Left Behind: World at War
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Left Behind: World at War is the third film in the series of films based on the Left Behind book series. the movie was produced by Cloud Ten Pictures and released under the Sony Entertainment banner. Instead of a planned theatrical release, the movie premiered at churches on October 21, 2005 before its release on DVD and video on October 25, 2005.
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[edit] Plot Synopsis
The movie picks up 18 months after the events in the second movie, and an attack is taking place. United States President Gerald Fitzhugh videotapes his confession. The movie opens one week earlier. The Tribulation Force, consisting of Rayford Steele, his daughter Chloe Steele, Buck Williams, Bruce Barnes, and Chris Smith, are in the process of stealing bibles from a GC compound. The GC busts into the place, and shoots Chris Smith while the remaining Trib Force members escape. At Washington, D.C., the president and his vice-president, John Mallory, are taking some time away from the White House. Mallory tells Fitzhugh of Nicolae's plans and how he has found evidence that Nicolae is planning an attack on American soil. Before he shares the information, Mallory dies from an ambush attack, but a militia group comes to the aid of the President. Back at the Trib Force underground headquarters, Bruce Barnes performs a double wedding ceremony: Buck to Chloe, and Rayford to Amanda White, the newest member who once knew Rayford's first wife before the vanishings. After the ceremony is over, Buck heads over to L.A. and Rayford flies to New Babylon. Nicolae meets with Fitzhugh who expresses his deepest concern over the news of Mallory's death, and teams up with Carolyn Miller (Jessica Steen), who poses as Nicolae's top aide at GC headquarters. Together, they find Nicolae's secret plan of stealing bibles and lacing them with anthrax before distributing them. The underground Trib Force HQ is hit the hardest as World War III approaches. Bruce and Chloe are infected with the virus, but in the end it is Chloe who miraculously survives when the communion wine is revealed to be the antidote. After Buck meets Fitzhugh in a destroyed White House, Fitzhugh confronts Nicolae in a final showdown where he activates a personal transmitter, hoping to obliterate the GC headquarters, Nicholae and himself, with a missile locked onto the transmitter's location.
[edit] Production
Filming took place in Canada on February 21, 2005 on a budget of $17 million and wrapped on March 18, 2005.
[edit] Trivia
The film was in production since 2002, when Cloud Ten Pictures released an official 30-second announcement teaser on DVD copies of Left Behind II: Tribulation Force
The movie was also called Left Behind: World War III at one point during production before undergoing a title change.
The movie is loosely based on the final 50 pages of the second Left Behind novel Tribulation Force
Principal photography was supposed to begin 15 October 2004, but got pushed back until 21 February 2005 because the script was not "locked".
Clarence Gilyard Jr. was originally signed to reprise his role of Bruce Barnes, but couldn't return due to a scheduling conflict.
[edit] Criticism
The third movie drew heavy criticism. While some fans of the series thought that having a Hollywood-based company handled the film resulted in better production values and eloquent cinematography techniques, others felt that Left Behind: World At War strayed too far from the original storyline, and had huge plot holes. The movie also focuses largely on the character of Gerald Fitzhugh instead of centering on the Tribulation Force.
The third movie was the least identifiable with events in any of the books. Recognizable events were the marriages of Buck with Chloe and Rayford with Amanda, the death of Bruce Barnes, and the U.S. president heading an attack, with Britain and Egypt, against the Global Community. Major parts of the movie, however, were not in any of the books: the poisoning of Bibles by the forces of Nicolae, and an attempt by Fitzhugh to assassinate Nicolae. Buck's meeting with the president in the books makes it into the movie, but in a totally different form.
Another value was the studio Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, who didn't market the movie in the weeks leading up to its release. It is uncertain whether Cloud Ten will work with them again on the fourth film.
[edit] Cast
- Louis Gossett Jr.: President Gerald Fitzhugh
- Kirk Cameron: Buck Williams
- Brad Johnson: Rayford Steele
- Jessica Steen: Carolyn Miller
- Gordon Currie: Nicolae Carpathia
- Janaya Stephens: Chloe Steele
- Chelsea Noble: Hattie Durham
- Laura Catalano: Amanda White
- Arnold Pinnock: Bruce Barnes
- Charles Martin Smith: Vice President John Mallory
- David Eisner: Chief of Staff Allan Campbell
- Martin Randez: Andrews
- Phillip Jarrett: Trent
- David Macniven: Chris Smith
- Patrick Stevenson: GC Officer
