Movie Review: Six – The Mark Unleashed

By Donald James Parker

Looking for an action film involving Christianity?  Here you go.  There's nothing like the mark of the beast to bring intrigue into a story.  Any Christian who allows thoughts to flow through their head has had to grapple with the story of the mark at least once.  The Bible says that there is only one unforgivable sin: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  However, the Bible also mentions that anyone taking the mark on their hand or forehead will spend eternity in hell.  Logic dictates that taking the mark is, in essence, unforgivable–thus it must be an example of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  This story features three people who have refused to accept the mark, but not because they are believers.  We witness the subtle plots and coercion used by the government to try to bring these people into line with society while the outcast Christians use love and scripture to battle for people's minds.

This flic features some of the best actors that I've run across in the Christian movie scene.  Steven Baldwin seems to be a headliner here.  He does a nice job in the role of a Christian with prophetic powers waiting to die for refusing to take the mark. David White is a guy I have run across in several films.  He is excellent in this one with satire being his strength as he plays an unbeliever.  Perhaps the best job was done by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, playing an ex-cop who is asked by the government to kill a leading Christian.  To me, Morgan just exudes that stage presence quality of actors like Anthony Hopkins and Sean Connery.  Amy Moon had a big role as the ex-wife of the cop.  
This film was directed by Kevin Downes, who also played one of the lead roles.  Paul Crouch was the executive producer.  

Some of the content might be objectionable for the younger kids.  There were a couple of fights, some gunfire, and some torture scenes–not quite as messy as in Braveheart because of the use of high tech machines to dole out the pain.  The fight scenes were very realistic with the martial arts being more believable than Texas Rangers.  Some scenes with mini-guillotines provided some heroic rhetoric and courageous acceptance of martyrdom, but the bloodletting mostly occurred off the screen leaving it up to the imagination of the viewer.  In my opinion the violence made the film more realistic and impacting, whereas not showing the actual footage of the mayhem was in good taste.  We don't live in a Barbie Doll world, but we don't need to be immersed in bloodshed just because such brutality exists.

One of the knocks on this movie by some is that it’s another in a long line of Christian movies about the Apocalypse.   I don't get bent out of shape over that fact, especially since this might be the best one I've seen on the subject.  Is it possible that the Lord would like us to be exposed to lots of material on that subject so we might prepare ourselves for our own heroic decision to reject or accept the mark of the beast?  The prospect is a bit terrifying.  To put it into perspective, let me leave you with a paraphrased quote from Braveheart:  Aye, resist and you may die, take the mark, and you'll live… at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for eternal life with your Father in Heaven, where your status as a martyr for Christ will make you a hero forever?      

About the author:  Donald James Parker is a novelist and computer programmer who resides in Puyallup, Washington.  Check out his website at www.donaldjamesparker.com?tcp.

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