based on the best-selling novel , left behind is the latest in an assembly line of evangelical thrillers from cloud ten pictures . considering the success of the omega code , there's a surprisingly large audience of zealots who dream of screening films with " spiritual value " nationwide . and apparently , all that hard work is paying off . let readers be warned in advance , if you're part of the camp which tries to catch the " so bad it's good " movies filmcritic . com cheerfully slams on a weekly basis ( and i mean you , battlefield earth ) , do yourself a favor and avoid left behind . even if your interest is akin to mine , approaching the entire affair as a postmodern joke , your contribution is paving the way for more of this generic , bible-thumping crap . with this kind of marketing campaign , every dollar counts . having said that , i really wanted to enjoy left behind . the premise has all the makings of a crackerjack apocalyptic epic in the vein of stephen king's the stand crossed with the omen . if handled right , this could have been the mainstream alternative to michael tolkin's chilling end-of-the-world melodrama , the rapture . on an international flight , half of the passengers vanish mid-air . this is not an isolated incident . around the world , christians have mysteriously disappeared without a trace . it seems the book of revelations has cracked wide open , and the newly departed are spared seven years of tribulation during the antichrist's rise to global power . those who have been left behind must struggle in the ultimate battle between good and evil , which will no doubt be further documented in the inevitable string of sequels . don't tell me that doesn't sound exciting , even to heathens such as myself . my interest abruptly waned the moment a freshly scrubbed kirk cameron appears on the scene as opportunistic news correspondent buck williams . we're asked to buy kirk cameron as a hardcore journalist covering an international crisis in the middle east ? named buck williams ? when buck places his camera in the middle " of the shit " as bombs burst in midair , it's difficult to shake the thought that this pathetic former star hasn't aged a day since growing pains . his behavior , his goofy smile , his curly locks of hair are all exactly the same . i guess some things never change , even after you're born again . buck pursues a conspiracy that goes all the way to the united nations . will he be able to warn idealistic scientist chaim rosenzweig ( colin fox ) that his " eden formula " which could end world hunger may land in the wrong hands ? sure enough , there's a missing disk , a car explosion , an attempted assassination , and shifty men in black who plot armageddon . these familiar genre requirements are as lifeless as they are predictable , shot with all the bland mushiness of late night cable television . indeed , left behind could easily be confused with less ambitious fare were it not for the preachy subplot involving the tormented pilot ( brad johnson ) of that ill-fated international flight mentioned earlier . when his wife and son disappear in the rapture , he falls to his knees begging forgiveness . if only he had listened when jesus was knocking on the door to his heart . it's not long before buck joins him as a soldier in god's army . after the end credits scroll on left behind's home video release , kirk cameron provides a public service announcement encouraging viewers to tell everyone they know to see this movie . my only request for the christians who happen upon this article : don't settle for less . go to the left behind website and demand quality scripts which address your theological concerns . of course , the built-in audience will see these movies whether or not they receive a critical bitch slap . after an initial release on video to spread word of mouth , left behind has found its way into the 20 top grossing theatrical releases during the week it opened nationwide . let's hear it for the almighty buck . 
