The Order

The Order - **1/2

It's a shame that movies with drawing premises are so often rushed into production without working out the issues that drag down the screenplay, and this is a perfect example. I can't count the multitude of times films steeped in mythology end up being only interesting in premise, and whereas the idea of a secret order of Priests trained to fight various evil forms was enough to warrant a rental alone, what the movie produced was a dual sense of confusion and disappointment. The acting wasn't anything to shake a stick at; Heath Ledger lead the way but even his performance was over the top and in the end unconvincing. Mark Addy (CBS' "Still Standing) was horribly miscast in the role, and Shannyn Sossamon seemed uninspired in all of her screentime. Last time these three actors worked together with director Brian Helgeland it was the fun "A Knight's Tale"; this time around it's just dull and unintentionally goofy. The steam just runs out after 25-30 minutes. Thumbs down.