Audience Member
I dont like this movie.
From BOT.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
01/16/23
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Audience Member
Being a latter-day saint myself, I wanted to like this movie, but I couldn't. In fact, I found it sort of an embarrassment.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
02/26/23
Full Review
Audience Member
[i]The Book Of Mormon Movie Volume I: The Journey[/i] is the first 2 books of Nephi from The Book of Mormon put to screen. I, myself being Mormon, wanted to see the movie, found it interesting and cool that they were making a movie of it. Of course LDS Church leaders do not endorse the movie but I think some of them may have liked the movie.
I, for one, didn't like it as much as I thought I would have. They picked a good actor for Nephi, Lehi, Laban, and even Laman, but a few good actors isn't enough. They didn't have to good of special effects, and lot's of the cast's performance isn't believable. Lemuel, for instance is supposed to be one disobedient man. One who defies God even after seeing an Angel. But in this movie, the actor doesn't act well. When he's complaining, he's not into it, when he's angry he's monotone angry. He can't show it. The actor who played Laman though was a bit better. He was better at showing anger and sounding angry. Most of his lines were believable.
The costuming is...ah...it's below average...They're...semi-ok.
Lehi is Nephi, Laman, Lemuel, and Sam's father, and he is also a Prophet. So after he is preaching in Jerusalem about 600 B.C. telling them if they don't repent they'll be destroyed...God tells him to leave immediately...Laman and Lemuel complain and complain about leaving the land of their inheritance and their money and riches...Sam is undecided...And Nephi is loyal to his father, knowing that God actually did speak to his father. Nephi's sisters really don't say much at all in any scene...including this one.
So as they pack up and move out and pitch their tents in the wilderness...Lehi receives a message from God telling him to send his sons back to Jerusalem to get these Brass Plates that contain records of genealogy from the time of Adam (as in...Adam from the Bible). Laman and Lemuel pretty much argue and say, "Why would God do that!? That's idiotic" and Nephi say's a famous verse from The Book of Mormon "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, For I know the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men, save he prepared a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commanded them".
So they go to Jerusalem, and Laman is picked to try getting these Plates from Laban first. He goes to Laban's palace and asks Laban for the Plates of Brass, saying they contain of importance, and Laban says "Who are you?" and Laman replies "I am Laman son of Lehi" and Laban say's "LEHI!? Oh Lehi! Guards! Kill this man! He seeks to rob me!". Laman outruns the guards back just outside of Jerusalem and his brother ask what happened...Nephi asks "Did you get the plates" and Laman replies "DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'VE GOTTEN THE BRASS PLATES?". Well sure enough, Nephi somehow encourages everyone to go to Laban's palace...This time they're offering their gold and silver and precious things to Laban, and they are disguised. When they ask about the plates, Laban say's "That's very interesting...It is the 2nd time in a few days someone has inquired about the plates of Brass, unveil yourselves so I may see who I am speaking with"...They all do so, except for Laman and Laban pulls off Laman's veil, recognizes him and call's for the guards to kill them.
As they run outside the city again it's obvious Laman doesn't want anymore of this. He say's "I've had enough of you God! He doesn't care about us!" Then Laman hit's Nephi, and as Nephi is down on the ground, Laman threatens Nephis life, and right as he lift's his staff/walking stick to beat him, And Angel appears onto the screen and grabs the rod, saying, "Why do you smite your younger Brother with a rod? Know ye not that he has been chosen ruler of thee? Behold you will go back to Jerusalem and Laban will be deliver into your hands" and then the angel disappears. Even after that Laman and Lemuel are hesitant to go back.
I'm gonna skip a bit now...But to fill in what happens...They o back to Jerusalem for the last time, and Nephi decided it would be himself to get the plates...As he's running into Laban's palace...He run's into Laban. Fortunatly Laban is in a drunken stupor...so he can barely even stand. He falls down...Nephi takes Laban's sword. Than God commands him to slay Laban...Nephi argue's, saying "I cannot kill him...I have never shed the blood of another man. What is this thing ye ask me? Is it not written in the word of God that thou shalt not kill?". God replies saying "Behold Nephi...I slayeth the wicked to bring forth righteous purposes. It is better than that one man shall perish that for a whole city to dwindle and perish in unbelife. Slay him Nephi...Slay him" Nephi is shedding tears now. "No" he says. "I command thee in the name of The Lord God...Slay him". Nephi raises his sword...and slices Laban's head off. After this course of events...Nephi, Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and the freed slave of Laban called Zoram, head back into the desert where their parent's, Lehi and Sariah were anxiously awaiting. It turns out that Lehi and his friend Ishmal stroke a deal. Ishmal and his wife are going to go along to this new promised land, and Ishmal is giving to the sons of Lehi, His daughters, and for the Daughters of Lehi, his sons. So they're all married.
From there we get a lot of traveling in the wilderness. But right before that....Lehi recieves a sort of "Righteous device" you could say. He finds it outside his tent, God tells him it's a device called the Liahona. It's a compass to guide them to which way the promised land is, in which direction food is, and in which direction water is. It can only be used by righteous people. It can only work for those who are being righteous at that time.
Ok I'm gonna leave the rest out for right now. Although if you find this an interesting story I don't mind telling you!
All in all...the movie has the right heart, and they are trying their best to remain true to the scripture...They're cutting out some non-important pieces and taking creative liberties to fill in the blanks. Yea I watch the movie, I have it on DVD...but it's not as good as it could have been. I love The Book of Mormon and believe it to be true, but this First Volume of the Book of Mormon Movie isn't that great. Hopefully they can do better with Volume II.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/21/23
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