Title: Priest

Starring: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q (TV’s ‘Nikita’)

A big budget, post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller with vampires is the perfect set-up for an entertaining, intriguing plot. Add in Cam Gigandet, who rose to fame after playing evil vampire James in the movie adaptation of ‘Twilight,’ and director Scott Stewart, who helmed last year’s similarly-themed film ‘Legion,’ and the new Screen Gems film ‘Priest’ seemed destined to become successful at the box office. But unfortunately, the story-line of the action-horror film fell under the pressure, and its only redeeming quality that positively captures the audiences’ attention is its visual effects.

‘Priest’ takes place in an alternate world, as Paul Bettany’s title character, a veteran warrior, tries to live in obscurity after the last Vampire War. Priest tries to assimilate with the other humans in one of the Church’s walled cities after the centuries-old war between vampires and humans ended. Church leaders are trying to make everyone believe that most of the vampires are dying in seclusion, but are still a danger to their society. But Priest is informed that his niece, Lucy Pace (played by Lily Collins), is kidnapped by the vampire leader Black Hat (portrayed by Karl Urban).

Priest defies Monsignor Orelas (played by Christopher Plummer) by breaking his sacred vows to leave the city to search for Lucy. Priest is accompanied by Lucy’s wasteland sheriff boyfriend Hicks (portrayed by Gigandet). While the two are searching for Lucy, Warrior Priestess (played by Maggie Q), is sent by the Monsignor to capture Priest and bring him back to the city, dead or alive.

The makeup, costume and set teams deserve the most credit for their work on ‘Priest.’ The makeup team skillfully created terrifying vampires and creatures that were used to try to scare and deter Priest and Hicks from their mission of rescuing Pace. The costume department, which was led by costume designer Ha Nguyen, perfectly picked outfits that suited the characters’ personalities. For example, the outfits Priest, Priestess and the Monsignor wore showed they were devoted to the Church, but also determined to stand their ground and stand up for what they believed was right.

Set decorator Robert Greenfield expertly contributed to ‘Priest’ as well, as he created cities and towns that perfectly suited their inhabitants. In the city where Priest, Priestess and the Monsignor lived, for example, the tall Gothic buildings created a sense of protection from the outside world. The residents easily believed that vampires and the outside world could harm them if they cross the city lines, and the fortified buildings act as a false sense of security for them.

While the visual aspects of ‘Priest’ certainly helped propel the movie, the storyline did little to please the audience. Screenwriter Cory Goodman, who based his script on Min-Woo Hyung’s Korean comic series of the same, focused entirely too much of the film on the fighting and violence between Priest and the vampires. While audiences surely want to see the protagonist defeat Black Hat in order to save his niece, the back-stories of Priest’s life and the Vampire Wars are rushed and not thoroughly explained. Viewers will certainly have difficulty emotionally connecting with the characters, particularly Priest, Priestess, Lucy and Hicks. Audiences will surely appreciate the risks Priest, Priestess and Hicks took in order to save Lucy and protect the humans, but by the half-way point of the movie, they will surely become bored with the characters.

But Bettany certainly worked the material he was given for Priest to the best of his ability. Much like ‘Legion,’ in which Stewart also cast the actor in the lead role, Bettany believably portrays someone so devoted to his faith that he’s willing to sacrifice himself to save everyone else. Bettany makes it appear as though his characters aren’t afraid to stand up to authority (in ‘Priest’s case, the Monsignor), and want to do what’s best the world, instead of himself. He truly makes it seem that Priest doesn’t care about what happens to himself, as long as Lucy is saved.

‘Priest’ certainly isn’t the most compelling, plot-and character-driven post-apocalyptic vampire movie ever made. But where Goodman’s script falls short on intense conflict, back-stories and emotions, the visual aspects of the film, particularly the make-up, costumes and the set, certainly helped make the story entertaining.

Technical: A-

Acting: B

Story: C

Overall: C+

Written by: Karen Benardello