"The Reaping" is a thriller for people who haven't seen many thrilling movies, meaning it exists merely to spook the easily-scared while utilizing one genre cliché after another (a priest receiving a dire warning, a storm blowing open a door, a child drawing a picture of a mysterious girl, the non-believer whose skepticism is finally shaken and, the biggest eye-roller of them all, the bachelor teacher and the single female professor finding common ground). The professor is played by Hilary Swank, whose fearlessness appears to stem from the fact she's now a spiritual non-believer after losing a child--she's not religious, therefore she goes where angels fear to tread. Her work at a university apparently takes a backseat to many globe-trotting adventures wherein she and her colleague investigate so-called miracles which are soon debunked with scientific fact. Despite two Oscar wins to her credit, nothing about Swank's performance here seems authentic. Whether addressing a lecture hall, interacting with the other characters or whirling around in surprise at a sudden noise (and this movie is very noisy), everything Swank does is canned, telegraphed for a response. There is absolutely no mystery about Swank's Katherine Winter: she is stubborn for effect, she is winsome for effect, she draws out her words for effect, she rattles off statistics to her colleague on a farm full of dying cows for effect. It's bad enough that the movie is supernatural-tinged swill, one using bloody river water and toads falling from the sky to frighten us to the marrow, but it doesn't even have the courage of its convictions. Colleague Ben (Idris Elba) ribs his boss for her lack of faith only to show us that there can be a professional balance between one who believes in God and one who doesn't--and when he kisses the crucifix around his neck upon entering a chapel, that signals us his fate will soon be in jeopardy. Writers Carey Hayes and Chad Hayes, working from Brian Rousso's original story, don't want the audience to miss a trick, laying everything out in maddeningly literal terms. This is End of The World 101...or rather, Plagues for Dummies. *1/2 from ****

The Reaping (2007) Starring:Hillary Swank, AnnaSophia Robb,David Morrissey, Idris Elba,Stephen Rea,Andrea Frankle,William Ragsdale,John McConnell,David Jensen,and Yvonne Landry Directed by Stephen Hopkins Review HEAVEN OR HELL. GOOD OR EVIL. NOW OR NEVER. Hello Kiddies your pal the crypt-critic here has another film he doesn't hate himself for liking. I like the Reaping because that one thing a guy would enjoy in the bible,bring the violence. It also has a good story and acting as well. The Reaping follows and ordain minister played by Hillary Swank,who has made it her mission to prove that GOD doesn't exist.She is called to investigate a series of deaths in a small town known as Haven(you know like that SYFY show)that all seem to be plagues brought on by a little girl.Yep then the rivers run red, the locus wreak havoc and the bodies hit the floor. The film delivers an interesting premise challenging both science and religion,it has a surprising twist at the end and a stellar cast. Hillary Swank is good as always, David Morris keeps you shrouded in mystery wondering whether if he is good or bad.But my favorite performance in this comes from AnnaSophia Robb who plays the little girl causing all the plagues,to be honest I'm quite a fan of this actress and can't wait to see her in more films. AnnaSophia Robb plays one of the creepist little girls I've ever seen on film,she is conveyed through her eyes as threatening and she's believable and convinced me that this whole town was afraid of her. This is yet another film I believe is disliked for no good reason it's dark,it's eerie, and filled with atmosphere three things that are lacking in horror films now a days. Watch this I recommended this great film, I give The Reaping a four out of five.

Released in 2007, "The Reaping" is a about a former ordained missionary who's now a professor who debunks supposed miracles around the world (Hilary Swank). She and her assistant (Idris Elba) venture to a bayou town where, amazingly, the ten plagues of Exodus are manifesting (!). David Morrissey plays their host in the town while AnnaSophia Robb plays the 12 year-old focal point of the plagues. Are the plagues real or can they be scientifically explained? If they're real, who's the source, God or the devil? This is a haunting mystery horror film rather than a monster/slasher movie, so if you're looking for the latter don't bother. That said, this is an extremely well-made production. The visuals of the various plagues are awesome, particularly the bayou turning to blood, the locusts and fire raining from the sky. Moreover, Swank looks super sharp in the manner of Raquel Welch (neither are my type, but who can deny their looks that kill?). Elba is a likable partner and Morrissey seems creepy from the get-go. As for AnnaSophia, it's clear even at 12 years of age that she was gonna morph into a curvy cutie.Where the movie goes wrong are elements of the story/script. It starts out good and is intriguing for the first 45 minutes or so, but then the next 30 minutes seriously lag. When the plot twist is revealed in the last act it turned me off the first time I watched the film, but I was braced for it with my second viewing and was able to accept it. The ending, while cartoonish, is spectacular in the manner of the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." So this is a solid mystery/horror movie, but it could've been better if they worked out the kinks in the screenplay, like the draggy second act and unsavory plot twist.The film runs 99 minutes and was shot in St. Francisville, Louisiana (the bayou town), Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Shreveport & New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as San Juan, Porta Rico (the opening sequence) and Austin Texas.GRADE: B-

Boy, what can i say? Horror movies of this kind are typical of what Hollywood has been producing for roughly the past 20 years! It's basically the tired old formula of the professional sceptic called to investigate some mysterious events,in this case, a small town that seems to be reliving the 10 Egyptian plagues of the old testament. What follows is the expected rehash of scenes and situations that are standard fare in these kinds of movies.Some of these are: The fleeing little girl that disappears and reappears during the movie and is suspected of being the evil cause of the bad goings on,the worried priest trying to warn the heroine that something like the end of the world is going to happen,the more or less clueless town folk that rapidly identify whom they think is responsible for everything,the hero-heroine that is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery but has a troubled past of her own, etc.. etc... In a nutshell: you've seen one you've seen them all! Don't waste your time on this.