Priest

Based on Min-Woo Hyung's series of South Korean graphic novels, this creepy vicars-versus-vampires tale stars Paul Bettany as a tortured Roman Catholic warrior priest with a large cross tattooed on his forehead. Priest is set in a post-apocalyptic, alternate world in which humans have taken refuge in grimy, neon-lit walled cities, while the bloodsuckers are confined underground. A few people still engage in hardscrabble farming, including Owen Pace (Stephen Moyer), wife Shannon (Mädchen Amick), and 18-year-old daughter Lucy (Lily Collins). When a band of rebellious vamps attacks Owen, kills Shannon, and kidnaps Lucy—niece of the legendary titular cleric—the unnamed man of the cloth embarks on a forbidden quest to rescue her, vowing that he will kill Lucy if she's been infected by her captors. Aided by Lucy's boyfriend, trigger-happy Sheriff Hicks (Cam Gigandet), the pair are being chased by a quartet of black-clad, clerical vampire hunters—including a warrior priestess (Maggie Q)—who are under the direction of piously sinister Monsignor Orelas (Christopher Plummer). Director Scott Stewart's Priest is shamelessly derivative, evoking memories of better films such as The Searchers, Blade Runner, Mad Max, The Matrix, and Sergio Leone's spaghetti Westerns. The scariest moment comes at the end with the ominous threat, “To be continued.” Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary (by director Scott Stewart, writer Cory Goodman, and costars Paul Bettany and Maggie Q), deleted and extended scenes (13 min.), the production featurettes “The Bloody Frontier: Creating the World of Priest” (13 min.) and “Tools of the Trade: The Weapons and Vehicles” (12 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “Bullets and Crucifixes” picture-in-picture mode with cast and crew interviews, and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)