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The Reaping Our rating: Rate this movie   MPAA rating: R (for violence, disturbing images and some sexuality) Genre: Horror, Thriller Theater release: April 05, 2007 by Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc. Directed by: Stephen Hopkins Runtime: 1 hour 36 minutes Cast: Hilary Swank (Katherine), David Morrissey (Doug), Idris Elba (Ben), AnnaSophia Robb (Loren McConell), Stephen Rea (Father Costigan) Related: Talk About It/Family Corner

In the book of Exodus, we read about how Moses confronted Pharaoh, who was persecuting the Israelite slaves, and demanded, "Let my people go!" But Pharaoh stubbornly refused, even as the wrath of God brought ten plagues to ravage his land.

There are also ten plagues in The Reaping, Warner Brothers' new horror thriller. But you don't have to suffer through all of them, or wait for a deliverer. You are not a slave to Hollywood's clever marketing campaigns. You don't have to wait for an usher to yell, "Let my people go!" You can get up out of your theater seat and go free at any time. Or, better yet—you can avoid this movie altogether.

As written by Carey W. Hayes and Chad Hayes, The Reaping has an intriguing premise—those famous Old Testament plagues are recurring in Haven, Louisiana. Or are they? Perhaps there is a scientific explanation for all of this.

That's what Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank) proposes. Winter may as well be Indiana Jones' granddaughter—one day, she's lecturing about the scientific explanations behind reportedly paranormal phenomena. (Doesn't your local university have a miracle-debunker?) The next day, she's an adventurer, investigating so-called "miracles" so she can debunk all of this hocus-pocus.

Hilary Swank as Katherine Winter

The pattern worked for Indy, but Winter could stand to learn a thing or two about adventuring. She seems strangely compelled to wade deeper and deeper into trouble equipped with little more than fancy scientific jargon. Whether she's headed into a dark attic, a dark cellar, a dark abandoned house, or dark woods, Winter seems averse to using common-sense tools like flashlights. Shouldn't she be wearing more than a flimsy tank top as she deals with boil-covered corpses and blood-polluted rivers?

And why is she so driven to disprove miracles? The film has an impressive explanation: She's lost her faith in God, and she's bitter about a deep, personal loss.

Nevertheless, God protects Winter and her sidekick Ben (Idris Elba) from the deadly effects of these amazing disasters. They seem immune to the corruption rampant in Haven, but don't worry—there are plenty of locals and CGI-generated cattle to give the plagues something to afflict.

For a few moments, viewers may wonder if this is going to become a cautionary tale about global warming. Or perhaps it's a commentary on the Hurricane Katrina disaster, suggesting, like some televangelists, that sin brought devastation on New Orleans. (It's no surprise that FEMA remains absent from the scene of the plagues, but where's the national media? When swamps start turning to blood, shouldn't Anderson Cooper be standing in the muck with a live report?)

AnnaSophia Robb as Loren McConnell—a long way from Terabithia

But no, The Reaping is far too excited about unleashing special-effects mayhem to bother with any serious thought. The plagues provide enough paranormal activity for several movies, but they're just the beginning. Winter's old friend Father Costigan, a priest she's trying to ignore, is suffering vivid hallucinations about the angel of death, and all of his photographs of Winter are catching fire. Meanwhile, Dakota Fanning's evil twin (AnnaSophia Robb of Bridge to Terabithia) is lurking in the Haven swamp. When she's around, Winter suffers freaky psychic flashes. These fragmented revelations may not be of much practical use, but they sure make viewers jump in their seats.

You don't need to be a psychic to guess how it will all turn out. We're sure that a villain will be revealed. Is it the girl, or her zombie-like mother? Is it Costigan? Is it the local Christian loudmouth who sneers at Winter's crisis of faith? ("Some people just don't want to go to heaven.") With so few possibilities, viewers who are familiar with the genre will be able to place smart bets on the outcome.

In fact, with a few winks at the audience, this could have become a campy classic, a spoof of noisy horror flicks. But director Stephen Hopkins (TV's Tales from the Crypt) takes this preposterous storyline so seriously that it's just no fun. You may find yourself wishing that boils or locusts would come and put you out of your misery.

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