I had the honor of seeing Dogma in its North American debut, Saturday night at the Toronto Film Festival, which also marked the first time the film had been publicly screened since indie studio Lions Gate had officially signed on as distributor. After viewing this film in its final format, although I'd seen the workprint a year before, I wanted to revisit the film and present my thoughts once again in an official review. What follows is a non-spoiler review on the final theatrical cut of Kevin Smith's Dogma.

It seems like longer than 5 years since young director Kevin Smith and his View Askew Productions burst into the movie-making business with the critically-acclaimed "Clerks". After unfairly suffering from the dreaded "sophomore jinx" with the maligned "Mallrats" (with critics expecting a Clerks 2 of sorts), Smith bounced back successfully in 1997 with "Chasing Amy". Now, after an incredibly long post-production period due to the editing process as well as some studio-swapping, audiences will finally soon get a look at his fourth film, the already controversial "Dogma".

Dogma's plot revolves around two angels, Loki & Bartelby (Matt Damon & Ben Affleck) who've been banished from heaven and forced to live a life of purgatory on Earth (in Wisconsin, no less). Due to a loophole that they discover in Dogmatic law, they soon realize a way back in, and plan to "unmake the world" once they get there. It's up to a very diverse bunch of heroes: Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), Rufus (Chris Rock), Serendipity (Salma Hayek), Metatron (Alan Rickman) and last, but certainly not least, Jay & Silent Bob (Jason Mewes & Kevin Smith).

Unlike Smith's previous 3 efforts, Dogma covers a fairly vast turf, becoming a "road movie" of sorts. In fact, no two sets are visited twice. The film presents a scene, does its job, and moves along. Clerks and Mallrats both relied on their central locations, and Amy was mostly grounded as well due to the relationship taking center stage. With this film, we're taken on both a physical and emotional journey through the eyes of a variety of characters, just waiting for the point where all their paths will cross.

Dogma also has the distiction of being the first of Smith's films to feature physical makeup work, digital special effects, and elaborate action sequences. Kevin's just got that unique quality of re-inventing himself with every movie that he makes. Each subsquent picture in his career has taken a new direction, a new look, and coincided with his own personal growth as well. While he admittedly kept most of the action offscreen to avoid complex direction, Smith's cuts are, as always, timed cleverly enough that you THINK you saw something, and imagine it for yourself.

The cast choices for Dogma are divine in their own right. Affleck and Damon play perfectly off each other in their scenes, though trailers and news reporters may lead audiences to believe that the duo share more screentime. The bulk of the story lies with Fiortentino, who, after gaining notoriety for a sinister turn in "The Last Seduction", pulls off the part of the innocent heronie quite well. Other View Askew alumni even get a chance to put on some new faces, with Damon taking on a gleefully evil role along with Jason Lee's first journey to the dark side as Azrael. George Carlin shows up in a small role as Cardinal Glick, and seems right at home.

When it comes to Dogma's funnier elements, there's no denying that Mewes steals the show. The film's got lots of laughs, but Mewes himself delivers the film's most hilarious (and obscene) material in grand style. It's tough to upstage such an incredible cast, but Jay's done just that. When he's in a scene, he OWNS it. Of course, I didn't expect any less from Jay, but feel that his performance in this film shows an incredible potential for a career even outside of View Askew's universe would he choose to pursue it.

Digital effects are still just that: Digital. I'm of the old school of visuals and still prefer the physical effects to the computer generated stuff. Some of Dogma's digital stuff looks better than others. A few things certainly could look a bit more realistic, but as a whole they definitely add to the picture's comic book feel. To go into further detail may spoil some of the film's surprises, so I'll leave it at that. This isn't a movie that's made to showcase its special effects, like Phantom Menace. Like all of his films, the dialogue is still the star, and takes center stage.

If there's anything to fear with Dogma, it's the fact that the film might almost be TOO intelligent for your average moviegoer. When listening to Smith's eloquent, detailed musings on faith through the film's characters, I had to wonder if audiences, especially those without a familiarty with religion, might find themselves a bit lost in the words. Don't walk in late for this one, folks. From an early scene between Damon & Affleck in an airport, to Rickman and Fiorentino's early meeting, all the way to a fireside conversation between Rock, Fiorentino, Jay, & Bob, Dogma isn't content simply introducing an element of relgion and walking away. It dwells on it, questions it, sometimes ridicules it, but never backs away. So, in short, pay attention! Dogma could certainly be enjoyed for some of its crude, slapstick humor, but it's the smart dialogue that ties it all together that truly makes this a special film. I just hope that audiences aren't intimidated or confused by some of the film's themes. So far, so good.

I found the key source of Dogma's charm to be the wonderful way in which Smith intertwines smart, deep, religious themes with moments of absolulte absurdity. Like he did with Chasing Amy, the director has once again created a work that can stimulate the brain and the tickle the funny bone at the same time. In one scene, we're with Loki and Bartelby in a mostly dramatic scene in the boardroom of The Mooby Corporation, which also happens to contain one of the funniest line reads I've ever heard as Loki (Damon) scolds their head executive. Moments later, our protagonists are going up against a large monster made of excrement, resulting in one of the "cheapest" jokes in the film. My favorite scene in the film involves a pivotal parking garage conversation between Affleck & Damon in its latter half. It allows the two the chance to show off some of their acting chops unlike they've ever done before. Affleck wows in that sequence. Dogma takes pleasure in crossing boundaries of genre, taste, and political correctness to create a world all its own. That's why I like it so much. It's a fun ride.

A final note: It's actually quite ironic that it seems folks with some sort of religious background will actually understand and have the potential to enjoy Dogma much better than those without. Kind of funny how a film that gained notoriety by being touted as sacreligious actually panders to those with some sort of spiritual background, rather than to those who don't have some sort of theological beliefs or background. It's obvious that Kevin himself was quite schooled in Catholicism, juding from the detailed discussions on the Catholic religion that occur throughout the movie. Dogma may question things, but it also suggests answers, as well as a very pro-faith redemption.

Dogma is a fantastic tale brought to life by a young, talented director & cast, and one I plan to pay my seven bucks to see again this November. Maybe I can hear some more of that incredible script that got drowned out in my own (and others') laughter this time. Once again, Kevin Smith and View Askew productions have re-invented themselves. Bravo, gang.