THE FILM

In 2010, director Scott Stewart brought a dopey apocalyptic action film titled "Legion" to the big screen, which starred Paul Bettany as an agent of God caught in the middle of an unearthly war. For 2011, Stewart throws a curveball with "Priest," a dopey apocalyptic action film that stars Paul Bettany as an agent of God caught in the middle of an unearthly war. And people say there's no originality in Hollywood anymore. Well, instead of combative angels in a desert setting, the new feature offers a plague of vampires in a desert setting. Progress?

War has waged for centuries between humans and vampires, leaving the Catholic Church to train its own guard of beastly assassins, sent to fend off the bloodsucking hordes, restoring peace to the land. Now stripped of purpose, Priest (Paul Bettany) has lost himself in the bowels of a Church-managed megacity, ruled by fear-mongering leaders (including Christopher Plummer) bent on controlling their sinful subjects. When his niece, Lucy (Lily Collins), is kidnapped by a shadowy gang of vampires, Priest defies Church order and takes off into the wasteland with Sheriff Hicks (Cam Gigandet), the girl's boyfriend, looking for the source of the latest uprising. The trail leads to Black Hat (Karl Urban), a former hunter transformed into a vicious human/vampire hybrid, looking to take over the world with his extraordinary powers.

"Priest" is based on a Korean comic book series, immediately lending the feature a firm horror/fantasy springboard to launch a striking franchise of vampire-hunting motion pictures. Steeped in western influences, the film conjures a brooding atmosphere of pursuit, with a straightforward story of kidnapping and retrieval set against a dark alternate universe where salvation has been automated and denial keeps peace. Admittedly, it's a neat property to monkey around with, using striking images of Priests stomping around with facial cross tattoos, while fixated men on futuristic motorcycles tear off at 200 mph into the wasteland, a hopeless area outside of the Church's control. Visually, Stewart has much to work with, only requiring an animated cast and a solid script to breathe life into the material's considerable lungs. Uh-oh.

Acting-wise, the film is a bust, parading around a series of glum performances that fail to seize the Leone-esque tone Stewart is aiming for. Bettany plays Priest as a series of stares, straining to harden himself into a Catholic killing machine with little patience for vampires or people without facial cross tattoos. His icy grunts and monotone exposition delivery fail to charge up the alleged testosterone of the piece. And while his lean physicality works well with the swirling visual style of the picture, his performance puts the material to sleep. Worse is Gigandet, flopping uncomfortably as the overwhelmed law enforcer, while Maggie Q (here as compatriot Priestess) is brought in for her limber martial art moves, not her thespian skills. As for Urban, I'm trusting the script offered more substance to lure the actor in, because Black Hat is a shadow of a villain, barely registering beyond some awkward baddie theatrics and fang flashing.

Perhaps Cory Goodman's screenplay was something significant at one point in pre-production, elegantly exploring Priest's detective skills and Black Hat's master plan of upheaval, developing the dystopian world beyond the mere highlight reel Stewart has signed off on here. Running a mere 80 minutes, "Priest" glosses right over needed storytelling texture to hit predictable slo-mo action beats, while the vampire/beast community is populated by iffy CG creatures, making the film a plastic run of chaos, removing any serious threat.

THE BLU-RAY

Visual:

Shadow detail is critical to the "Priest" viewing experience, and the AVC encoded image (2.40:1 aspect ratio) presentation respects the film's sense of black, looking crisp and alert while sustaining frame details. Clarity is comfortable here, with only a few flashes of softeness, while much of the close-up textures remain, extending to set design and creature execution. Colors are in great shape, leading with a deep, cold sense of blue, exploding into lighter, blown-out hues once the action hits wasteland exteriors. Skintones are natural.

Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD sound mix is quite combustible, featuring an active sense of directional movement, pushing ghouls and violence around the room, holding the viewer in place. Dialogue retains a pleasing echoed quality that sells the cavernous locations, while most of the verbal activity holds frontal for easiest interpretation. Scoring is hearty without steamrolling over the action, and low-end is helpful, rumbling along with trains and various acts of brutality. DVS, French, and Spanish tracks are also included.

Subtitles:

English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles are offered.

Extras:

"Bullets & Crucifixes" is a PIP track that runs during the movie, collecting numerous interviews, concept art, and on-set footage to help investigate the filmmaking event. This is featurette-level insight, so don't get too excited.

The feature-length audio commentary with director Scott Stewart, actors Paul Bettany and Maggie Q, and screenwriter Cory Goodman is a surprisingly effective conversation between people who seem truly proud of their creation. Stewart leads the track, breaking down the production steps and technical challenges, pointing out his struggles with the MPAA and the effort to bring Goodman's script to life. The rest of the crew offers empty platitudes and light jesting, but their upbeat energy is entertaining. It's a useful track.

"Deleted and Extended Scenes" (12:31) supply an extended opening attack sequence, some additional time with Priest and Black Hat, and a lengthened conclusion. They are presented unfinished, providing an amusing look at actors working without the benefit of visual effects.

"The Bloody Frontier" (12:49) discovers the intricate design of the "Priest" universe, discussing set and vampire concepts, thematic influence, and location filming. Interviews with cast and crew articulate intention and motivation, while moderate BTS footage is employed to back up the arguments.

"Tools of the Trade" (11:25) returns to the cast and crew, who chat up the weapons and vehicles used in the film, explaining their purpose and craftsmanship, also highlighting the merge of futuristic and western aesthetics.

A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Maybe I'm giving the filmmakers too much credit, but I'd like to believe there was once more to "Priest" than the tedious, hollow, joyless jumble that's presented here.