Reel Critics:

“Legion” wants to be a supernatural thriller of biblical proportions. A plague of swarming locusts is only one of many bizarre events unleashed by an angry God. Demons prowling the landscape portend the end of the world. Strange and violent creatures threaten what may be a last outpost of humanity.

Dennis Quaid leads the cast of frightened survivors. They are stuck in a desert gas station and greasy spoon restaurant waiting for the next bad thing to happen. There are several scenes with first-rate special effects that grab you by the throat. The best of them are previewed in the trailers and TV ads. But the core of this film has more in common with the B-movie horror flicks of the 1950s than it does with modern sci-fi epics.

Paul Bettany steals the show as a remorseful angel who refuses to help destroy mankind. He challenges the mighty Gabriel hoping to save the pathetic remnants of the human race from the wrath of God. The resulting mystical predicament leads to convoluted spiritual issues that defy understanding. But logic and reason are not the purpose here. Entertaining a target audience of young males with the violent quasi-religious subject matter is the accomplished goal.

Bridges turns in ‘Crazy’ good performance

In “Crazy Heart,” Bad Blake is a walking cliché of a boozy country singer. Burned out physically and creatively, he’s reduced to singing his old hits in tinny bars and bowling alleys. Nothing new to tell here, but with Jeff Bridges in the lead, Bad has never been so good — beer belly and all.

While Blake’s barely surviving, former protégé Tom Sweet (unbilled and wonderfully underplayed Colin Farrell) now has the big fame and big money. Both actors do their own singing and sound great. Original songs by Stephen Bruton and T Bone Burnett flow along with the story: You’ll want to hear every note and more.

My favorite scene is of Robert Duvall, as Blake’s buddy, softly singing as they’re fishing. It’s a glorious, serene moment — and the calm before the storm.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is strong as the young journalist and single mom who takes a chance on Blake, in spite of the warning bells going off in our heads.

You have to admire Bridges — he has no fear, no vanity, and just goes for the heart of the character — and ours as well. Let’s hope that on Oscar night, “The Dude” will finally get his due.

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.