a Priest.
While Paul Bettany delivered an outstanding performance (of its sort) in the title role, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, and Christopher Plummer really carried it for me. Bettany delivered the brooding warrior priest very well, delivering intensity and portraying a man trying to reconcile conflicting duties well. The role didn't allow him great range, but he did the most with it. Maggie Q was allowed a far greater range as another Priest with chaste love for the hero. Her roles are getting more serious, and she is finally getting a chance to show her abilities. Well, she's always gotten to show off her martial arts gifts, and she does again here too. Karl Urban also gets a well earned, central role in this one, but aside from saying that he does an excellent job in a different character from earlier roles, I can't go further without spoilers. Christopher Plummer, of course, was excellent, adding depth and power to the role of the senior clergyman and political leader in the Church.
The action was first rate, the plot was solid, and the actors were exceptional. OK, so sci-fi action flicks aren't for everyone, especially ones from comic books. If they are, you'll enjoy this one a lot.
E.M. Van Court
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Movie in 3D, is so much more exciting, that I can can continue to...
The movie in 3D, is very exciting that I can continue to watch it over and over without getting board.. Read more
Published 2 days ago by rsrowen
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good movie
Wont win any academy awards but an enjoyable movie if you like this genre . Its vampire redone (again) but tough vampires and lots of action so pop some popcorn and burn a couple... Read more
Published 8 days ago by ntex
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting angle
I found this movie to have an interesting angle for vampires. Paul Bettany is good as the lead and the bad guys are bad, bad guys. Entertaining watching.
Published 1 month ago by Rusty111
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great 3D Fun for teenagers to adults who are Vampire lore / Sci-Fi...
Great 3D Fun for teenagers to adults who are Vampire lore / Sci-Fi fans. Great production values - OK plot and acting. Read more
Published 1 month ago by The Frugal Gearhead
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good!
Watching this movie on a bigger screen tv you don't realize how much you have missed. The detail and prisitine of the picture on the screen awesome.
Published 1 month ago by Kanimat3
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellant Movie !
It has become one of our favorites , a mainstay for viewing along with RED it is a Keeper !
Published 2 months ago by K. J. Tucker Reader of Books
4.0 out of 5 stars
Priest
Good movie with action and a dark side. If you like vampire movies with a twist this is one for you.
Published 2 months ago by Mike
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing
Love this movie, love the story.
3D works very good too.
Great movie, great adventure. I would recommend, great movie.
3D works very good too.
Great movie, great adventure. I would recommend, great movie.
Published 2 months ago by Elias R. Reis
3.0 out of 5 stars
Priest
The concept is inventive and a decent story. I already had this dvd but the 3D version is way more fun.
Published 3 months ago by Jewelz
3.0 out of 5 stars
Alright.
This movie was OK... not the best, but not the worst I've seen. Like most vampire movies... it was dark and depressing... but it wasn't bad. Read more
Published 3 months ago by rcruz
Look for Similar Items by Category
|
