The movie Priest is based upon the graphic novels of Hyung Min-woo. As I have not read them, I can only hope that the source material was nowhere near as clichéd as the movie. I am pretty sure that the write, Cory Goodman, pulled out his Giant Book of Movie Clichés and check- marked each and every chapter as he added them to the movie.
In the movie, you will find:
The tortured protagonist: Tortured by his past. Pulled out of retirement to save his family and willing to break the rules to do so.
The love-struck side-kick: In love with the kidnapped girl and will do anything to save her. Including threaten the priest who kills vampires with his hands.
The ex-best friend turned villain: Not even close to a spoiler as it pretty obvious 30 seconds into the movie. The overly melodramatic villain: Is it in the rule manual that when you get turned into a supernatural villain, your acting abilities are thrown out the window?
The love-struck partner: Really? Really? We already have one love story in the movie and have been hit over the head repeatedly on how dedicated these guys are to their duty. Unrequited love just makes it sad.
The victim: Left alive and untouched by the villain. Why? So she can be saved. Not even a good throw-away line that she is alive only to be killed dramatically.
The sleaze turned informant: He doesn't even give any information that the villain doesn't already know or at least expect. He's there simply to prove how evil the villain is.
The government blind to the situation: This could have worked just as well by having the Priest sent on the mission with full approval. But no. It had to be shown that he was willing to break the rules.
Arnold Chon: The new Al Leong. A great martial artist who's there for one reason and one reason only. To do a cool 30 second routine and then get his ass killed.
For all of that, I enjoyed it for the cost of an early bird matinée ticket. This could have easily been better written with very little extra effort and become a truly great movie.
In the movie, you will find:
The tortured protagonist: Tortured by his past. Pulled out of retirement to save his family and willing to break the rules to do so.
The love-struck side-kick: In love with the kidnapped girl and will do anything to save her. Including threaten the priest who kills vampires with his hands.
The ex-best friend turned villain: Not even close to a spoiler as it pretty obvious 30 seconds into the movie. The overly melodramatic villain: Is it in the rule manual that when you get turned into a supernatural villain, your acting abilities are thrown out the window?
The love-struck partner: Really? Really? We already have one love story in the movie and have been hit over the head repeatedly on how dedicated these guys are to their duty. Unrequited love just makes it sad.
The victim: Left alive and untouched by the villain. Why? So she can be saved. Not even a good throw-away line that she is alive only to be killed dramatically.
The sleaze turned informant: He doesn't even give any information that the villain doesn't already know or at least expect. He's there simply to prove how evil the villain is.
The government blind to the situation: This could have worked just as well by having the Priest sent on the mission with full approval. But no. It had to be shown that he was willing to break the rules.
Arnold Chon: The new Al Leong. A great martial artist who's there for one reason and one reason only. To do a cool 30 second routine and then get his ass killed.
For all of that, I enjoyed it for the cost of an early bird matinée ticket. This could have easily been better written with very little extra effort and become a truly great movie.