By: JWBM
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." - Matthew 7:15
This installment takes on a more mystical approach of how the prophecy is shaped: you have your secret holy league that each carries an ancient dagger of Meggido; astrologers are reporting strange alignments and phenomenon; faith is either questioned or strengthened by dividing and conquering by the great deceiver and his devout followers. Many have wondered over the last two millennia how the battle of battles will be fought. There are those for them, against them, or will be forced to endure the ordeal and make a decision. A recurrent theme in "The Omen" series is seeing is believing. To a good many, these are mere words on paper; here, few assume it will happen, or their time will be the One.
This is a world that's already been foretold: anything to interrupt or otherwise end that timeline has grave consequences—for the Antichrist is only getting fiercer and growing taller as the bodies pile at his feet. Instead of possessing an intimidating and obvious forked tongue and horns on his head, he's entrusted with respect and position, not to mention is gifted with charm, and always knows how to say the right thing at the right time to gain his way or influence. If you already didn't know, but suddenly find out, your fate will be sealed for you. Chances are those who stand their ground or aren't satisfied with turning a blind eye will get more instant pain and suffering than anyone. That's the duality of these films, in that they can work to scare either in an ingrained moral sense, or with foreboding action.
One of the strengths of this film—that the second missed—is that it moves with you. There is a certain intriguing and suspenseful, moment-by-moment aspect that you can get lost or affected by. It no doubt deals with similar subject matters and motifs, though the direction begins with the tone all over the place to generate some realism, to then gripping the reigns tighter and tighter, rather than just guiding loosely throughout and expecting the audience to follow along at the same pace. This sets mood with a sure foot. Some of the setups and situations are basic, but carry more weight as a result. There are some downright disturbing and chilling scenes, either from something as simple as Damien having a dark prayer with the Lord of the Underground, to seeing a head paint the back wall red to a group of unsuspecting people.
With any film that is heavy on aesthetics, you're going to get certain aspects swept along with everything else. The flow has to move in a general direction at times, with certain aspects highlighted and heightened to stand out. The holy group going after Damien, and certain other characters, come across as such: there to establish a purpose, but not necessarily come with memorable personality. The monks' strategy hardly puts one on the edge of their seat; one could look at it as either Damien is a greater force than any being on earth, or to illustrate the holy league's Top Dog is a force to come.
Sam Neill gives the part of Damien a certain presence and command. The role comes with the most dynamic, in how there's just the right tone, look, or phrase to smooth or dismantle the situation at a flash of the eyes. However, there are times that he also sounds a little bit stiff—being born in Ireland and growing up in New Zealand—with balancing the British and American accent with any bit of volume when the pacing of the film starts to heat up. The love angle with Damien was an interesting inclusion. It could have been a huge risk to the overall tone, or felt like it was thrown in. Though the way it's played—with a back and forth of, "Is this real?" or "Is this fake?," or a little bit of both—was brilliantly executed.
Some say there are certain subject matters that are in bad taste to bring up at the dinner table. In this case, the main themes of the film are a double-whammy with politics and religion. Though, deep at its core is a through and through horror movie with some memorable performances, thematic music, build-ups, plus a number of shocks and surprises to keep you on your toes.
Rating: 7.5/10
Director: Graham Baker
Actors: Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi, Lisa Harrow
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link
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