Search - The Final Inquiry on DVD

I really wanted to like this film

Gary D. Hall | camden, AR United States | 03/14/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I saw a film a couple of years ago with the same premise. Not being made by Christians it was less than fulfilling spiritually. While this film was made from a genuine Christian slant, the production elements were less than satisfactory.

This is like a second-rate THE ROBE. In fact there are many similarities from a Roman Tribune looking for truth to his trusty sidekick and Peter healing a woman. Of course that film had Richard Burton...this one doesn't. I couldn't believe F. Murray Abraham's performance. This guy won an Oscar?!!? And Dolph Lundgren...who knows? His dialogue was so stilted, I started longing for the atrocious dialogue of the lastest STAR WARS movies, but that isn't really his fault. And I had to put my foot down with the Caligula homage to GLADIATOR. First of all we never hear about Caligula until the very end and he comes in looking like an actor from a Silent Film...blaring eyes and overdone body movements...reminded me of Gloria Swanson in SUNSET BLVD.

I will say this. The costumes were spectacular. And I really liked the flashbacks with Jesus. And I also liked the guy playing Peter. I've never seen him played just that way and I really liked it. I also liked the tying together of Saul and Stephen. Very nice idea.

This was a good idea for a film but like most Christian films, it falls short of the mark. It's a shame because I personally think films about God deserve the VERY BEST. Maybe someday Hollywood will catch on. Hey Hollywood, there's plenty of Christians that will see these movies if you make them right or didn't you hear about the millions PASSION OF THE CHRIST made. I know you're all about money and frankly we're willing to part with it...we just want some quality with our spirituality. Not too much to ask, is it?"

Fear the Roman fax machines!

TrezKu13 | Norfolk, VA | 05/25/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

""The Final Inquiry" opens with the crucifixion of Jesus, followed by the earthquake. This is apparently felt around the world, not only by the emperor but even in Germany, where our hero, a Roman tribune named Tito, is fighting Germanic tribesmen. He picks up one named Brixos (Dolph Lundgren) as a servant, then is told that the emperor wants to see him. Arriving at Emperor Tiberius' island home, we're told that the emperor is curious about the earthquake, and has a report that a man named Jesus was crucified on the same day it happened. He wants Tito to head to Judea and find out about this Jesus guy.



OK, a few things here. First, I find it hard to believe that in 33 AD there would have been a record of the crucifixion of a local criminal in an outskirt of the empire right there in the city of Rome's records, all within a few days AFTER it happened. Don't get me wrong, the Romans were pretty advanced, but among their many inventions fax machines were not one. I was also confused as to why the emperor was so interested in Jesus, when there's no real connection discerned between His execution and the earthquake (at least from the Roman perspective). It's later revealed that the emperor is interested in the possibility of being resurrected, but I still don't buy it. I'm guessing, since Max von Sydow plays Tiberius, that Max just wanted to know how Fabrizio Bucci did playing a role he had played decades ago.



In script-writing classes they teach you about a thing called "suspension of disbelief". This is that point in the movie where you convince your audience to believe the plot (for example, Number Five becoming a conscious robot after getting struck by lightning in "Short Circuit"). This movie fails in the suspension of disbelief, and thus just a mere 10-15 minutes in you will find yourself going, "Huh?"



So any way, Tito and Brixos head to Jerusalem incognito, and while meeting a contact they get ambushed by Jewish rebels. They manage to fight them off, then run away from a patrolling Roman unit - you know, the people who would be on their side. While running from his own people, Tito bumps into Tabitha (the same one from Acts) while she's being harassed by a drunkard. Tito scares the man away, then falls head over heels for Tabitha (no reason given except, you know, they're the leading roles and have to fall in love). He then - get this - tells this girl he's just met HIS FULL REAL NAME, and the fact he's A ROMAN. As she walks away she turns and SHOUTS HIS FULL NAME OUT IN THE OPEN!



Ladies and gentlemen, the worst spy in the history of the world.



The rest of the movie follows Tito and Brixos as they investigate the disappearance of Jesus and the possibility of the resurrection. They deal with the supposed cover-up by Jewish and Roman authorities, and watch as the apostle Stephen is killed. Paul makes an appearance, and I thought they would do more with him, but ultimately his appearance is just fanservice to Christians. You know how Chewbacca was pretty much only in Episode III so Star Wars fans could say, "Hey, that's Chewbacca!" Well, Paul's pretty much in here just so Christians can say, "Hey! That's Paul!" (for the record, I myself am Christian, and don't mean any of this in sarcasm against them - I think I just spared myself a lot of comments by clearing that up)



A love story evolves between Tito and Tabitha, and when Tabitha is caned to death by her father (F Murray Abraham...what the heck is he doing in this movie?) Tito runs to Peter to ask him for help. Peter doesn't want to (wow, so much for "feed my sheep"!) so Tito has to guilt trip him into doing it. Peter relents and heals Tabitha, and Tito has his "born again" moment, becoming a Christian.



One of the last sequences of the movie is with Tiberius back on his island, reading the letter from Tito. Tito confirms the resurrection of Jesus, so Tiberius tells his aides - I'm not making this up - that he's making Christianity the official religion of the empire. WHAT?! I don't claim to be an expert on Roman history, but I think I lost a few brain cells watching this scene. Actually I lost more a few seconds later when Tiberius' nephew Caligula smothers him to death and declares himself emperor, burning Tiberius' order regarding Christianity. I guess the fax machine broke and Tiberius couldn't have sent it quicker.



"The Final Inquiry" could have been like "The Robe" or even "Quo Vadis", in that it focuses on the early followers of Jesus rather than the life of Jesus Himself. Unfortunately, it's marred by a bad script with cheesy scenes and cliche character development (the born-again moment, two enemies becoming friends before one of them dies, etc). Even the fight sequences (yes, a Jesus movie with fight sequences involving death - I was reminded of that scene in "Dead Alive" where the priest jumps into a pack of zombies and declares, "I kick a** for the Lord!") don't do much to save it. The sole redeeming value of this film was the soundtrack by Andrea Morricone, which is admittedly very splendid. I wouldn't suggest viewing this, though. Unless, of course, you want to see Paul kick Stephen for five minutes straight."