End of Days

It’s not as terrible as they say. Putting aside the plot faux-pas that the all-powerful Lord of Hell can't deal with an insignificant human, this is a film that doesn't lack atmosphere, has solid visual effects in places, and doesn't bite you with boredom. Arnie has been in much worse stuff. (13.04.2003)

If Peter Hyams and especially Arnold Schwarzenegger were endowed with some common sense, End of Days would either not have come into existence at all, or Schwarzenegger would have been recast in the lead role. Arnold simply wanted to try something different again and he greatly insisted on making this film - he saw a great opportunity in it. The director couldn't explain to him that the action genre fundamentally does not combine with satanic themes. You can't kill the devil or give him a beating. A satanic film stands and falls with the atmosphere, which relies on quality acting performances alongside occult props, where tension, fears, and other emotions must emanate from the actors' faces. Everyone knows how Arnold acts, so the film could not have turned out well from the start. The only bright spot is the casting of the sympathetic, then-still-unknown Robin Tunney. Overall impression: 25%. (06.12.2007)

Narratively traditionally simple - what else to expect from routine artist Peter Hyams – but it is action-packed and has a brilliant apocalyptic and satanic atmosphere, not only thanks to the masterful music and decent editing. Arnold surprisingly pulls it off and Gabriel Byrne is excellent. (19.01.2014)

This one missed the mark quite a bit, and it was close to being a total flop. One thing that baffles me after watching it is how this could have had a $100 million budget. Who pocketed that money? Because I’d peg the cost at maybe a quarter of that. Anyway, let’s get to the review... I like films with devilish themes, but End of Days hardly engaged me in any way. The only aspect that kept it afloat was Gabriel Byrne as Satan. His captivating presence carried the film; I enjoyed every scene he was in. On the other hand, Schwarzenegger seemed completely disinterested in the filming, delivering his lines robotically and looking genuinely bored, which was a negative surprise for me. The visuals were quite mediocre, the practical effects were passable, but the CGI effects, especially the devil, triggered fits of laughter. The ending was outright tragic, clearly showing that the creators ran out of any creative ideas. I’ll give it 4/10 for Byrne’s performance, but... (01.07.2022)