# End of Days (1999)

### reviewed by
Nick Lyons

    End Of Days Review

Arnold Schwarzenegger has been an icon for action enthusiasts, since the late 80's, but lately his films have been very sloppy and the one-liners are getting worse. It's hard seeing Arnold as Mr. Freeze in Batman And Robin, especially when he says tons of ice jokes, but hey he got 15 million, what's it matter to him? Once again Arnold has signed to do another expensive blockbuster, that can't compare with the likes of The Terminator series, True Lies and even Eraser. In this so called dark thriller, the devil (Gabriel Byrne) has come upon earth, to impregnate a woman (Robin Tunney) which happens every 1000 years, and basically destroy the world, but apparently God has chosen one man, and that one man is Jericho Cane (Arnold himself). With the help of a trusty sidekick (Kevin Pollack), they will stop at nothing to let the devil take over the world! Parts of this are actually so absurd, that they would fit right in with Dogma. Yes, the film is that weak, but it's better than the other blockbuster right now (Sleepy Hollow), but it makes The World Is Not Enough look like a 4 star film. Anyway, this definitely doesn't seem like an Arnold movie. It just wasn't the type of film you can see him doing. Sure he gave us a few chuckles with his well known one-liners, but he seemed confused as to where his character and the film was going. It's understandable, especially when the ending had to be changed according to some sources. Aside form that, he still walked through it, much like he has in the past few films. I'm sorry to say this Arnold but maybe these are the end of your action days. Speaking of action, where was it in this film? There was hardly any explosions or fights. The devil made a few places explode, but Arnold wasn't kicking some devil butt. The ending was changed to make it more spiritual, which undoubtedly ruined the film. I was at least hoping for a cool ending if nothing else occurred, but once again I was let down. I also don't know why the film took so long and cost so much. There was really no super affects at all, unless you consider an invisible devil, who was in it for 5 minutes tops, worth the overpriced budget. The budget should have gone into a better script, where at least audiences could be somewhat entertained instead of facing boredom. It's pitiful to see how scripts like these get bought and made into a movie. Do they even read these things anymore? It sure doesn't seem like it. Thankfully Gabriel's performance gave some light to this poor film. When he walks down the street searching for Robin Tunney, you can't help but feel that he looked like a devil. The guy is creepy looking anyway! When it's all over, you're just glad it's the end of the movie. Don't bother to see this, if you're expecting a solid action flick, because it's neither solid nor does it have action. It's just another movie that we are suckered in to seeing, due to a strategic marketing campaign. Save your money and see the World Is Not Enough for an entertaining experience.

    Grade: D

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