Nostradamus (I) (2000) User Reviews

Time travelling killer monk nonsense

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 3 June 2015]

Tibor Takacs is the guy who once directed the fun, cheesy kid's horror flick THE GATE back in the 1980s. Ever since he's seemed to pride himself in churning out one cheesy B-movie after another, and NOSTRADAMUS is a case in point. It's an entirely ridiculous sci-fi thriller in which a homicide detective and his colleagues find themselves battling time-travelling killer French monks who are hell-bent on bringing Nostradamus into the modern era.

With shades of TERMINATOR 2, THE X-FILES, and even THE MATRIX, NOSTRADAMUS is a very silly film that has little to do with the prophet of legend. Instead it's an entirely ordinary B-movie, with poor CGI effects and some very cheesy action. The plot is very slight, which means the narrative is padded out with boring romantic sub-plots and the like; plus there are no interesting cast members. Generally this film is a dud and one best forgotten.

Bargain basement movie thats a bit crap really

[chrissoda100 · 5/10 · 30 August 2002]

This is the kind of thing you find on the bottom shelf of your local video store.

The daft plot involves medieval monks inventing a time machine so they can send weird looking long haired blokes into the future to try and cause armageddon (or something equally ridiculous), where an intrepid cop must try and stop them.

The dodgy special effects, and TV movie feel don't help, but if you are really stuck for something to watch for 90 mins or so ....Find a book to read!

alright time travel sci-fi

[LetsReviewThat26 · 5/10 · 14 February 2022]

This was an ok movie. Its what I expect from the sci-fi channel but I have to say it was slightly better to others I've seen. Cast were good and the plot of trying to stop a cult from bring back nostradamus to cause the apocalypse had fluidity to it. The one thing I would say is this might have been better off being turned into a show where the main characters stop evil from destroying the world.

Not-a-must

[croc (DRM) · 15 July 2001]

Let's start with some moaning. Nostradamus was not the only end-of-the-world movie to come out in 1999/2000. It's also not the best. I'm no medieval historian but AFAIK the real Nostradamus and the one portrayed in the film, do only have their name in common - I felt a bit "ripped-off" by that. It also attributed some "extra works" to Leonardo da Vinci, for good measure.

The plot concept is pretty simple really - a bit like Terminator 2. However the action sequences are pretty lame in comparison, as is the feeling of depth. The bad guys aren't really bad enough and the attempt at a romantic sub-plot is so predictable and, frankly, poor.

It's not that it's a bad film, there's just not much there - either to engage the brain or "take you to that other world". I enjoyed it about as much as I would have done staring out the window watching the world go by for 90 minutes ...

Scraping the barrel in every respect

[FountainPen · 1/10 · 22 August 2016]

Everyone associated with this hideous cinematic effort should hang their heads in shame. It is a total shambles, a disgraceful excuse for a movie which FAILS in every category, on every level, from all viewpoints.

The acting is lame, embarrassing, ultra-amateurish. Not that much could be done with the wishy-washy, half-cocked script, anyway.

The story development (ha ha ha, what a joke) is non-existent, the character development excruciatingly laughable. Cinematography below par.

Perhaps this is a useful flick inasmuch as it serves as a lesson on how NOT to make a meaningful, successful, entertaining film. That is the most positive thing I can say for this waste-of-time.

Yes, it scrapes the barrel. It is horrible. Skip it.

Oh Dear Lord

[familymahone · 1/10 · 20 July 2001]

Hmmm, started well, like a hybrid of X-Files & First Wave, unfortunately, if the mere notion of Da Vinci's lost time machine is preposterous to you, then the final 'battle' between one man with a pistol and 4 16th century monks armed to the teeth with automatic weapons will seem positively ridiculous equalled only by poor acting, poor script and screenplay, or, in other words, giggle factor 5 captain.

Nostra-dumb

[C24 · 2/10 · 7 May 2002]

Forgettable pilot that never really explains why Nostradamus is really important to the plot of this movie, but Rob Estes plays a a hunky cop who happens to be Nostradamus for some reason and who battles time-travelling Medieval monks that run around with guns and set people on fire to start the apocalypse. Oh yeah, there's also a sexy FBI agent who happens to be a pyschic and is trying to get Rob to believe everything before it's too late. Too bad they couldn't predict a better plot. Yawn.

"I'm offering you a chance to choose a different path'

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 5/10 · 23 August 2020]

A medieval cult (well tooled with all kinds of modern weaponry!) sends a killer to the present day to murder several unconnected people but by doing so they will hurry on the beginning of an apocalyptic Armageddon, errr...somehow. And a city cop Michael Nostrand also finds out he is really Nostradamus. And then falls in love with a psychic chick Lucy Hudson who works for the F.B.I. And people get burnt to death. And it is a shame because the first half of the film is quite good with mystery and a nice spooky atmosphere but once the cop travels back in time it loses all that and becomes rather dull so that one can't wait for it to end.

I kind of liked it actually

[SanderSmit77 · 6/10 · 21 May 2006]

It is not one of the best movies ever made, but if you like the X-files I bet you will like this too. The movie is not really about Nostradamus too much, even though he is supposed to be the main character, nor about Da Vinci. It is about a cop who gets caught up in this strange cult who try to destroy the world. It is a typical B movie in that. Bad story line, bad acting, lots of fun :) Just remember it is low budget, like a TV movie instead of a big Hollywood production. The special effects are not very good, but it is quite an enjoyable story, and as mentioned before, that FBI cop is hot! :D I bought it for only 3 euro 50 here and I am sure it was good value at that price. I can imagine one might feel a bit ripped off if you got it at full price or rented it expecting a full Hollywood production. This title could have been so much better, if the story line and the special effects would get a huge Hollywood make-over. Still, not bad at all if you are in to B movies

Time travel lite

[tosinner · 8/10 · 25 December 2005]

A cop - investigating a series of strange deaths, teams up with a psychic, and delves into the world of time travelling monks from medieval France (and finds out a little about his own past, or is that future, along the way)

Smacking all the while of being a pilot episode for what could - perhaps - have developed into an interesting series, the film lacks a little polish. However, it's still quite watchable, and certainly killed a dull hour and a half.

Never going to be an all time great, but with demons, time travel, and spontaneous combustion, it's not all bad.

Above average time-travel movie

[Bcaldc10 · 7/10 · 29 April 2001]

This movie was superior to most of its type. Rob Estes and Joely Fisher were excellent together and definitely made the film watchable. As with most Sci-Fi films some parts required the viewer to be very open-minded but Estes & Fisher overcame this element.

A nice way to kill time (get it?)

[coverme6 · 21 November 2001]

NOSTRADAMUS is an uneven science fiction thriller starring the hunky but shrill-voiced Rob Estes, former star of TV's SILK STALKINGS and MELROSE PLACE. Estes stars as Mike Nostrand, a homicide detective who battles a strange cult with a bizarre plot to take over the world by summoning the spirit of Nostradamus. With some slight plot holes and, again, the probelm with Estes' voice talents might prove to be quite hard for the discriminating viewer to like NOSTRADUMS, but fans of the genres of hard-boiled cop dramas and time-traveling sci-fi just might enjoy this nice little concoction.

Funniest apocolyptic thriller

[BeerBaron257 · 7/10 · 12 October 2002]

Who are we kidding, no one is going to watch this movie seriously. The brilliance is that the director thought people would. With a plot more ridiculous then Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, a historical base less factual then Kull The Conquerer, and special effects reminiscent of a bar-mitzvah home video, Nostradamus was worth every penny of my $4.95 rental.

The movies success, not failure, lay in its glaring plot inconsistencies, atrocious acting, and budget allowing for set pieces apparently made of legos. After all, what other movie would be unself concious enough to loosely base itself on the prophecies of Nostradamus and a non-existence satanic cult. Even the love story was more ludacris then The Omega Code sequel.

So, if you found The Last Warrior engaging, entertaining, and above all an occult classic, then Nostradamus is for you!

Estes and Fisher shine!

[siggy17 · 9/10 · 16 October 2000]

Rob Estes, playing homicide detective Michael Nostrand, teams up with an FBI psychic to stop a medieval cult from bringing about Armageddon.

The plot sounds a little weak, right??? At least that's what many of you are probably thinking. But I didn't consider myself a fan of Sci-Fi movies until I saw "Nostradamus". I wasn't even sure if I wanted to watch, and now I'm glad I did.

This movie is dramatic...full of adventure, mystery, and even a bit of humor and romance. Estes and Fisher really bring this movie to life.

I think anyone who is willing to keep an open mind would enjoy this movie. I certainly recommend it.

Unbelievable Sci-Fi Thriller

[Katatonia · 20 November 2002]

The plot is uneven and it's extremely hard to suspend your disbelief while viewing this film. It is basically a time travel plot and is really laughable. The physics of what is done in this movie are so far fetched, many physical paradoxes which the film makers obviously didn't care to think of. This film's story pretends to be realistic film and that is where it fails. If it had tried to be a fantasy film , and if the script was written by someone halfway knowledgeable in time travel theories and paradoxes, it just may have been much better.

As for a modern day cop somehow being thrown back in time to become Nostradamus...yeah right! First of all, i think anyone with common knowledge of history would know that Nostradamus obviously had a childhood and grew up in real times. He didn't just appear in France one day in his thirties and learn to speak French, become a doctor, a scribe, an astrologer, etc...

I seriously doubt many people who have seen their majority of time travel (and related) movies would think this was even remotely worthwhile to view.

As for the ending...i actually laughed it was so pathetic. It made no sense, the Amish hair style and fake beard they put on Rob Estes was just plain S-T-U-P-I-D!!! I was overjoyed when the movie was finally over, i'm just sorry i wasted 80+ minutes of my time watching it!

A decent production

[jhmoondance · 8/10 · 4 September 2021]

Not a bad movie if you're into fictitious supernatural movies. Plenty of twists n the ending is decent enough.

An interesting plot with a few holes in it but they were overcome by the story line.

If you love the unknown or the escapism then this is for you.

I recommend watching this movie if you like detective/Sci fi.

Highly imaginative speculation inspired by the character of Nostradamus

[clanciai · 9/10 · 26 September 2023]

Although it is all impossible and improbable to the extreme, it is all well done and makes sense, there is nothing wrong with the logic, the story holds water, but the difficulty is to decide a genre for it. Is it science fiction, fantasy, multidimensional thriller, occult horror or just a very weird romance? It's something of all of this and some things more. The heart of the intrigue is a Time Machine, which Leonardo da Vinci was supposed to have invented in his last days, which was documented but suppressed by the Vatican, which a dark sect has got hold of and try to use to manipulate world history, actually triggering an Armageddon and world apocalypse for the year 2000, which Nostradamus is expected to prevent. In the 20th century his reincarnation is recognised and brought back by the Time Machine to the 16th century to actually sabotage the evil intent of the dark sect. That's what this is all about, and it takes some time for the modern Nostradamus to actually realise and accept the sinister sincerity of these sinister schemes of timeless intrigue; but a beautiful young lady with second sight and other extraordinary qualifications eventually joins his crusade, and they make a great team. With them together against vicious occult threats of the future, one can almost relax and feel safe.

i don't get it

[AGale10495 · 16 September 2003]

monks traveling through time with machine guns - FBI agents who dress like prostitutes by choice - mr hunky who is really nostradamus but doesn't know it yet - and enough paradoxes to drive you bonkers...

i don't know why i sat through most of this movie - i guess i kept hoping it would get better, or maybe it was the sexy fbi chick - i lasted about 1.5 hours, then gave up and went to bed.

if you've got nothing better to do, then by all means, watch this really stupid movie...