Crimson Rivers - Angels of the Apocalypse (Special Edition)

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French sensation The Crimson Rivers was a serial killer thriller with a difference--it was genuinely thrilling. It was also pretty disturbing, but Jean Reno (The Professional) brought some light to the darkness with his sly performance as dog-phobic detective Niémans. Fortunately, Reno has returned in this highly stylized Luc Besson-penned sequel. Vincent Cassell has not, but Benoît Magimel (The Piano Teacher), as new partner Reda, makes for a decent replacement. Alas, Olivier Dahan isn't in the same league as Matthieu Kassovitz and the story line, which has something to do with the Last Supper, the Maginot Line, and gravity-defying killer monks, is even more convoluted than before. Then there's Johnny Hallyday (The Man on the Train) as a mysterious one-eyed man and Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings) as a bad German dude. It's all a little ridiculous, but entertaining nonetheless, and the chase sequences are a treat. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Jean Reno is back in action as Commissioner Niemans. The body he found in a monastery seems to point to a ritualistic sacrifice and a portent of something strange to come. At the same time, young police captain Reda finds a man in agony who's an exact DNA match for Christ. Reda quickly finds out his case is directly linked to Niemans, but is the Apocalypse really about to begin as all signs seem to indicate?

Customer Reviews:

NAILED!.......2007-08-06

In the vein of "Indiana Jones" meets "The Davinci Code" it unfolds along the lines of "Law & Order : SVU" and "Seven" - very creepy - borders somewhat on the supernatural but once you're thrown into the Melange - you're stuck.

Reno is Excellent as Niemans - as is the Beniot Magimel as his side-kick [literally a role requiring physical stamina] and Camille Natta as the Expert on Revelations.

This one's quite a treat in all aspects, especially the minimal yet very effective art direction.

Styalish, creepy and load of dark fun!

Mad Nazi Monks .......2007-07-27

I'm not sure why this is tied to "Crimson Rivers" since the only thing in common is there are Nazis. This movie goes in more for action than mystery. It is a decent movie but the separate investgations like in the first movie aren't as mysterious and the other police officer is not as appealing a character or actor as Vincent Cassel was in the first movie. Cassel made a good partner for Reno in the first movie and I would have preferred he had been in this one as well. Cassel did better when he was on his own and he had chemistry when he was with Reno. It would have also given a little more credence to it being a sequel.

A group of religious men hiding from Nazis that work out of a monastery with underground tunnels to Marginot bunkers was not quite as intrigueing as the serial killer at a university in the mountains. Mainly I think because Crimson Rivers was made to be a murder mystery and it did a great job of dropping clues that you could follow. This movie is more like something thrown together and tries very hard for intense action and not enough on the mystery. The story centers on a murder investigation at a monastery leading to further investigations of monks killing people. They find out the monks are actually Nazis looking for a religious artifact. It is still certainly worth seeing, just don't look for it to be anything like a sequel to the first movie. Worth a rental or possibly buying as a set with "Crimson Rivers".

ANGELS WITH DIRTY WINGS.......2006-03-22

This second CRIMSON RIVERS entry suffers from its predecessor's curse of having too intricate a plot that ultimately doesn't satisfy the viewer with its complex undertones. Jean Reno is back investigating the murders of a cult fashioned after the twelve apostles. Christopher Lee has a smallish role as a demented German out to instigate the Apocalypse. It's all rather confusing but it is done with such flair and finesse, it's an entertaining conundrum at best.

More Crimson Rivers..........2006-01-09

A very good movie, Crimson Rivers-Angels of the Apocalypse, sheds light on a series of horrendous murders committed in the province of Lorraine near the French-German border. When a pair of investigators team up to solve the mystery they soon realize that all is not as it seems in this quiet and picturesque part of the French countryside...
There are slight hints of Seven, the Ninth Gate, the Da Vinci Code, and the X-Files, so the movie falls into the action/adventure/mystery/thriller/horror type of category.
Jean Reno, Benoit Magimel, Camille Natta, Christopher Lee, and the rest of the cast have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows allowing for a highly entertaining movie.
The plot, the setting, and the music are all EXCELLENT.
Overall, it is a movie definitely worth watching, as it is one of those films that gets you and keeps you thinking long after it's over! 4½ Stars

Sweet way to spend an afternoon.......2005-11-20

I saw this while visiting family in Poland, so it was all ready translated into my language and I could concentrate on the movie instead of reading subtitles.

This movie had murky, creepy and dark foes that were insanely fast and unstoppable. It starts off with a bang and it takes you on a search for the Holy Grail type of a ride with evil superhuman monks, dead bodies, catacombs and monasteries with deep dark secrets.

I sat down and didn't stop paying attention till it was over. Jean Reno is great; you just have to enjoy his presence because he does what he knows well. Also there was a scene where his fellow officer Reda who runs amok chasing this monk and they are running on roofs, trains, jumping off buildings, for like 3 minutes. No strings and computer magic just run out of breath chase. It was amazing; my favorite part of the movie and it really imbedded itself into my head.

Great flick, it has action, suspense, blood and gore, secrets and history; a sweet way to spend an afternoon.

The Crimson Rivers/Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse

Average customer rating:

Let the buyer beware

The Crimson Rivers/Crimson Rivers 2: Angels of the Apocalypse
Starring: Jean Reno , Vincent Cassel , Nadia Farès , Dominique Sanda , and Karim Belkhadra
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz , and Olivier Dahan
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007KZQA2
Release Date: 2005-03-29

Customer Reviews:

Let the buyer beware.......2005-08-09

The movie itself is very good. Unfortunately, the film was made in French and dubbed in English. The quality of sound is poor. Such much so, that one cannot understand everything that is being said. I thought buying the DVD and using the subtitles in English would make the dialogue easier to follow. Not so. The subtitles do not match what is being said by the actors. They left out descriptions. They rephrase conversations completely. They botch up slang. They did a POOR job. It is amateurish and distracting. Good movie spoiled by shoddy translating.

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