The Encounter 2: Paradise Lost Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.5
Audio		1.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

The Encounter 2: Paradise Lost Blu-ray Movie Review

An encounter with Christ.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 6, 2015

The Encounter: Paradise Lost is the Christian film answer to the somewhat stale "lives and events converge" genre in which otherwise unrelated people find themselves drawn unexpectedly together for some larger purpose. In this film, that purpose is their salvation, and their convergence comes quickly rather than in the final moments, as is normally the case in these sorts of movies. The picture explores a number of deep, thought-provoking ideas that intermix earthly life and spiritual salvation, resulting in a clear message that's delivered with no veils or subtleties. The Christian messaging is the film's one and only goal as it openly challenges characters (and by extension the audience), in the physical presence of Christ, to face the realities of their lives head-on and see the larger picture not through their own eyes but rather a more spiritually guided vision of what was, is, and is to come for them and their loved ones, be they believers, nonbelievers, or people somewhere in between, struggling with the very idea of spiritual freedom in a world that has, in some form or fashion, destroyed their very essences.

Jesus is here.

Rik Caperna (David A.R. White) is a laser-focused American cop in Thailand. He's hot on the trail of a drug-runner named Bruno Mingarelli (Robert Miano). Rik captures him, but corrupt local authorities force his hand and demand Bruno be released from his custody. Rik continues his pursuit, however, and tracks him to a beachside resort that's been all but abandoned with word of a powerful storm headed ashore. Bruno gets the upper hand, takes Rik hostage and, with his drug-addicted wife Mimi (Ammy Chanicha) and no-nonsense bodyguard Charlie (Gary Daniels) at his side, also drags the resort's owners, Chris and Helen Ward (Rif Hutton and Shelley Robertson), into the situation. Chris and Helen are grieving the loss of their son who died at the age of 22 while in pursuit of a life in the ministry when the destructuive tsunami hit Thailand in 2004. The situation becomes more complicated -- yet in many ways more clear -- when a figure claiming to be Jesus Christ (Bruce Marchiano) enters the scene.

Once the film moves beyond its somewhat confusing narrative -- particularly as it relates to Chris, Helen, and their son -- The Encounter: Paradise Lost finds a stride and purpose in its simple messaging as it pertains to complex issues of earthly and spiritual life and death. The film is built around a number of character studies, all of which are woven with the end resolution in mind. The film hopes to guide viewers through their own issues by building characters who are essentially a base reflection of one corner of society or another, each dealing with problems that are in some way, at least broadly, relatable: the general ways of the world and how they contrast with Biblical teachings, the conflict that is human poverty versus spiritual wealth, tragedy and loss, anger, forgiveness, spiritual satisfaction versus moral bankruptcy, and general human flaws and frailty as reflections of the way things are in the world versus the way things are through Christ. In essence, the film examines the limits of man's understanding and conveys the message that life isn't found in the ways of the world but rather through spiritual salvation through Christ.

It's never easy to depict Christ in film, particularly in a non-historical context as is the case here where the movie doesn't deal in His life, teachings, death, and resurrection as they are described in the Bible. In The Encounter: Paradise Lost, Christ is presented "in the flesh" here, today, as someone who doesn't guide through scripture and man's inner voice alone but instead as a physical entity, a man, for all intents and purposes, who sits down with the characters to discuss their ways and their path to salvation. While the script does pen dialogue for Jesus that extends beyond scriptural writings, it does so with the foundation of scripture as an inspiration. The idea of "putting words into Jesus' mouth" might be troubling for some -- who is to speak for Jesus? -- but the film does so with the best of intentions and a Biblically based core guiding the way. Bruce Marchiano, who also portrayed Jesus in Pure Flix's Revelation Road series, is quite good in the lead role, not only in the way he looks the part -- aside from the shorter hair he seems to fit that classic "Christ" representation -- but finding a balance between firmness, directness, comfort, care, and omnipotence that makes the character all-powerful but infinitely relatable and friendly. The rest of the cast is good, perhaps not building characters quite so complexly crafted as Marchiano's Christ but working well alongside the film's accessible yet demanding ebbs and flows and allowing the emotion and spirituality to carry the film rather than their individual performances.

The Encounter 2: Paradise Lost Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Encounter: Paradise Lost features a decent 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer that's a classic example of "looks good at-a-glance" and "warts exposed upon closer inspection." Generally, the image showcases good, stable details in close-up shots. Everything from skin and clothes to guns and furniture are nicely revealing and sharp. Likewise, the color palette is fairly stable and pleasant, with solid enough natural greens and warm reds. But the transfer falls apart under scrutiny. Banding, aliasing, and micro blocking are all amongst issues that arise throughout. Pale, tired, and purply black levels, generally flat and glossy HD textures, and warm flesh tones also count towards the negative end of the checklist. The movie appears momentarily mis-framed in a couple of shots; one shot at the 1:39:20 mark goes fairly wide, but only for an instant, while a scene around the 8:55 mark shows a thin black bar across the bottom, like it's trying to go 1.85:1 but forgot the top end of the screen. This is a watchable image to be sure but one that will irritate videophiles with its inconsistency and small pile of eyesores that add up to one big frustration.

The Encounter 2: Paradise Lost Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Encounter: Paradise Lost features a disappointing Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. The track gets everything wrong, save, perhaps, for its ability to introduce some fairly reproduced, albeit minor, atmospherics into the stage, such as insects, birds, ocean waves, and light pedestrian and traffic din in the city shots. Otherwise, the track is a mess of sloppy, undefined effects with no clarity, authenticity, or power. Gunshots are about as puny as possible. Punches and smacks lack all but cursory definition and land with a faint thud rather than a hard smack. Car engines and honking horns barely register. Every effect is shallow, empty, and devoid of all but the most cursory, identifiable definition. Dialogue is, fortunately, rather clear, but even that struggles with severe lip synch issues, evident particularly throughout the second and third acts. All in all, this is a major disappointment of a track that only conveys the basics and no more.

The Encounter 2: Paradise Lost Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Encounter: Paradise Lost contains a commentary and a featurette.

• Audio Commentary: Actors David A.R. White and Bruce Marchiano offer a fun and insightful track in which they recall the first Encounter film, the larger budget for this film compared to the first and the resultant changes including a larger feel and scope, shooting in Thailand, the script, cast and performances, tales from the shoot, and more. Fans should enjoy this track.
• Behind the Scenes (1080p, 17:18): A look at cast, characters, story, themes, shooting locations, crafting various scenes, and more.
• Trailers (1080p): The Encounter: Paradise Lost, The Mark, Escape, Brother White, Apostle Peter and the Last Supper, Jerusalem Countdown, and The Encounter.

The Encounter 2: Paradise Lost Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Encounter: Paradise Lost is an unabashedly direct Christian film that exists to guide viewers to Christ by way of collecting a number of characters in His presence, characters who are in many ways flawed and in need of something beyond what the world can give them. The film, then, is deep and spiritual in story but simple in construction, often feeling like a stage play rather than a film with its deeply intimate one-room second and, for the most part, third acts. Performances -- particularly from Marchiano -- are strong though the film is carried by its message and emotion more so than any technical work taking place on either side of the camera. Pure Flix Entertainment's Blu-ray release of The Encounter: Paradise Lost features troubled video, poor audio, and a couple of extras. Recommended on the strength of the film.