Let me first say that I am a Christian. I watch campy Christian movies solely for the sake to have some wholesome entertainment. I clearly remember the impact of reading the Left Behind book almost 16 years ago as a boy in middle school. Few other books have had such a profound impact on my life so I hold the entire series close to heart.
However, I share all this to say that this movie is nothing but a hot mess. Here's a short list of sins. 1.) A soundtrack that sounds like bad elevator music 2.) Maybe it was just my theater but the dialogue was also difficult to hear 3.) Casually calm characters on the airplane after one of the most horrifying events known to mankind has just occurred 4.) Out of place comedic relief and 5.) So-so acting.
To be fair though, there were some improvements from the original movie. The rapture scene was markedly improved and actually made me gasp because it truly occurs unexpectedly. The action shots were also much better and the acting was improved but for the star power involved was rather weak. Many of the airplane scenes felt overly contrived with stilted acting.
The movie doesn't necessarily follow the plot of the Left Behind book as it's merely inspired by it but it doesn't matter with all the aforementioned problems. There's also a lot less preaching in this film than the original but frankly could have used more as to convey some message of inspiration.
If you're a fan of the Left Behind series I wouldn't say completely disregard this film but please don't have high expectations that this movie will deliver and improve on the original. I've waited 16 years for a movie to convey the fear, excitement, and triumph that enthralled me when I was an 11 year old boy staying up to the wee hours of the morning trying to read just one more page of the book. After watching this movie, it looks like I'll have to wait for another remake.
