End of Days
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollack, Robin Tunney, Rod Steiger
Directed by: Peter Hyams

Satan has been portrayed in many different ways, even as a faux comic villain, by Al Pacino in The Devil's Advocate. In that such film, Pacino wasn't a very convincing Satan, I mean he was over the top, and kind of funny in a way, but nothing great. Gabriel Byrne takes a swing at the most evil bad guy to ever surface the silver screen, and plays Satan suprisingly with some conviction. If you think about it, it is kinda hard to play someone who has so many forms, and is also the evilest thing known to man. It's 1999, on the eve of the millenium, and as it says in the Bible, at the end of a thousand years Satan will be released from his prison to take a bride, and thus bring about the End of Days, where Satan will be prime ruler of the world as we know it. In comes Jericho Cane, played by Schwarzenegger, a broken down ex-cop, with a penchant for alcohol. He and his partner, played by Kevin Pollack, must stop Satan from taking Christine York (Tunney), who was choosen at birth to bear Satan's child, and bringing the end of days. There are all kind of Biblical references in End of Days, not just the obvious Satan, there is Schwarzenegger's character name, an evil doctor played by Udo Kier, is Dr. Abel, Christine York: Christ in New York, among others. The film is actually one of Arnold's better films, with not as much focus on action galore. My favorite scene believe it or not was when Satan gives Jericho an offer he can't refuse, which makes it even more difficult for Arnold to refuse (you know he has to). The movie was well directed with a strong emphasis on the dark sides of the city, being shot almost entirely at night, with colors bouncing off the walls. The special effects are pretty impressive, but nothing entirely new (I was going into the movie for the FX), but believe it or not, I thought this movie was very well made was just a lot of fun. A-