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| Directed by Robert Marcarelli; Starring Casper Van Dien, Michael York, Michael Ironside, Catherine Oxenberg, and Gregory Wagrowski |
You know, there are some films that it is just fun to make fun of. Remember the Ed Wood films like Plan 9 from Outer Space and Glen or Glenda? Those are the classics, who needs Casablanca? In fact one of my favorite films to watch is a so-bad-it’s-painfully-funny film called Manos: Hands of Fate. The fact of the matter is that I get almost as many laughs making fun of the film than I get at some of the Pink Panther films (with the great exceptions of The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark). In a given year, I am plagued by bad films like She’s All That and The Astronaut’s Wife, but sometimes there are bad films that I find pleasure in making fun of. Films like Universal Soldier: The Return are unique pleasures because they are so bad. I never recommend those films because if I was to go into the film with a stoic disposition, than the film could turn out as a choice for worst of the year honors. It’s just that sometimes mindless, idiotic, poorly made films can be a hilarious thing to sit through. A bad, yet funny comedy is one that is not trying to be funny.
That could easily apply for the film The Omega Code. Its mistaken attempt at placing allegory in the world of action films is as much a mishap as John Huston’s The Bible. The film actually attempts to make Jean Claude van Damme action out of some Nostradamus prediction of a code in the Bible, known as the *dramatic music* Omega Code.
Casper van Dien is famed author and doctor Gillen Lane. His books are widely read and he is a devout believer in the existence and usefulness of the code. Set in present day Europe, the code is seen being used in a computer program by a beloved holy man and scholar. When he is killed by the underling (Ironside) of the chairman of the European Union, Stone Alexander (York), the program becomes useful as it can decide how the world shall progress and allow Alexander to become leader if Jerusalem, a position that, according to the code, will lead to taking over the world. Lane is chosen as an assistant to Alexander as he does his best to form a World Union, somewhat similar to a ten-man United Nations. With all but the last line of the code, Alexander has the ability to do anything to make all the prophecies come true, at least until he gets to the last line.
The film is idiotic fun. Arguably some of the worst lines of dialogue, special effects, storyline, subplots, and acting I’ve seen this year. In fact the only thing that is allowing this film to stretch over an F rating is that I found York to be deliciously fun as the bad guy. If this does not spell the end of Van Dien’s career, than I don’t know what can.
