Dogma (1999) User Reviews

A winner on many counts

[lastliberal · 8/10 · 29 April 2007]

It is not often that you get to see a group of stars that you like in a funny movie that also makes some interesting points.

Matt Damon (The Bourne Ultimatum ), Linda Fiorentino (Unforgettable). Severus Snape, Jay and Silent Bob, Salma Hayek (Frida), George Carlin, and, of course, God (Alanis Morissette), all join to make this irreverent and funny movie.

The premise is so interesting, and the fact that it is set in New Jersey is so appropriate, whether intentional or not. As a recovering Catholic, I remember the teaching of the church that I could basically sin all I want, but if I repent at the end, I will be saved and go to heaven. New Jersey is reputedly the home of many undesirable criminals with vowels on the ends of their names - maybe some of them even relatives of mine - and I know they are predominately Catholic. I am sure they are counting on this "escape clause," just as Loki and Bartleby were counting on the same thing.

Yes, while I was laughing, I was also carefully looking at the images {the golden calf (money) we worship} and listening to the lines. There is a wealth of material in this movie and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

One to see again and again.

Part religious, part blasphemous, mostly hilarious.

[oneguyrambling · 8/10 · 27 December 2011]

In Kevin Smith's world there are Angels among us, they blaspheme, kill and covet – by my reckoning three of the Big Ten – perhaps Kevin thought 7 outta 10 ain't bad? They also look like the guys from Good Will Hunting! These two angels, Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck) were cast from Heaven for things un-Angel-ly, though they believe they have discovered a loophole that will allow them access back to heaven, and they have 4 days to get to New Jersey to exploit it.

The problem there is that existence itself is based upon the principle that God is infallible, and proving him wrong in any way disproves that, meaning existence itself won't… exist.

So every man and his Dog(ma) from both "sides" (you know up above and down below) are intent to either allow these two misguided Angels passage in order to create chaos or prevent them from f*cking up the nice gig we humans have down here.

The finer points of the plot don't matter here – suffice to say that the Church trying to get hipper and more accessible is a factor – what really drives the film is that the theological backdrop provides Kevin Smith's many characters with a setting where his dialogue sounds more plausible, even with all the unnecessary and extraneous formal touches that no-one aside from he and his characters use in everyday life. But Angels, Demons and Apostles probably do (not sure if I need capitals there but I'd hate to p*ss off the Church!).

With the big G-(wo)Man being laid up and unable to step in it is up to his staff to prevent this unholy act.

Bethanie (Linda Fiorentino) is the initially unwilling human charged with the ultimate responsibility by the Metatron AKA voice of God (Alan Rickman), Rufus is the formerly unknown 13th Apostle (who proves his authenticity by stating that Jesus "still owes me twelve bucks!"), and Smith faves Jay and Silent Bob are essentially escorts along for the rise – and to provide much of the potty humour.

On the "Red" team are Azrael the demon (Jason Lee) and a few teenaged minions.

The ludicrous and way out setting is perfect for Kevin Smith to work with, being a pet project he obviously spent a great deal of time coming up with a plot that while far-fetched hangs together and is plausible in an impossible way. The script is often clever, the dialogue better than anything he has written since and there is lots of detail along the way that shows the time spend fine tuning the small things.

But with the good comes the not so good – though Smith thankfully keeps his indulgences minor – there are still various comic book references, a myriad of 80s references and wink-wink cameos, but it must be said they do all work or at least not detract from the good stuff.

And finally what other film can say that they have Salma Hayek as a stripper (I could give you 20 paragraphs on that 90 second scene alone!), a Sh*t-Demon, and who could forget the mass murder of fast food chain senior management topped off with the slaughter of hundreds of New Jersey-ites? (Unfortunately this was made before Jersey Shore so they weren't able to kill off the unbearably untalented Snooki – that might be a job for a Terminator in the future.) I think Clerks remains Kevin Smith's best film and Chasing Amy is his most accomplished, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was the film he was most satisfied with, after all he managed to tick most of the "Kevin Smith Bingo TM" categories off (potty humour, 80s references, cameos, a cast of his familiars, drug references, Jay and Silent Bob, comic book parables etc) AND deal with his own religious questions at the same time, in a film that works quite well as a straight comedy – albeit of the dreaded controversial type – but even without the dick jokes (or lack thereof where Angels are concerned) the script is interesting enough that Dogma would be worth watching.

Of course if you are reading this and want me to address the film from a religious perspective – you're wasting your time. It's just a movie, a good movie dealing with religious themes, but still JUST A MOVIE! Final Rating – 8 / 10. Smith should go back to writing his own stuff about things that matter to him, anything else could be perceived as a Cop Out, which wouldn't be good.

Great concept, adequate execution, likable movie

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 6/10 · 25 February 2008]

"Dogma" isn't the kind of comedy that most people will find themselves holding onto their guts during. It's more the second-long "ha!" kind of comedy.

That simply means Kevin Smith's writing is clever enough to the point where you will be pleasantly shocked by some of the conversations and events of the film and think it all rather amusing and humorous. It's not hilarious, it's just clever and a bit funny.

The premise is rather interesting and surprisingly from a more fantasy-esquire genre than Smith traditionally dabbles with. Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck) are more or less fallen angels that have found a way back into heaven. They must be stopped or the world will come to a screeching halt, so a seemingly random protagonist named Bethany gets charged by God to stop them. Simple, but the slick, nonchalant approach to religion keeps the satire rampant.

The film does spend a lot of its time explaining itself, which isn't too bad considering Smith keeps the explanations to-the-point and allows the characters to stay interesting in the process. Chris Rock, who plays an apostle, and Alan Rickman, who plays God's messenger/ voice are two of these characters that are both good in the film and Smith has allowed to maintain their character's edge despite lines upon lines of explanation.

Getting from point A to point B and so on is not the film's strength. The physical events that take place are ultimately boring and unexciting. It's the moments along the way, the conversations and the philosophy that come about, that make it successful. Affleck's character raises a lot of interesting religious questions about humanity and his conversation with the protagonist on the train is rather insightful. In general, Smith has used Bethany as a way to keep the viewers skepticism of the plot active in the film. She keeps it from getting preposterous. In general, the whole cast is very talented and their characters well written, which keeps the film interesting.

It's not the funniest or most interesting comedy in terms of plot and the sequence of events, but "Dogma" is a smart concept that ultimately results in a sharp satire and some great thoughts that scrutinize religion in a way that never seems too out of line.

I laughed till I cried (really)

[Zorro-3 · 10/10 · 15 January 2005]

I always thought the phrase, "I laughed until I cried," was just an oxymoron. Until it happened to me. I watched Dogma: the funniest movie I have ever seen. The movie seemed designed specifically for my warped sense of humor. It was an incredible mesh of the high-brow and the low-brow.

It had one character who was extremely foul-mouthed, and kept making up hilarious obscene phrases. It also had a lot of perceptive, biting (and very funny) theological and social commentary.

For me, it was sort of like being tickled hard in the ribs for about an hour. When I reached the breath-taking climax of the film, the resolution was such a shock and was so unexpectedly emotional and I was so sore from all the laughing, I actually burst into tears. Now, dammit I am a grown man. I never do that. Not even for anything real, much less a movie. But it happened.

For a while there, it was fantastic

[Mr-Fusion · 6/10 · 8 September 2017]

I was fully expecting Alan Rickman to walk away with "Dogma", even with such an impressive cast. And he comes close. But what I absolutely did not see coming was just how funny Jay is in this movie. I've always preferred Silent Bob, but Mewes is a riot.

This isn't my favorite of the View Askewniverse. It's long-winded and the incessant conversations on scripture mythology get old. You can tell Kevin Smith was exorcising some self-doubt here, but by the time the gang gets trapped in the bar, I'd mostly checked out.

I can't hate on a movie that's given the world Buddy Christ, but at a certain point, I was missing that first half pretty hard.

6/10

simply fabulous--kevin smith rocks!

[revsonya · 9/10 · 15 May 2001]

While both funny and frightening, this film is more than just a comedy with gratuitous violence and (bad)-language. It's a theological reflection...and a call to the Church to focus on things that matter (like living life to the fullest, helping those in need, honoring and respecting all, expecting respect in return) rather than those that don't (like...well, dogma [doctrines/church laws] or any belief that causes us to "draw a line in the sand," condemning to hell or perdition any who disagree with us). As I watched it (the first and all subsequent times), I felt sure that the movie was written by someone who really loves his church -- but is smart and aware enough to recognize its shortcomings, its blindspots, even its failures and hypocrisies. Rather than simply leaving or ignoring or dismissing it, Smith chooses to enter into dialogue with it, using the potent medium of film to do so. One can only hope that the church--not just Roman Catholic but all branches of it-- takes him up on his call to conversation.

Not to be missed in the film, on a lighter note, are the introductory disclaimer and the "Thank Yous" at the end. Smith thanks Elaine Pagels, for God's sake -- who knew anyone in Hollywood read contemporary, feminist theology? What a welcome revelation....

Dogma succumbs to its own...well...Dogma

[Mitch-38 · 5/10 · 7 May 2000]

Initially promising start with an interesting premise and a bit of inspired casting, DOGMA wanes immensely after the first thirty minutes. DOGMA commits the Hollywood version of mortal sin by taking itself way too seriously. Once the screenplay takes to this convoluted path, the humor screeches to an abrupt stop. For a motion picture that is supposed to take a farcical approach towards organized religion (namely Catholicism), it surely revels in its own inflated sermonizing. For a look at humorous takes on religion that's been done better, check out THE LOVED ONE (1965) or LIFE OF BRIAN (1979).

My Least Favorite Kevin Smith Film

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 12 June 2015]

An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loop-hole and reenter Heaven.

This is a much-loved part of Kevin Smith's universe, with many people considering it his best film. For me, I always thought it was his worst. After the strongly-scripted trilogy of "Clerks", "Mallrats" and "Chasing Amy", suddenly we start getting some strange things like a giant poop monster. Really? That right there negates all the clever ideas you tried to add to the script.

This is also the point in Smith's career where the budget was getting too big. The films got bigger than they needed to be and the casts got more famous. And why? This did nothing to improve the core of Smith's work, which does not succeed on larger scales.

Chesterton lives!

[zahasj · 9/10 · 15 June 2000]

Another vote from a cradle Catholic who was not remotely offended by this movie. Not that some of the negatives mentioned by other posters here aren't true -- yes, a lot of the humor is gross, yes, the F-word is overused, yes, its criticism of organized religion is less stinging that you'd expect (though that in itself is a slightly foolish expectation, given that the writer/director is himself an active member of an organized religion). And yes, if you're not Catholic, much of the movie is a little foggy, under-explained, and not very engaging. That last one I definitely agree with; I seriously doubt whether I'd recommend the film to a non-Catholic at all.

But, oh, God, I LOVED it, serious flaws and all! It's a huge chaotic mess with about sixty different trains of thought and philosophy, from the ecstatic to the scatological, slugging it out for dominance, and in its very sloppiness there's a sense of anarchic, exultant wonder I've never seen in a movie before. The only two things like it that I can think of are Thornton Wilder's play "Skin of Our Teeth" and G.K. Chesterton's amazing joyous fever dream of a novel "The Man Who Was Thursday", both of which are works by people who may or may not have faith but who definitely have a good idea. Or several dozen of them, and who just run with them wherever they go. These works are big chaotic messes, but in that way they are mirrors of Creation, the mother of all big chaotic messes. In all these works, just as in the real world, love and joy and beauty and filth and cruelty and despair are constantly tumbling over and bleeding into each other; the one universal rule is that everything is absurd, that the human race is the most absurd thing of all, and that this absurdity can be the catalyst to either suffocating grief or a kind of hilarious wonder.

If you go into "Dogma" expecting a trim and tidy theological comedy of manners, you'll be sorely disappointed. If you're looking for something with the same filthy gorgeous lunacy of existence itself, this is it.

Oldschool

[ziggywilliams-16101 · 7/10 · 27 September 2018]

Bring back Matt Damon from the old days. Such a great film - I watch it once a year. The satire is totally on point here.

Highly recommended for fans and future fans alike

[Anthony-15 · 8/10 · 27 September 1999]

Dogma is firmly rooted in Kevin Smith's View Askew world so fans of his other films will not be disappointed. However, it also expands on the direction he took in Chasing Amy by dealing with subject matter and concepts that are personal and thought provoking. Dogma goes beyond the "dick and fart jokes", which are reassuringly present, and gives the viewer something to think about.

The film deals with thoughts on religion, Catholicism mainly, in a way that pokes fun at the institution but does not deride it. Dogma is by no stretch of the imagination an anti-Catholic movie. It embraces religion and points out the potential and actual problems that can occur within any religious institution. The film's comments and contents are definitely meant to be taken with a grain of salt.

The cast is great and there are many instances of hilarious viewing, usually Jay and Silent Bob, as well as very sensitive and expressive moments from the various actors.

In the end, Dogma is a thoroughly fun and thoughtful viewing experience that both old and new fans will enjoy. A movie outside the typical fare that is worth spending your money on seeing.

Religion

[fignewtonanon · 7/10 · 15 February 2020]

I go to church and I find this movie very religious. I show it to children at my church's annual vacation bible school.

This should be in every top 10

[danellaking · 10/10 · 16 July 2019]

This is a clever, funny and thought provoking movie which needs to be seen by every person on the planet that has a sense of humour. Alan Rickman steals the show (as to be expected) but all of the characters are incredibly well cast - almost like they were born to play the part. Thanks Kevin Smith for writing such an outstanding movie which I can constantly recommend to others!!

Some Fun For That Guy Over There

[daveisit · 6/10 · 9 January 2001]

This is not Kevin Smith's best piece of work. His script was not quite up to his usual standard, most likely because it wasn't based on the everyday life of normal people. Even so I still had plenty of laughs and loved the performance of God. If you like Smith's movies, your sure to get a laugh from this one.

A Religious Comedy

[Matt-371 · 10/10 · 19 November 1999]

I am a huge Kevin Smith fan and after seeing this film I can say that it was everything I hoped it would be, and a little bit more. It's extremely well written and directed. The film has the same great comedy we're used to from Kevin Smith, but he shows that he has another dimension that I don't think many people thought was there.

Jay and Silent Bob have their biggest role so far. Jay has some of his laugh out loud funniest one liners yet. But what really makes this a great film is that it is genuinely thought provoking.

There are religious people out there who will criticize this film as being anti religion, anti Catholicism, when it is anything but (well, a little anti Cathlic maybe). The central theme to the film is that there is a God, but not the God that most people know (or think they know) or believe in. The characters in the film are trying to get the message across that people have changed the original God, man has made God into the image they want him/her to be, made their own religious rules, rules that God never intended. From a strictly biblical standpoint, Smith is right on, which is not something that can be said about many films dealing with religion. And isn't that the entire point to Christianity, that it's based on the bible.

Original and controversial

[alansabljakovic-39044 · 7/10 · 5 November 2019]

I can see a lot of Catholics triggering and I love it.

Wow this was terrible

[youaresquishy · 1/10 · 21 November 2007]

Linda Fiorentino, the star of this film, put on one of the very worst performances I have ever witnessed in any large budget American film I have seen.

I also think Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, and Jason Lee were all pretty awful. Even Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith were no good in this one.

The script is just terrible. I'm a big Kevin Smith fan, but almost every line in this one is cringe-worthy, and especially those said by Linda Fiorentino.

The whole story is just a jumbled mess--it seemed very much made up on the fly as they went along.

And wow is it long. And boring. And not even a little funny.

This film seems to be trying to be a critique of organized religion on some level, and so, I want to make it clear that I am not saying negative things out of some loyalty to some religion. I'm not a religious nut--just the opposite. I'm completely nonreligious. Religion is the single strangest thing about humanity, to me.

I have no understanding of any positive thing that's been said about this film. It is one of the very few films I have given a 1 rating to. I can't believe one of my favorite directors made something this awful.

Great film, not up to the standard of Smith's previous work

[Jane FlamE · 7/10 · 24 January 2001]

Those of you who are fans of Kevin Smith's previous works (Clerks, Mallrats & Chasing Amy)may find this area familiar in some parts and unnerving and perhaps even commercial by comparison. Dogma sees fallen angels Bartleby and Loki (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon)attempting to make their way back into heaven via a newly instituted catholic dogma. The problem with this lies in the fact that if they are successful, they would have overturned a ruling by God, hence God is always right and if proven wrong would result in the undoing of existence. The familiar presence of Jay and Silent Bob is comforting and ensures that some of the essence Smith's earlier work stays put, however at times this film dissents into areas that seem out of Smith's depth. There are some surprisingly touching moments which implies that Smith gave a great deal of thought, similar to that of Chasing Amy. In general it is a great all round cast, (Linda Fiorentino,Chris Rock, Alan Rickman) and it is obvious that whilst writing this Smith had his tongue firmly in cheek.

Surprising!

[p_monkey · 9/10 · 1 December 1999]

While held back from being truly stunning by some pacing issues and some minor script awkwardnesses, Dogma is an enjoyable trip from beginning to end. Smith plays textures like a cardshark - from action sequences to philosophical debates to stoned one-liners to dramatic monologues, the action flows remarkably smoothly for all of the twists that are thrown at it. I was also extremely impressed by the tasteful execution of the more violent scenes, where the graphic aftermath may be shown, but the action happens off-camera. One rough point was that a great deal of dialogue came of as expostiory - there was simply such a massive back-story (2000 years of religious history...go fig...) that it seemed at times that the plot had to fight its way through the background information. One particular shot also irked me - in the Bethany/Metatron scene in the cafe, every time the camera cut back to Bethany, she seemed to be in the exact same pose, and break it in a very similar way. I wonder if this was intentional, or if it was a continuity issue? The casting of God was simply inspired - her appearance was actually one of the highlights of the film. Towards the very end, there were some surprisingly touching moments (of course rendered through Smith's unique style), and the closing scene felt like something right out of a good ol' 80's movie (that's a good thing!). Issues and all, a truly enjoyable film!

losing my religion...

[dbdumonteil · 6/10 · 17 September 2003]

Making a movie that aims at laughing at religion is in itself a delicate operation but Kevin Smith managed to get out very well of this deadlock. His weird but funny movie is based on a plain and simple story. But "Dogma" is especially a movie that mocks at religion and its prejudice. It suggests a zany and blasphemous picture: thus God is a young woman (an unexpected Alanis Morrisette), thus prophets smoke a lot of grass and masturbate a lot, thus Jesus was actually black.

"Dogma" also enjoys an outstanding performance. The only fault of the movie is that it's very talkative. Nevertheless, no matter if you're a believer or you aren't, Kevin Smith's movie remains a success.

A Funny, Charming Fantasy

[nukfan · 8/10 · 20 October 2013]

Dogma has plenty of funny religion-themed gags, but I was entertained by it mainly because I liked just about all of the characters and I enjoyed most of their dialogue.

There's not a lot of substance behind what they're saying, unlike in, say, Tarantino's films, but the fact that it's all fairly low-brow and goofy is what makes it good. Jay and Bob are fantastic with their little stoner quips.

The plot is fairly weak, but it's not supposed to be brilliant. It's easy to tell that Kevin Smith just enjoys playing around with Catholicism by poking and prodding at it.

Also, George Carlin is what was his usual comedic self in his cameo.

Good, but not as good as the rest of Smith's films

[gregmovies · 7/10 · 24 August 2008]

Dogma is a decent comedy, and a decent commentary on religion. Overall, that's all the film is though; decent. The characters dialogue relating to the plot runs too long, there are too many characters, and the film drags at times. However, the humor, Jay and Silent Bob, and the hilarious dialogue make this an enjoyable popcorn movie. Smith's trademark humor makes the film (Jay: "We figure an abortion clinic is a good place to meet loose women. Why else would they be there unless they like to F***?")

In the end, I give the film a low 7/10, the good outweighs the bad and it features plenty of the observations and lines that made Clerks great.

One of the More Underrated Movies from the '90s

[ejbarnumsteg-998-730991 · 7/10 · 28 April 2020]

Kevin Smith made a great one.

A hilarious, yet contemplative piece that makes you take a look at your own faith.

A star-studded cast provided comedic levity throughout while also commanding a ponderance of religion.

I highly recommend this movie for everyone l, regardless of religious views.

An intelligently written satirical comedy

[freemantle_uk · 10/10 · 27 August 2013]

Dogma is one of Kevin Smith's most controversial films, a smartly written comedy that takes jabs against the Catholic Church and religion in general and it is very much a cult classic which my friends from college raved about.

Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) is a catholic woman who works in an abortion clinic who is given a mission from Metatron (Alan Rickman), the Voice of God, to go church in New Jersey. She has to stop two fallen angels, Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck) who have found a loophole that they can re-enter Heaven: but if they do that they would destroy all of existence because God's word is meant to be infallible. Fortunately (or unfortunately) Bethany is joined by Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith), the thirteenth apostle, Rufus (Chris Rock) as Loki goes on a killing spread and a demon called Azreal (Jason Lee) tries to make Loki and Bartleby success in their objective.

Dogma is a sharply written comedy that is constantly funny. Smith makes a dialogue driven comedy filled with comical exchanges and great character inactions. Smith's trademarks of film related dialogue and jokes at the expense of Jay, but the best parts is the satire of religion and his showcasing of knowledge of Catholicism, combined with clever lines about the religion.

Sometimes Smith does stand on his soapbox about religion, but for the most part the satirical jabs are one target. We get satire from all angles from a Cardinal trying to get the church to appeal to younger worshipper, by doing it in the most patronising way, including a 'hey Jesus' and comic book art for its title 'Catholicism Wow'. There are criticisms about how The Bible has be rewritten to suit certain groups, with the Bible being whitewashed (though ignoring that Jesus and the apostles would have mostly have been of Middle-Eastern appearance) and women having villainous roles.

Affleck and Damon were great together as the fallen angels, having great dialogue and discussions, particularly in the beginning and a scene in a boardroom for a children's character. Alan Rickman was also a comedy highlight, playing against type as the Voice of God, someone who has great lines and adds serious emotion depth when needed. He added gravitas and gave the role his all.

Kevin Smith has often stated that he thinks he is not a particular good director, but with Dogma he is able to keep a fast pace, he knows how to shoot the dialogue sequences and can add a scene of tension when needed (i.e. the boardroom scene). Smith is competent with the action sequence at the end and he knows how to use his bloodpacks. The general look and tone of the film where Reaper (which Smith directed the pilot) got its influences from.

The film does occasional take a misstep, such as Smith being at time very preachy and there is a demon made from faecal matter which was very immature and out of place for a smartly written film.

On a final note, Howard Shore of the Lord of the Rings fame provided the score for Dogma and much his other work he gives Dogma a top score. He uses plenty of choir beats and singers to add to the experience.

Dogma is a highly enjoyable comedy that is intelligently written and very funny. It is a film deserving of its cult classic status.

Kevin's Dissapointment

[MrLankyD · 6/10 · 19 January 2002]

I remember reading the screenplay before seeing the movie in unhealthy anticipation, and it was marvelous. Fresh, witty, original, different, it was great. The film on the otherhand, is not. Kevin Smith is not one for visual flair, which hurts an effects-laden epic scope film like this. If a movie is supposed to have an adventure/fantasy feel to it, you can't spend the whole movie talking about stuff and not actually showing it, at least not this way. ITS A FRIGGIN' ACTION SEQUENCE!!! YOU CAN'T DO THAT SHOESTRING STYLE YOU FOOL!! This film starts off funny enough but is unsuccessful in juxtaposing the humour and drama/violence, and without balance you have dead weight. The laughs exit quickly and are replaced by...boredom. Whats worse, Mr. Smith's cast is not quite up to snuff this time. Linda Fiorentino is one-note and unengaging. Chris Rock is as always a bad actor, and only looks comfortable when yelling or cussing. Smith himself overdoes it a bit. And the stygian triplets are in no way menacing. I'm sure it sounded funny on paper, but its cheap on screen. If Smith had the directing chops and the budget to make this work, it could have been great, but he doesn't. He is a writer first and a director second, and in a dialogue driven film like "Chasing Amy", thats all well and good, but not for Dogma. People really seem to like this film for its open mindedness. Well everyone is open minded to the extent that we're now close minded to actually having opinions about stuff....was that a rant? Never mind. Mark this down as a disappointment and a could have been classic spoiled by shoddy direction and budget.