By G.L. Anderson

'Dogma' entertains as it makes mincemeat of some sacred cows

The end of the world is coming - brought on by the yearning of two banished angels who simply want to go home. The only hope for mankind is ... Jay and Silent Bob? Mankind might be doomed.

Fellow fans of the brilliant writer/director Kevin Smith understand those last two statements. For them, I take great pleasure in announcing that his latest effort, "Dogma," is vintage Kevin Smith. His legions of fans won't be disappointed.

Now, for those of you who have no clue of what I speak, a word of caution: Smith, the man behind "Clerks," "Mallrats," and "Chasing Amy," is brilliant. He makes the funniest movies, and "Dogma" is no exception - the laughs abound.

He is a tremendously talented writer, and I envy him his abilities with language. He has a vivid imagination, and a clever hand with a plot. He is also a very smart man. Now, about that word of caution. His humor isn't for everyone. He will attack sacred cows, and gleefully use them to make his point. I think it's great, and very effective, but don't say that I didn't warn you.

For "Dogma" has at its source various crises of faith. Religion, Christianity, and Catholicism in particular take some shots. Oh, there is nothing malicious about it. This film isn't really anti-God. It is, in some ways, very faith-affirming. It just uses the mythologies of God (a term, I understand, that She doesn't approve of) to play it out its story. Outrageously hilarious, it will make you think, as it asks questions mankind has wrestled with for centuries. Apparently lightweight, it is really exploring some deeper issues.

The plot is a bit involved, so breaking it down into a brief summary is no easy task. It involves two angels, Loki (Matt Damon, "Saving Private Ryan") and Bartleby (Ben Affleck, "Chasing Amy,") banished to hell-on-earth-cheesehead-land Wisconsin after displeasing God. They discover a means, a loophole if you will, that will enable them be forgiven and return home, to heaven. They start a pilgrimage.

You feel for the guys, but there is one catch. Their journey home will make an infallible God fallible, thus causing all existence to have never happened. Not good news for mankind and the world. Obviously, the angels must be stopped. Enter one confused Catholic, Bethany (Linda Fiorntino, "Men in Black,") who works at an abortion clinic, yet still attends Mass every week. Bethany will meet two prophets who will lead her on a journey.

As if this wasn't strange enough, it turns out the two prophets are Jay and Silent Bob, two characters well known to fans of Kevin Smith's movies. They join up with Bethany, and picking up others along the way, embark on a mission to save mankind.

The pre-eminence of profanities aside, "Dogma," is very well-written film. Smith has a gift, and he doesn't waste it. This is, after all, the man who finds hidden profoundness and symbolism in "Star Wars." Imagine what he can do with religion. His characters, quirky, at times absurd, are nonetheless very well-conceived and imaginatively drawn. He assembles a talented cast, and doesn't waste any of it, not even in the smallest parts. This is a clever film, and it is cleverly presented.

It is also a film that operates on more than one level. There is the first layer, the silly comic story of two losers and one confused soul, trying to save the world. Look a little deeper, and it is a story about the fundamental questions - who are we, where did we come from, what is the meaning of life?

But don't stop there, because these characters take a journey that parallels the journey we all must take, through faith and belief and ideas. Finally, there is the symbolism of the world needing a savior, and the parallels to the life of Christ. It's all there, but sometimes so subtly, you have to wait for the laughter to stop to realize everything that is going on.

It isn't perfect, though. There are a couple of problems. There is one demon sent to stop our happy band that is particularly vile. I think Smith was a bit lazy here, going for the obvious, cheap image. It isn't on the same par as the rest of the film. And, I must admit to being slightly disappointed in Jay. He just didn't seem to be his usual manic self. My guess is that Smith got him into rehab, which would be a good thing, but that it impacted the character his fans know and love. He is, however, still Jay, as foul-mouthed and sex-crazed as ever, just not quite as frantic.

Which brings us to another point. This is not a film for children. There is more violence than ever seen before in a Smith film, with actual bloodshed, and the usual language and frank sexual references that result in an "R" rating. Quite frankly, the possibility of offending people is always close to the surface.

Smith is aware of this, beginning the film with a disclaimer where he states that the film is intended to be a comic fantasy, and not reality. He also exhorts his audience to remember that God has a sense of humor. He even pokes fun at film critics, reminding them that only God should judge.

He needn't have worried about this one - I loved the film. It was funny, entertaining, and it has a soul to go with it's inquiring mind. There is really nothing doomed about it.

G.L. Anderson is a freelance writer living in Idaho Falls. She can be reached through the Post Register at 208-542-6765, or via e-mail at movies@dctsoftware.com.