Tacticalin An absolute waste of money

Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Isbel A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Guy Plot: After his father is murdered a young man must hunt down a holy relic with the help of a priest and an alchemist.Listening to the director's commentary it is obvious that this was a film made with good intentions. For one thing, the director appears to believe in most of the conspiracy theories that make up the plot! Sadly it is let down by dreary leads, a poor script and the frankly ludicrous conspiracy concept. The Knights Templar, the Book of Revelation and the Merovignian bloodline all make appearances, rendering the film neither original nor convincing. It doesn't help that the big secret conspiracy is obvious almost from the beginning, robbing the film of any mystery. For the most part this is a rubbish thriller, absent tension, excitement or, well, thrills. The leads are wooden, the characters dull, the writing trite, the budget minute and the conclusion patently absurd.Worth no viewings (sadly).

jplatten I think on the whole this pile of rubbish is worth watching just the once. The reason being that it has some scenes that definitely stick in the mind, for instance the crusdaders' defence of their tomb, the fate of a priest who gives just a bit too much away and a bit of torture near the end. These are great scenes individually well shot and conceived. The location selection is also first rate. Whoever was in charge of that did a stand out job. There are some wonderful looking real places in here. Sadly, the rest including much of the story, the acting and the continuity is I am afraid pure unadulterated drivel. Without giving too much away our heroes run around solving things in a "tadah!" way that have remained hidden for thousands of years. In the most laughable scene they pick up a relic that has been lost to humanity for two Lenna... er, hidden under a few inches of sand in a place visited so recently it has Acro bars holding the roof up.Cue scene from my imagination rather than this risible film: Roof Support Workman#1: "Strewth it's hot down here Bob, I'm going to take a rest" *Puts hand back into small pile of sand as he reclines* "Hang on! There's something under here - Wow! It's Ariella ornate and interesting looking box, maybe we had better take it to a museum or something.Workman#2: "Nah mate better put it back under that sand. Someone might need it to save the world one day. If we go moving it about now they'll be right up the creek" Workman#1: "Yeah, right you are Terry. I'll put it back just in case" *Puts box back in hiding place so film plot can find it later where it's been, almost in plain view for two thousand ruddy years!!* You'll see what I mean if you watch the film. THis and many other things are sheer nonsense.

mikekelly38 (Apologies in advance for the use of capitals). I've seen a lot of bad films in my life, but this takes the proverbial mick. I won't add to what the other detractors have said, as they have said it far more eloquently than I ever could, except for this, I watched the DVD once purely because Terence Stamp was in it, then THREW it into the bin in disgust, the only time I've EVER thrown a DVD away. This film is at the bottom of the heap of godawful 'Millennial' films made and released around the same period. Terence Stamp is a superlative actor whose career had spanned nearly forty years by the time this DROSS was released, so why the hell did he agree to appear in it? (if appear is the right word, blink, he's on, blink, he's gone).

LaFeeChartreuse Having thoroughly enjoyed this film, I was astonished to see the many negative reviews and overall low rating it got here, though I did note that opinion was mixed.I do think you probably have to have an interest in the subject matter - alchemy, occult orders, mediaeval magic, etc. - to get much out of it. The fact that those topics do interest me was a big part of the film's appeal, but even apart from that I thought it was well done. Perhaps not enough so to grab the attention of the casual viewer who doesn't know alchemy from Alka-Seltzer, but enough not to disappoint anyone with a serious interest.The film is an absorbing, challenging thriller, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, and some beautiful visuals. The acting is mixed - some characters were very convincing, others less so. The special features on the DVD added a lot to it - it was interesting finding out just how much of the background of the story was based on history, even though the main body of the plot itself was completely fictional. Overall I'd call it a film best viewed by a limited audience. If you don't have an active interest in the subject matter and are just looking for entertainment, you probably won't get much out of it. But if you do, it's well worth checking out.