PRIEST

PRIEST (PG-13 for disturbing images, some profanity, sequences of intense violence & action):  This is definitely not a remake of "Priest," the 1994 British film which takes a realistic, sympathetic approach to a young man of the cloth and his closeted homosexuality - no, definitely nothing like that.  It is a fantasy set in the future West - director Scott Stewart's follow-up to an earlier FX-dominated fantasy, "Legion." 

We're in a post-apocalyptic world, somewhere in a forlorn region of desert & abandoned, unpleasant areas now occupied by vampires who slither viscously, dripping mucous from their ravenous mouths and roaring the way all computer generated creatures do.  It's a country that's been ravaged by centuries of war between humans & vampires, during which the Church and a group of its "priests" walled themselves into a city free from the flesh-chewing monsters, and when a legendary Warrier Priest (replete with a cross emblazoned on his forehead, speaking with a raspy Clint Eastwood voice ( Paul Bettany, formerly an albino monk in "Da Vinci Code") wishes to leave the Church dominated refuge to fight a recurrence of the vampires - oh, and also to save a young damsel in distress.  Despite the Church's charges against it, he goes on his crusade.  He's laconic, ever courageous, virtually invincible - Eastman & Indiana Jones in monk's attire.
He's backed by actors Christopher Plummer, Brad Dourif, Lily Collins and others, whose talents are mostly wasted on colorless characters
Cory Goodman & Min-Woo Hyung's script does pretty much what it's supposed to do; it  fills 87-minutes of sci-fi action that relies heavily on the macho image of the title character (with a couple of his friends) and a lot of special computer animated effects - aimed at anyone eager for taut adventure on the most basic level - a Western script slightly disguised with futuristic effects.  They don't ride horses, for example; they zoom around on motorcycles at 200mph & more -  all  momentarily interesting until the final half hour battle on - no kidding - a freight train, which is the silliest Western-type bang-up bit of nonsense ever seen.. 

A pity; especially when it could have been more original and less spiritually vacant and could have opened up into conflicts dealing with a church & state situation, with our good priest facing the ire of the bad clerics who rule the civilized society within safe walls, to provide a bit of depth as subtext - only hinted at with our hero's statement at one point in their speedy trek to save the world and the girl as well, "I have questions, doubts," and drops the ball there to get on with the action.  (Grade:  D)