The Mark (I) (2012) User Reviews

Mostly ineffective action film with spiritual overtones.

[suite92 · 4/10 · 22 April 2014]

Avanti Corporation creates one biometric computer chip intended to have some profound interface with a human being. If that were not strange enough, their lab was just about to implant the thing inside a chosen test subject when the lab is attacked. While the lab burns and things are still blowing up, the lab surgeon does an emergency implant into a member of the security force for Avanti, one Chad Turner.

Cooper, the failed head of security for Avanti, gets Turner on a plane to a safe place. That does not work. For one thing, Joseph Pike is determined to have the chip.

The plane is hijacked by three murderers and one tech accomplice. The attempt at re-taking the plane and killing all the hijackers was almost successful. The lights go out; when they come back on, some passengers are gone, with their clothes left behind. (This event was given a spiritual explanation.) There are more problems than just the departed hijackers.

Will the plane land safely?

-----Scores-----

Cinematography: 2/10 Poor close-ups accompanied by camera shake. Stupid camera angles.

Sound: 7/10 The actors are miked OK. The music is not all that effective.

Acting: 2/10 Absurdly bad. The lead actor, Craig Sheffer, is perhaps the worst of them all, with Gary Daniels a close second. The pair who played the pilot and co-pilot were terrible.

Screenplay: 4/10 The dialog is odd and stilted, especially where Christian beliefs are being injected. There is not much story stretched over 92 minutes.

SFX: 4/10 The mock-up of a commercial passenger jet airplane is ridiculous. The animated airplane exteriors were not good.

A bit dis-integrated and stretched thin

[lhikan-50572 · 3/10 · 16 October 2016]

Being as spoiler-lite as feasible, here's my review as a Christian viewer.

Christian films, particularly Christian fantasy films, often struggle to balance plot and religious undertones, which for the most part don't mesh very well in the film. Here, the action and religion seemed to be a bit divorced, with the religion being more isolated and forced. Flashback scenes can be used well, but when most of the spirituality is isolated to these scenes the divide just seems to broaden (and somehow I missed that it was his brother talking about God until near the end). Less concentrated but more spread out spirituality could have made the film feel more unified.

I was also cringing at the explanation of the girl who was shot in his past as that seems to be a very ego-centric to Messiah-complex theology. The purpose seems to have been to take the conversation to God and the problem of evil, but there are less problematic ways to bring up the Bible.

The plot also seems highly questionable, beyond the guns used on a plane not being more disastrous. Very little background background is given regarding the movie's MacGufin, a microchip, or why a an obvious-villain-trope group is after it. The promo for the sequel at the end of this movie gives more of these details than this movie. Much of the film is excessively stretched out and probably could have been condensed into 15-30 minutes. The whole side plot about getting into the cockpit seemed far from believable.

Characterization of non-background characters didn't seem to go beyond stock characters for the most part. Real security should have been able to pick the villains out easily before they boarded. We also know nothing about them, particularly how they know about the chip and why they're after it. I mean, existing microchips aren't exactly worth trying to take out a plane. Plus, there was little done to distinguish the captain and the other uniformed dude who got shot, bloodied his shirt more than necessary, and didn't bleed to death with the lack of real medical support.

Overall, really can't recommend this film for anything more than (sparse) background for the sequel, The Mark: Redemption. The potential for a good film fell short of the "mark" as it were.

Probably the worst movie I've ever watched

[nelsonalmiranti · 1/10 · 19 May 2013]

...and I've seen a lot. A lot that were really bad. This beat them all. All those hints to Christianity and faith at the beginning should have given it away, but I had to be stubborn and go ahead. Silly me!

This movie is initially presented as some sort of techno-thriller, maybe cheap, all right, but not necessarily bad. Later, some action sequences develop in the claustrophobic environment of the plane, and I usually like that kind of setting. But then.

All of a sudden THE RAPTURE happens, right in the middle of the action. Yes! The freakin' rapture, proper! How about that for a plot device! Then the characters spend some 5 to 10 minutes explaining it to us.

Needless to say, the formerly atheist main guy finds faith, and he's now the biggest believer of all time. But I guess if you wake up right after the rapture, you don't get to go upstairs. That would be too easy, right? And it also wouldn't allow for a HORRIBLE SEQUEL.

That's pretty much all I have to say about this pile of _enter unpleasant substance here_.

I wish I the willpower to watch the sequel, but I'm afraid my faith is far from strong enough. As soon as science comes up with a way to remove specific memories from the human brain, I'll call and make an appointment.

Simply Bad Movie

[realvedmak · 1/10 · 9 May 2013]

Not everybody's acting was atrocious, but its like you can tell that actors did not enjoy themselves and just KNEW they were in bad movie during filming.

Movie starts OK, like but sub-B action flick. Type of movie that probably is not meant to be taken seriously anyway. But then they start with God and Jesus and movie changes from "its OK guys we know its a joke of a movie" to "Power of God gives me strength to do the impossible", people disappearing into thin air because they were "taken by God because only He has the power to save those that believe in Him".

I cant imagine even the most devoted believers in Jesus enjoying themselves with this movie. If you actually know somebody that liked this movie, get them some professional help.

My Dog could have written a better movie.

[sbthurst · 1/10 · 21 November 2014]

The very premise of he movie is very unbelievable and forced. This movie has some of the worst delivery of dialog I have ever heard. The dialog is very clichéd and there is very little explanation as to why the chip is so important. The only thing that say about it is that is will change the world but not how or what difference it makes to Chad. The first third of the movie is like a bad remake of Die Hard, just on a plane. There are a series of flashbacks that are constantly repeated. Then it manages to just get stupid. The rapture? Really? Why would just their clothes be left behind? The most believable thing in the movie was Roberts as a bad guy as he never plays anything but. And finally, has anyone ever heard of a smart heroic "Chad?"

painful to watch

[a678214 · 1/10 · 12 December 2012]

Some films get a bad rating I can't agree with - with this I wish there would be also a 0 available.

Maybe I shouldn't write a review because I stopped watching the movie 10minutes before the ending – but it gave me physical pain to watch the storyline get worse and worse. The only reason to watch this movie up to this point or further can only be explained with a deer watching into the coming lights.

The guy who pitched the story to the studio must be really a genius or the brother in law. Otherwise I can't think of a sane person that thinks that this kind of storyline could attract enough people to earn money with it. But the storyline isn't the only bad thing – also the main character wouldn't be my first choice if I would cast a person for this role. OK they didn't have much money to spend, but I'm pretty sure that there is another desperate actor that would fit much better.

Really bad

[vandamme_pieter · 1/10 · 2 January 2013]

This was indeed one of the worst movies I ever saw, and I can get a lot watching bad movies.

The guy invented this is on some kind of drugs I think...

If you really want to throw away 1u35 of your life look at it, otherwise just do something else...

And next to the story line, the acting is even worse and so are the special effects.

I hope this is really helpfull to win some time for all the filmlovers to see other movies than this one, and to know the best of all, THERE IS A SEQUEL!!!

Sooooo terrible!!

[GeMan0 · 1/10 · 2 August 2020]

It was so bad, but we had to sit through just to see what happened in the end. Terrible acting and some terrible faults with the story line. Still was entertainment enough for a Sunday evening. Now I'll have to watch the second movie to see the conclusion.

The lead actor...

[mvike · 2/10 · 9 November 2019]

The lead actor is without a doubt one of the WORST lead actors I've ever seen in my life (and I'm a HORROR fan so I see a lot of trash) the guy makes Kirk Cameron look like Leonardo DiCaprio. He is supposed to play some tough guy I guess...? But he's just a guy with a flabby body who is supposed to be some elite warrior, and I'd have believed if he was part time security at the local mall that got the role. He's AWFUL!!!!! God have mercy on his soul.

I simply loved it!

[atdmv · 9/10 · 19 January 2013]

I really enjoyed watching this film and consider the time WELL SPENT. I just loved it. It's clean, unlike the genre's secular counterparts that are lousy with profanity and nudity, the latter of which usually occurs for no practical reason or necessity for the plot. The movie suspenseful and unique for its genre of Christian fiction. I have seen numerous faith-based movies, and this one is one of the best. When I choose to watch a Christian film, I don't look for astronomically expensive special effects or any other Hollywood "eye candy", for that matter. Christian movies are intended to vocalize and visualize the Christian beliefs, particularly the beliefs of the movie creators. And THAT is accomplished very well in this film. The film delves into the End Times prophesies and show one of the interpretations of the Book of Revelations. There is no requirement for anyone to agree with the authors — viewers simply get a chance to see a version of what the movie creators believe will happen. I think, it's great and wonderful to see the pages of the Bible come to life on the screen (or one interpretation of it). This movie has a target audience, and it meets the audience's expectations extremely well. The film did not have a massive budget for its making, so the viewer should accept it for what it is: a visual presentation of the fulfillment of the End Times prophecies (one interpretation). It is meant to tell people the Christian view of Salvation (the way to receive it) and to interpret parts of the Book of Revelation. And I believe, this film has fulfilled its purpose completely. It is even inspirational. In my opinion, most Christians, or anyone seeking God, will enjoy it. And don't read between the lines — the movie is pretty straight forward.

Entertaining and Well Produced

[RDreammaker · 6/10 · 8 April 2013]

This was a surprisingly good movie that I thoroughly enjoyed watching. As a producer and director, I did find a few weak points of the film, but then again, that is part of my training.

The overall story is strong, the acting is strong and the believability is strong from my perspective as a viewer who has watched and reviewed a plethora of movies while in film school and as a director and producer.

THE WEAK AREAS:

* The hand to hand fight sequences with the lead actor.

It seemed obvious that little combat training or coaching, if any, was provided to the lead actor,

Several fight sequences lacked enthusiasm, intensity, style or technique and reminded me of a horrible film pilot I worked on a few years ago, that didn't even make it through post-production.

Those particular scenes were key to the conflict rise in the film and were pretty soft. It would've been better to have brought in a couple of stunt doubles for these scenes in the lower sections of the airplane cavities and made them more intense.

* The airplane had no airplane noises, how is that possible?

That was either an editor or director decision. Not having ambient airplane sound, even at a low volume was a really poor decision in this production, since much of the movie takes place in the plane.

This was even more critical in areas of the plane where there absolutely would have been high volumes of sound.

There is no excuse for poor sound design, since it does not affect the film budget or require much additional time in post-production to lay the audio track.

* Everything about the story was tight, except for two areas of the film where it felt and looked like most "Faith Based Films". The story would not of suffered with a subtle approach. No one likes being pulled out at the beginning of the rising conflict to be told the motive up front. Find a way to reveal it without having to interrupt the flow with overtly obvious dialog.

THE STRONG AREAS:

The acting was very strong throughout almost all of the movie, Great actresses and actors, good story, very well told. However, out of the entire film, the weakest acting showed up with the lead character.

Again, there is something about most faith based films when I watch them, that look almost identical from movie to movie, especially these end-time movies. I am a fan of end time stories, but to make them work, you must keep the intensity tight.

I don't know if its the story, the Director interpretation of the story, the editor, or the actors inability to pull it off. It might even be all of them. There is just something undefinable that in one or two key scenes, the acting of the lead seem weak and unbelievable.

I saw the same thing in the first two Left Behind series movies Kirk Cameron was in. The third Left Behind, "World At War" was the exception, with tighter acting and more believable acting. In World At War, they killed off the weak actor in the beginning which was the smartest decision that could've been made. Had they kept that weak actor, the film would've sucked, but instead it was one of the best faith based films about end time events, made to date.

Conclusion:

I really enjoyed this movie as a viewer and a film maker. As far as films with a faith based underlying theme, it was on the higher end of believability and entertaining.

I've watched lots of higher budget films that were not as good as The Mark. If the writer, director and editor of The Mark sequel can manage to pull off the tight balance of telling the story subtly without creating a pause in the flow in its delivery of its motive, than it will be a winner.

Worth watching - I think so . Movie Value - I gave it a score of 6. I would've given it a 5 1/2 if that rating was an option.

ONE OF MANY CHRISTIAN MOVIES ON PURE FLIX

[beaglebailey-23123 · 10/10 · 7 May 2020]

This movie and #2 was excellent just others on Pure Flix.

Some Context May Be in Order

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 6 July 2014]

In order to understand this movie I believe some context may be in order. Let me first say that, despite the genre classification by IMDb, this is NOT a fantasy or sci-fi film. It's a Christian film based primarily upon the beliefs of certain fundamentalist denominations typically residing in the southern part of the United States. In particular, this film concerns prophecy stemming from their interpretations of the books of Daniel, Isaiah, Revelation, and Matthew. On that note, one doesn't have to believe in these prophetic interpretations to enjoy the movie. All it takes is a bit of understanding and a healthy respect for the beliefs of others even if they differ from your own. In any case, while I don't necessarily subscribe to the beliefs espoused by the makers of these films, I am still able to appreciate movies of this type because I understand the general plot and have no desire to disrespect the religious convictions of others. That said, allow me to explain what this movie is all about. First, many Christians believe that the world is heading for a dramatic return of Jesus Christ. No real surprise there as I think most true Christians believe that he will indeed return one day. However, this particular group of Christians believe that the end times will begin with an event known as "the Rapture" which features a disappearance of all true Christians into Heaven "in the blink of an eye". This will cause world-wide confusion which a certain nefarious person known as the "anti-Christ" will use to assume power over the entire world. To facilitate his power he will create a "mark" of some kind to establish a one-world currency. Now, there are several different theories on what this "mark" will actually be but in this particular film it is a computer chip which has been made by a firm called "Avanti". Anyway, after being refused the rights to obtain it legally the anti-Christ, who goes by the name of "Phillyp Turk" (Ivan Kamaras) in this specific movie, sends a hit-squad to Bangkok to acquire it by force. As a result of the intense battle the doctor for Avanti is unable to implant the computer chip into the willing subject. So he hastily injects it into an unconscious security employee by the name of "Chad Turner" (Craig Sheffer). After the hit-squad has been repelled Chad regains consciousness and he is then told about the computer chip and instructed by an Avanti executive named "Cooper" (Eric Roberts) to board a flight to Berlin so that it can be presented to a G20 conference. But the anti-Christ is not through and he orders an especially vicious mercenary by the name of "Joseph Pike" (Gary Daniels) to get it before the G20 summit convenes. So Joseph gathers a team and boards the flight from Bangkok to Berlin. Anyway, rather than detail any more of the story and risk spoiling the film for those who haven't seen it I will just stop right here. As far as the overall quality of the movie was concerned I thought it was pretty enjoyable. I especially liked the performance of Gary Daniels who played his role to near perfection. Another person I liked was Sonia Couling as the stewardess named "Dao" who was definitely an attractive addition to the cast. At any rate, while this might not be a great movie by any means I liked it and rate it as slightly above average.

Fantastic, Amazing eye opening Movie!!!

[josh-754-13979 · 10/10 · 2 August 2013]

This movie is fantastic from start to finish. With action through out the entire film that will have you excited and at the edge of your seat. The cast & director did a great job making this film come to life and enjoyable to watch. I can't wait and look forward to the next part of the series. The message in this movie is very easy to follow and makes you think about what to come in the near future. The action is top class and the special effects are awesome even though it might not have been a big budget. This film deserves 5 stars and should be watched by everyone. If i were to compare this film to another in the mainstream market, it would be Die Hard 2 meets Mission Impossible. I would definitely recommend this movie to all my friends and family so that they too can get the experience i did watching this movie. I have part 2 The Mark: Redemption and super excited for this weekend to watch it.

The overall rating is a bit harsh

[ocartists · 7/10 · 26 January 2013]

Warning: the review reveals the location of the plot. It seems the few reviews that have been written are at each end of the spectrum. They are a bit exuberant and a bit harsh in my eyes. For a Christian wanting to take in a movie, I don't regret watching the film. Part of the difficult in making this a great film, is the challenge of shooting the entire movie on the plane. This is extremely difficult to do and still keep the interest of the watcher as their are no scenic shots. There was not much intrigue, mystery, or twists in the plot for the most part. The leading actor didn't have a strong performance, but it was decent. Gary Daniels did great work as did Sonia Couling. The rest of the cast was respectable. The script could have been better as it dropped off a bit towards the end.

Great Action Film

[igonzog · 10/10 · 26 February 2021]

My family and I really enjoyed watching this film and part 2 as well! I highly recommend it. The fact it's a christian film is a major plus 👍🏼 The low reviews here are totally unwarranted

Correct Idea Regarding the Mark

[easeltine · 6/10 · 28 July 2013]

As a Christian I like watching Christian films. If you are a non-Christian please take that into consideration before watching this movie. I have a lot of Christian movies at home. I have seen "End Time/Eschatology" movies like one, the old, "A Thief in the Night," series, The Cloud Ten Pictures, (Apocalypse, Tribulation, Revelation, & Judgment), Left Behind I,II,III, and The Omega Code and Megiddo, The Omega Code II. My personal favorites are, "A Thief in the Night," "Judgment," "The Omega Code," and Left Behind I, II is OK also.

This movie is not at the bottom of the list, but there are serious flaws in the actual plot. In all of this I do not believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Mid-Tribulation, or when Jesus actually returns is more as I believe in. The movie, "The Omega Code," with Michael York is probably closest to my personal beliefs regarding Eschatology.

The flaws of this movie for me is not the acting, nor is the main idea of the Mark a problem for me. The problem for me is the actual writing of the Plane sequence. That plane sure flew a long time without a pilot! The pilot was raptured and the plane kept going. I am not a plane expert, but the way they got into the cockpit did not seem believable to me.

OK, this movie is fun to watch. It has a little too much violence for a kid to see, but it the ideas are pretty interesting and it is not a complete waste of time. There are movies that are boring, and this one is not. Also, there has been a lot of "F" words and "S" words in recent movies, (like Argo), and this one does not contain Stupid, unnecessary foul language. I am beginning to hate movies that stupidly put in 27 or 45 "F" words!

Fantastic movie!

[Hoceassandoval · 10/10 · 2 August 2013]

I'm a big fan of Christian movies and I felt that The Mark was not only better than most average faith based film, it looked awesome and told a really cool spin on the end times. It's good to see some great acting and creative ideas. Can't wait to see the sequel. I enjoyed the idea of a hijacked plane drama with Eric Roberts, who is an actor I've followed for awhile now. I was able to watch this movie with my whole family one night and was glad that I did. There's not enough "quality" faith based movies in stores. The Mark really made it easy for me to show my family something fun yet still classy unlike most Hollywood movies. My only complaint is that I really wanted to see the next part of the movie without the cliffhanger. Besides the obvious waiting I must endure I loved the film and is why I'm leaving my review. If you read this, please go out and see it. I promise you will not regret!

Great message!

[pattypinky · 10/10 · 25 May 2023]

Great movie, full of action and thrills wrapped up in box with a great message. It's not about the special effects, the thrills or otherwise. Whether people believe in what's to come in the future or otherwise, doesn't take away from the truth-and the truth is the light. If people open their eyes and minds, they could probably understand the warning, and what is beginning to happen even starting now. Again, believer or not, ready or not-the truth will set you free. I cannot wait to watch the sequel soon. I hope to find more movies in this category and hope others' will enjoy as well. Be blessed-peace!!!