The Prophecy (1995)

For me, “The Prophecy” is a film of highs and lows and the inability to find a consistent rhythm. I felt teased at how little screen time Eric Stoltz had and what he did during those few moments. His role started out strong but faltered. After he died and Christopher Walken became the focal point, the movie felt ok but had an annoying lack of definition; my main complaint is how did Simon (Eric Stoltz) know that Arnold Hawthorne was the soul that Gabriel (Christopher Walken) needed? But then all of a sudden Lucifer appears (Viggo Mortensen) and gives one of the best “I’m the Devil and this is what I want” speeches that I’ve ever seen. His slow, refined delivery and his complete presence were perfect for that character and moment. In the next scene we see Gaberiel with his new minion Rachel, a scene that seems more comical (although very dark) than trying to keep the suspenseful vibe that just took place. Overall, it’s a fun movie filled with big name stars (or people still coming up), half of which went “Pulp Fiction” to this film.

Ok, is it just me or did Elias Koteas come across as Bill Paxton’s doppelganger in this film? I swear you could have replaced one with the other and no one would have noticed.

“The Prophecy” is all about the angels in Heaven having a second war amongst each other over the idea that God loves humans more than angels because humans have souls. The war is not about over throwing God so I’m not sure what would happen if the angels who feel that they were second place would do if they won; I guess that is covered in one of the many sequels that followed. Anyway, Gaberil wants to find the darkest soul on Earth and recruit it to join his army of unloved angels. Simon, an angel who’s ok being second best, comes to earth and finds the soul and eats it. Simon goes to the town where the evil soul lived and hides it in a young girl. The girl’s teacher and a cop who almost became a priest are left trying to fend off Gabriel and his brought-back-from-the-dead minions.