Search - Gabriel on DVD

Angels Packing heat!

That Review Guy | Florida, the sunshine state. | 02/25/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was rather surprised by this film because I expected it to be yet another low budget flop. surprise! It is very good, has a lot of action, gunfighting, and even some special effects that were pretty good.

the story starts off with Gabriel last of the ArcAngels (their spelling, mine is ArchAngel)

well, each time he taps into the "source aka God" for power he not only grows weaker, but alerts all the demons exactly where he is.

as if that's not enough, the last 6 arcangels failed to bring about an end to the darkness and now it is totally up to gabriel to end Sammael's Reign of evil and put an end to darkness and finally release the sun.

a really well done flick but if you are looking for constantine style effects you will be dissappointed. this film has quite a few talkie spots but the story is so compelling you might not notice.

most of the effects are comprised of super strength, speed, some glowy Particle effects and changing eye color. (eyes seem to represent demon (reddish amber) angel (blue) and regular human eyes.)

my only minor gripe with the film was the fact everyone (angels and demons) used guns for fighting and naught else. still great though.



Overall: this is a good film not overloaded with effects, blood and gore etc. it is a gripping story about the final fight for purgatory and the souls of earth and the fallen angels. I'd recommend it.



4 Stars.

Extras Include:

deleted Scenes, and 3 making of featurettes. not bad.



Buy it here!

Gabriel"

Astounding Angels of the Wingless Kind

Author-Poet Aberjhani | Georgia, United States | 03/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
Are there any who fall, when they fall, quite so hard as angels do? Going by the scenario in Australian director Shane Abbess' extraordinary noir metaphysical drama, GABRIEL, the answer would have to be a loud "No!" As they battle in human form for control over the middle earth region of Purgatory, where human souls dwell in limbo before descending to hell or ascending to heaven, these angels use the f-word in more ways than one, revel in rebellion and debauchery by the ton, and fire blazing automatics with more deadly intent than a. S.W.A.T. team or gang bangers looped on crack.



And yet the independent filmmaker's skillful balance between Purgatory mayhem and heavenly transcendence is a finely rendered one. As he drops dreamlike from heaven to non-heaven, the archangel Gabriel ponders the fact that he is on his way to do battle in a spiritual war zone where six fellow archangels have already dared to tread but apparently failed. He is a last chance, hoping to succeed where even the mighty angel-warrior Michael has not.



Newcomer Andy Whitfield does a more than competent job as Gabriel and makes it easy to empathize with his divine anguish as he adjusts to his mortal form, seeks out his wounded angelic comrades, and launches full force into martial arts and handgun combat. Dwayne Stevenson as the manically rebellious Sammael, and one-time mentor of Gabriel, provides a powerful villainous contrast. The film progresses between scenes of healing and reunion, to those of explosive one-on-one clashes reminiscent of the most enthralling gangster-film gun battle sequences. The ending is not only unpredictable in regard to a painful choice that Gabriel makes--it is also for some viewers disturbing and controversial.



Considering the obstacles that Shane Abbess and company had to overcome to make this amazing independent film, you have to give the production team and cast credit for getting it done at all. When looking, however, at the small miracle they achieved while working with so little, it becomes difficult not to imagine how much they might have accomplished working with more.



by Author-Poet Aberjhani

author of "The Bridge of Silver Wings"

and Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (Facts on File Library of American History)

"