Heath Ledger plays a priest on the horns of dilemma in the religious-thriller, The Order. Featuring some of the same cast as A Knight’s Tale (and with the same writer/director) the film has a far darker tone than the Middle Ages romantic-comedy that came before. Here Ledger’s priest must solve the mystery surrounding a slain member of his church who may or may not have been struck down by a Sin Eater.
Will this renegade priest solve the crime and find the Sin Eater before it’s too late?
While it has all the elements that could make this an chilling and intense film, the pacing is so slow that I got bored several time during the film. I’m not saying I wanted the movie to have quick-cuts and Michael Bay-style action, but a faster moving story would have been nice.
There are also several moments that seem to make no sense even within the context of the film’s presented world. Even the visual effects come across as silly-looking to the extent that when sin is pulled from a dying man in one scene it resembles a giant jellyfish. What should have been a profound and chilling moment left me laughing instead.
Granted, Ledger delivers a solid performance as a rogue priest out for justice, but the story as a whole comes across as a bit heavy-handed and absurd at times.
Special Features for this Blu-ray edition of the film include Audio Commentary by Director Brian Helgeland; Deleted Scenes and Dailies; and the Original Theatrical Trailer.
Fans of Heath Ledger will surely enjoy his performance here, but The Order doesn’t have much else going for it except for him. Or does it? Leave a comment and discuss.
The Order is available NOW on Blu-ray!
Other than The Dark Knight, what’s your favorite Heath Ledger movie? Leave a comment and let us know!