by Lynda Chitwood

Created on: February 13, 2009   Last Updated: March 10, 2009

Never has the battle of Good vs. Evil been so funny. In the movie "Dogma", writer/director/star Kevin Smith does for religious stereotypes what Mel Brooks has done for racial ones. That is to poke his finger at them, make fun of them and remind us it's the stereotype that is funny, not the issue.

The main message of the movie is delivered to us by the earthly goddess Salma Hayek. "It doesn't matter what you have faith in, just that you have faith. Your hearts are in the right place, but your heads gotta wake up!" Hayek plays Serendipity, a muse, who, frustrated with lack of credit for inspiring writers, comes to earth to be a writer. Writer's block leads her to be a stripper instead, much to the delight of men everywhere.

The story has Bartleby and Loki (played by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) renegade angels cast out of Heaven for defying God. Cast into perdition? No. Wisconsin. They've hatched a plot to get back to heaven by going through the doors of a 100 years old church, led by Cardinal Glick (George Carlin), a hip, happening, "now" kind of priest. At risk is existence itself, and a motley crew of angels, humans, and prophets sets out to stop them.

Alan Rickman steps away from bad guy roles to play the Metatron, the cranky and much put-upon voice of God. He recruits human Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a Catholic so torn by faith and religion that she balances her checkbook in church and works at an abortion clinic. Bethany is, however, the only one who can save mankind from extinction. Her guides on this mission are Jay and Silent Bob (Jason Mews and Kevin Smith), a pair of horny New Jersey stoners who turn out to be prophets, although their only reason for coming along is a free ride and the hope of doing the nasty with Bethany. Along their journey they meet Rufus (Chris Rock), the 13th Apostle, left out of the Bible "because he's black."

The group must get to New Jersey and stop Bartleby and Loki, but first, they must get through Azrael (Jason Lee), another muse who was sent to Hell, and now has a serious and psychotic ax to grind.

Smith's Silent Bob has two spoken lines, both memorable, and the rest of his acting is done with eyebrows and hand gestures. Mews' Jay is an idiot with a potty mouth, but his moments of bleary-eyed brilliance are the movie's turning points. Alan Rickman's characters all have superiority complexes, but this one is well-founded, he's from "the highest choir of Angels". Rock is his usual smart-aleck self, though at the root of his sarcasm are some cold, hard truths. Affleck and Damon are terrific as good guys turned bad. Lee is a perfect movie villain, full of righteous indignation. Linda Fiorentino is amazing, as the human whose faith and very sanity is tested; she's been cast into a religious loony bin, and finds herself believing in them.

The movie was made in 1999 and ten years later it remains relevant and hysterical.

In order to enjoy this movie, one must not be sensitive to cursing and sexual references, nor touchy about their religious beliefs, particularly Catholics. There are several very violent scenes as well as one with Hayek dancing in her underwear, complete with pig-tails and lollipop. You will re-think your views on religion, and laugh all the way to an appearance by the All-Mighty herself (Alanis Morrisette).

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