One piece of 20th Century history the Catholic church should be ashamed about is its association with the fascist movement . It's no coincidence that fascism started off in Italy . Neither is it coincidental that the birthplace of Nazism took place in Bavaria a traditionally devout Catholic region of Germany . No coincidence that the mantra of Catholic Spain under the jackboot of Franco was " For God , For Family , For Country " . If someone in Western Europe is a fascist they'll almost certainly have a Catholic background . Fascism is not exclusive to Europe of course , or indeed to the Catholic religion . If someone operates an abortion clinic in America they might to guard their back in case someone has planted a bomb under their car or have someone shoot them in a drive by which has happened where Doctors have been murdered by right wing extremists . Nearly all these right wingers are Evangelical Protestants . There's a saying " Americans don't get irony " and if proof is ever needed then sit back and watch THE MOMENT AFTER THE AWAKENING The premise revolves around the events following on from the events of the first film a couple of years down the line after the rapture . American is now held down by a Global one world state where Christians are described as " Religious extremists " and violently persecuted by a world wide fascist militia . Erstwhile FBI agent Adam Riley is driven to death row but is rescued by some rebels . Since a couple of fascist guards are killed in the escape he decides not to leave with his liberators and finds himself lost in the desert . This early scene sums up the self righteous illogical nature of both the characters and the simplistic plotting . It also leads to total illogical thinking that doesn't make the slightest sense . If the rapture did happen you can perhaps understand people becoming more religious due to some possible evidence that there is a God due to the mass disappearance of so many people in the previous film but why are they being persecuted ? Also how many disappeared in the rapture ? No matter what happens someone will always bump in to someone they knew from the first film or someone who can push the plot forward . It's almost like there's only a couple of dozen people left in the world . A dozen put upon Christians and a dozen cruel atheist fascists . Strange how none of the Christians are called Lopez , Gomez , Rodriguez , Sanchez or Gonzalez . Wouldn't it be ironic if this film is suggesting it's only Hispanic people who get scooped up in to Heaven during the Rapture ?What makes all this laughable - apart from the historical fact that an atheist fascist movement is unlikely - are that the bad guys in the fascist militia are almost a parody of those right wing nutters you've seen on the Discovery Channel documentaries or a Steven Seagal movie but at the same time are a parody of the ideology that these self same militias scream about from the rooftops . One world government , repression against the American individual especially religious freedom , one world central bank etc etc which usually involve an unholy alliance with Jewry and Communism . Laughable conspiracy theory but real enough for militia types to blow up federal government buildings and slaughter innocents I'm sort of guessing perhaps the inclusion of Captain Jackson is there to illustrate the concept of someone who can quote the Bible but is only pretending to be a Christian to push forward his own selfish agenda . Or more likely it's to warn against never trusting black guys when they've got a gun . Judging by the comments on this page you might have to understand the intricate nature of tribulation but I don't recall anyone in the Bible getting blown away by an M16 assault rifle . By the time the anti-Christ appears you'll be thinking anti-psychotic drugs is what is needed for this movie It'd be all too easy to dismiss this as some sort of Christian fantasy made by and for Evangelical Protestants but it does push a heavy political view that is so blatant that it doesn't qualify as any type of subtext . Worse still it's the same political view pushed by the more extreme right wing elements of the American political spectrum

End times film makers have a field day with movies on the subject because the Bible is so vague on the subject that we've seen several different interpretations, often by the same film makers. The Damon and Affleck of Christian film makers Kevin Downes and David A.R. White have done a sequel to their 1999 film The Moment After with this one, The Awakening.A lot has happened since that first film when we met Kevin Downes and David A.R. White who are just overloaded FBI agents with missing persons cases and in that film the cause is the biblically anticipated Rapture.Now things have changed, there is now biblically anticipated global government with implanted computer chips and strict laws now about buying and selling to folks without chips and sellers can only use government sanctioned items. The rest is black market.White has joined the Christian underground and Downes has been sent to find him. It's rumored White's joined a band led by Brad Heller whom it is alluded to as being a latter day John the Baptist. Christians are underground and persecuted, a whole lot like in Russia where gays have gone underground.The guy leading the extermination squad is Monte Rex Perlin who really enjoys his work. Why he does is revealed at the end of the film.Again like other Christian films if you're a believer it's one thing, if you don't buy into it it's another item all together. Whatever I write in a review will be rejected outright by one side or the other.However I will say this, one of the things that has always annoyed me with fundamentalist Christians is their exaggerated idea of persecution. Forcing a baker in Oregon to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple is the same to them as some real genocidal policies carried out in places like Sudan. They really do think it's the same thing.Together with that is moves for any kind of internationalism is seen somehow as the work of Satan. Those who believe that will love this film.

I'm sorry, but unless you happen to be a right-wing born again Christian, with paranoid tendencies (and/or conspiracy theories) about globalization and the international community, this probably isn't for you. It feels more like massive right-wing religious propaganda than movie entertainment, the acting leaves a tremendous amount to be desired, the characterization leans so heavily on stereotype as to border on the ridiculous, the plot moves along so slowly at times that even the most hardcore of of insomniacs will doze off on the couch and the interpretation of Biblical text (around which the entire plot, such as it is, revolves) is simple-minded in the extreme. I can see that sci-fi might be the only film genre into which this move comes even close to fitting, but it bears little or no resemblance to any of the usual connotations evoked by that "label". There are plenty of pretty good movies out there with Christian and Biblical themes, if that's what you're in the mood for, but this is definitely not one of them.

First off,if you didn't see the "The Moment After" it's o.k..I'm not saying you need to(But,if you so desire Netflix has it)."The Moment After 2" stands on it's own. Second you don't have to know about The Book of Revelation or The Bible for that matter.If you do know that's great.The movies deal with The Rapture,and The Tribulation period.The period makes for great movies.Along with The Left Behind series(Both book and movies),and The Tribulation franchise.They all make for great movies.Each one deals with the period in a different manner.These 2 movies deal it from a totally different perspective.This one deals the questioning,and understanding of one's faith(The first one acceptance of faith).With a great script,and rock solid acting this movie holds your interest till the last scene.It also has something for everyone great action scenes ,a major kick a** fight scene,plus one killer twist ending.If your a Christian rent(Or buy)it!If your not Saved,and need a great rental that has it all(Plus Spiritual content. )rent it...You'll get a great movie!!!