The Rite

The Rite has hit theatres this weekend. It stars Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins as Father Trevant, Colin O'Donoghue as the young priest in-training Michael Kovak. The film also includes performances by Alice Braga and Marta Gastini. The Rite tells a story, based on true events, that centers around Michael having a crisis of faith and his lunge into a case involving demonic possession and an exorcism.

My main problem with this movie is its relevance. It's a story, although based on true events, has already been told. Doubting priest (in training) that finds himself in a showdown with evil. It's been done before. The first time was in The Exorcist (1973) and it has never really been done all that well since.

The acting was okay. I've seen Hopkins do better. Most of his character's personality seemed to be written much like his character of Abraham Van Helsing in Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). Colin O'Donoghue did well but nothing too memorable.

I will say the film had some good atmosphere to it. Lots of dark scenery and some spooky looking stuff. Also you really never get to bored and the movie doesn't drag on and on.

The Rite isn't all that bad but it's tough, as others have found out, to follow what William P. Blatty and William Friedkin did nearly 40 years ago. It still hasn't been touched.

FX/TBS It.