The Avenging Angel (1995) Reviews

• Great Movie

  mdicera61202006-07-30

  It's amazing that in this day and age you can buy movies that date back to the 20's on DVD, but not this one. I can't seem to find this TV movie on DVD. I like Tom Berenger movies.I enjoyed his part in "Eddie And The Cruisers" and he was great in "Someone To Watch Over Me". I'm really disappointed that this movie was not made for DVD. I also have noticed that most video stores don't even carry it. Very few on line markets know about it, and on e-bay it's rated as very rare. It's a good movie full of action and romance. Great for both male , and female audiences. I would like to know if there are anymore more Berenger fans out there.

• Mormon Palace Coup

  bkoganbing2006-05-31

  Tom Berenger who's a gun totin' sharp shootin' Mormon security man foils an attempted assassination of Brigham Young and is hardly thanked for his efforts. He investigates a little further and finds there's quite a complicated conspiracy at work. It's good to remember that this film is based on a novel, just as the DaVinci Code is. It's not anything remotely resembling real history of the Church of Latter Day Saints. For one thing as another reviewer pointed out the Transcontinental Railroad had been completed by 1872. Not only completed, but Brigham Young made money off it in every possible way. Brigham Young was a complex and charismatic leader who during the Civil War was practically treated like he was a ruling foreign power by both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. His task as best he saw it was to keep the spirit of the LDS church alive and not let it get too touched by outside influences. Of course no one plays a complex and charismatic religious figure like Charlton Heston. His Brigham Young is like his Moses if Moses had actually gone into Canaan and had the responsibility of building a nation as Joshua did. By the way the Mormons here show enough outside influence. They drink, they smoke, they indulge in extra-marital affairs just like a whole lot of gentiles do. Our protagonist Berenger is no exception. In the film 20th Century Fox did, Brigham Young with Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, and Dean Jagger we saw a bit of the colorful Mormon Scout Porter Rockwell as played by John Carradine. Here the part is played by James Coburn who's older and wiser. Rockwell's place is still hotly debated, he was devoted to Brigham Young for certain and his devotion led to some blood stained hands. I'm not sure how much controversy this made for TV western has caused among the LDS community. Apparently they were a lot smarter in handling this than other religions were with The DaVinci Code. If you remember this is a novel and not a factual retelling of events, you will get some insights into the LDS community.

• Fantastic movie about early mammon persecutions

  jtom1-12005-05-10

  I have the video and I watch it quite often and have found it to be remarkably accurate for the period. Mr. Berenger if a perfect choice for the part. Although one of the reviewers errantly listed Brigham Young as founder of the Mormon Church, the movie is great. I would gladly recommend this movie to any and all who is interested in early American history. The period dress is accurate and the persecutions that the Mormon people were suffering is amply displayed as well as the needed response to those persecutions. Charleton Heston is a wise choice for the part of Brigham Young and supposedly was the only choice of the director and producers.

• Excellent commentary on the times

  robertf-132007-02-15

  Avenging Angel explores a history of the old West that few outside of Utah will have explored. Granted some liberties have been taken, but the story holds up quite well, an the dialog snaps throughout. Charleston Heston can add Brigham Young to Moses and Ben Hur on his list of major religious figures he has portrayed. Tom Berringer gives a solid performance. James Coburn is brilliant as Porter Rockwell. From a historic point of view, the storyline may not be entirely true to fact, but Gary Stewart, author of the original novel, grew up in a traditional Mormon family in St. George, Utah. While this specific story may be fictitious, it is based on a tremendous amount of historic fact.

• Berenger Rides Again!

  dtrent-22001-08-20

  If you like horses, Westerns, beautiful scenery & a story filled with intrigue, you should like this film. Co-produced by Tom Berenger (First Corp. Productions) he also stars in this exciting movie made for TNT television. Working along with famed Charlton Heston & James Coburn, Tom's in good company. He shoots, rides & roughs it nicely. You may not be particularly interested in the trek of the Mormons to Utah in the 1870's but that's what begins the story. Miles Utley (Berenger) is trained form the time he's a youngin' to serve & protect the church's prophet, Brigham Young (Heston). And he does it with a vengeance! (How Bible-totin' people can sanction murder & politcal intrigue is a valid question but...To each his own.) You have to feel for Berenger's character throughout this whole film. He's on the trail of potential murderers, dallies with Young's daughter in an attempt to get closer to the man he so violently protects, gets left for dead in the Salt Lake, found by one of the usurper's wives & nursed back to health, beginning a relationship with her in the process, rides all over Utah & finally meets up with the prophet himself who knows all along who's got it in for him. He knows Miles is sincere & never doubted his loyalty for a minute. All in all, it's an enjoyable film & will have you guessing & interested throughout. See it! Note: Berenger's two young daughters get film credit here, too - Chelsea & Chloe Berenger.