User reviews

"She pollutes the air with her craziness", gotta love that line near the film's beginning. Damien:Omen II is an ambitious and entertaining sequel to the classic Omen. This film is an almost perfect stepping stone in the Omen trilogy, focusing on Damien Thorn becoming a teenager. The film obviously lacks the fresh originality of the first film but it still deserves credit for maintaining a sense of dread and menace when somebody crosses the young Damien Thorn. The death scenes are both chilling and creative and the film's trademark score is brilliant. As far as sequels go, Omen II is a solid effort, leading the pathway clearly open for the third chapter. In terms of comparison Omen II doesn't surpass the original but if you enjoyed the Omen then Damien:Omen II shouldn't disappoint.

I'm an avid fan of the original "Omen". I think it was everything that "The Exorcist" is made out to be by fans and critics all over the world: thrilling, intriguing and incredibly creepy. With it's apocalyptic open ending a second part could only take away from the original's ending.

The truth is, "Damien: Omen II" is by no means as bad as it could have been. Sure, the excitement and the perfect structure of the original aren't there. Basically, this plays out like an early ancestor of the "Final Destination"-franchise. Characters become aware of who Damien is and from this point on we know they're doomed and anticipate their gruesome death. Most of all the movie is muddled with bad character development. Lance Henriksen's character, for instance, is never elaborated on. It doesn't make him any more mysterious, it just feels incomplete.

A good portion of the movie is spent with nothing much going on except for a few people dying around Damien while he just keeps on living a completely normal life unaware of who he his. Then, all of a sudden everything happens way too quickly. Damien finds out about his destiny and immediately accepts it. The same goes for his father, who is infuriated at first when someone suggests that his son might be Satan's spawn, only to accept that fact shortly afterwards. The final climax and ending arrive just as quickly leaving you wondering why the whole thing was so unbalanced.

Still, as long as it's running "Damien: Omen II" doesn't fail to entertain. Like every "Omen"-movie up to and including "The Final Conflict" this one has this nice 70's UK-flair that you can get lost in for a few hours on homey evenings in front of the television. It may not be enough to make the series go down in history as one of the best, but these movies are all very watchable in one sitting, making this one of the most coherent franchises of the horror genre.

"Damien Omen II" should of been in reality the third film in the "Omen Series". The producers for some reason decided to age up Damien which proved problematic for this film.

David Seltzer, who wrote the first film's screenplay, was asked by the producers to write the second. Seltzer refused as he had no interest in writing sequels. Years later, Seltzer commented that had he written the story for the second Omen, he would have set it the day after the first movie, with Damien a child living in The White House. With Seltzer turning down Omen II, producer Harvey Bernhard duly outlined the story himself, and Stanley Mann was hired to write the screenplay.

This film is a little slow. The original director (Mike Hodge) was replaced. Now how much material that he shot that ended up in the final film is unknown to me.

This film main problem is that there is almost no element of surprise discovery for the audience. The death scenes however are still effective (Even to this day) and it does scare you but not as much as the original did.

The film is worth watching because the film is has Adult Actors that know how to act.

This sequel to THE OMEN is a "fun" film. It continues the story of the anti-Christ Damien into his teenage years and his years in military school. Now adopted into the family of his father's brother, an unsuspecting Damien is unwittingly at the centre of a plot to bring Satan's son to the threshold of power. Everyone around him is at risk as the secret of Damien's birth is under threat of exposure by forces emerging from around the world - and at the root of this threat are the mad depictions painted on an ancient wall that reveal the very face of evil.

Jonathon Scott-Taylor gives a commanding and creepy performance as the ultimate misfit son. Looking particularly significant in his military outfit, Scott-Taylor captures - as much as the script allows him - the torment of self-discovery as the truth of his existence is revealed to him. The script could have demanded more from such a fascinating scenario, and tried to make Damien more of a Miltonic Satanic Hero, but the film chooses to go for as much shock value whenever it can. Mysterious and violent accidents - linked by the ever-present shadow of a raven of death - dominate this movie from beginning to end. The scene involving an ill-fated lady on a deserted country road is one of its most grotesque. As death and destruction mount, Damien goes from self-possessed orphan to self-recognized supreme power in the span of two hours.

William Holden and Lee Grant play Damien's surrogate parents, Richard and Ann Thorn. They are not really allowed to display their incredible talents in this film, but Holden does fine trying to duplicate Peck's memorable performance in the original. Grant does what she can with this supporting role, but has a great moment in the film that proves worthy to wait for. The always wonderful Sylvia Sidney makes a memorable appearance as one of Damien's greatest "thorns" - the troublemaking menace Aunt Marion. And the ending is a bit of a shock if you watch the film closely, particularly if you listen to the exposition early on in the film about "The Whore of Babylon."

Another highlight is Jerry Goldsmith's title score - empowering, commanding and downright evil, the opening score is one of my favorites.

Although not as creepy as the first film, DAMIEN: OMEN II has its moments, and is worth seeing for anyone who likes to have a fun time with all this biblical stuff.

If you liked the first installment, you probably will like Damien-Omen II. It still has the creepiness involved in the first movie and the theme of good vs. evil. But like the first Omen movie, it is quite predictable. Some of the kill scenes are good though, especially the elevator scene.

Take a shot and rent this one. Just don't expect to see a classic.

Damien:Omen 2 is a very enjoyable sequel to The Omen in my opinion the first is better but i did enjoy this also. This film was released in 1978 2 years after the first and it tells the story of Damien the Anti-Christ who is now age 12 he is starting to understand his duty in the line of Satan whilst a strange crow eliminates any people who know his real identity and are seen enemies in the eyes of Satan. This film is not the best in the Omen series but it is a very watchable film, it isn't a film that will bore you to death and it isn't a film that will keep you on the end of your seat for 100 minutes but i do recommend it to the people who are interested in these films it is a clever entry in the omen franchise

***/*****

Well, it wasn't great, but I have to admit that the second Omen was pretty good and in some ways just necessary. Necessary, I mean because this story is of course not finished. Before seeing "The Hills have Eyes" on Friday night, they had trailers, and one was *shudder* a remake to the Omen. Another one, another remake! Oh, well, this just isn't going to stop. So, anyways, I saw The Omen last year and figured I should finish the trilogy. I am curious and frankly, a bit creeped out that the new Omen is being released on 06-06-2006, "666", get it?

The story itself is pretty good actually, now that Damien has been under the care of his aunt and uncle, strange things are happening again. It seems like anyone who is getting to close to finding out the truth about Damien is getting killed in some freak accident. This is a very good sequel that should be given a second chance.

6/10

After a popular The Omen featured a spooky child and some memorable death scenes, including the possibly best decapitation ever filmed, a captivated audience wanted to know what kind of a teenager Damien, now an orphan, would become. The answer was not the one they expected: the Devil's son had become KD Lang. With Dumbo ears.

The beginning, a cartoonish jeep ride hysterically scored by a Jerry Goldsmith searching for the face of Jesus and manically played by an Ernest Hemingway wannabe, sets the tone for the rest of the movie. A priceless statue of the Whore of Babylon is discovered in some architectural digging site, along with a fresco depicting Damien, conveniently painted at the age he is now. The archaeologists are promptly dispatched and we can meet the Beast.

Damien (KD Lang), now living in his uncle's (William Holden) estate, is quite the rascal, and a douche. Aunt Marion (Sylvia Sidney) dislikes him and wants him separated from his cousin Mike. This causes a feud at the diner table, after which it's time for The Super Duper Whore of Babylon Slide Show, during which the evil eye of a raven stops Aunt Marion's heart in her upstairs room.

Uncle Richard is president of Thorne Industries, a vague yet powerful conglomerate which apparently owns an agricultural compound in New York City. The firm's new executive director wants to rule the world through seeds, which confirms than Monsanto IS the devil. This is established after another ridiculous ride, this one on a golf cart. So we have the demon, we have seed, let's spawn!

Enter Joan Hart (Elizabeth Shepherd), in flamboyant scarlet red, and one gasps. The "young woman" announced during the slide show must be well in her forties. She's a good looking lady, but calling her a "young woman" is pushing the envelope a bit, underlining how geriatric the cast mostly is. The lady in red cranks hysteria up to 11 as soon as she appears, yelling "You are in danger!" to Uncle Richard. But she is unable to be more specific. She goes to Damien's football practice (hey, why not?), recognizes the face of Evil and flies to her prompt demise, a ludicrous raven attack during which Jerry Goldsmith, all barrels blazing, manages to over-score himself.

One would thinks that after such a blast we would all have a moment. No such luck. Let's go jet-ski and have a snowball fight turned epic battle by Jerry in a trance! This is Damien's birthday, see, and no expense has been spared. There is the most hideous cake ever, a Polaroid with flash and even a firework which everyone watches in awe, sporting brightly coloured Aran sweaters. "Suspicion of destiny. We all have them", sagaciously observes one of the evil guys. The Thorne residence is full of random woodwork, delirious curtain arrangements and atrocious antiques. The most hideous family room ever doubles as a movie theater.

People on the East Coast do love their sports; it's now time for an ice hockey match on the estate's frozen lake. Another good guy, who is clearly too old for this kind of activity, drowns when the ice breaks. Uncle Richard is devastated, his very bright yellow cap somehow undermining his grief.

Back to military school, Damien is even more a douche then before. His sargeant (Lance Henriksen, always a good sign), wisely advise him to read the Book of Revelations to understand who he is. True to its name, the read, a bit like a user manual, allows Damien to locate the exact spot where the number of the Beast is tattooed on the skin of his skull. Accompanied by the 666 horns of The Goldsmith Fanfare, Damien runs through the woods, to the end of a pontoon where he screams "WHY ME???" to the dark heaven. Oh God. Why, indeed?

A school visit is ludicrously set to take place during a very delicate checking process at the Thorne plant, now a chemical facility. Toxic compounds are released, killing another good guy. Damien has not been affected by the leak and a doctor runs some tests to understand why. His lab is for some reason full of bubbling red alembics you would expect in a witch lair, but not in a modern research facility.

After discovering Damien has jackal blood (what, not hooves?), the good doctor is offed in an attempt to equal the surprise decapitation of the first movie. No raven this time, only the filmed evidence that the butter- cutting wire is a demonic invention.

Uncle Richard starts having his doubts about Damien. Well, it only took him five violent deaths in his immediate entourage to get there. He nevertheless remains in denial when the curator of the Met brings him a letter of Revelations and a box. What's in the box? What's in the box? WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!?!? The Megiddo daggers, the only weapons able to destroy Damien. These, as the Whore of Babylon statue, will remain loose ends.

Cousin Mike (remember him?) is troubled. He follows Damien out in the snow, where he has his head telepathically crushed. A huge funeral ensues, with mountains of flowers, a motorcade and more Goldsmith that it is humanly possible to endure.

The Met curator is killed by nothing less than a locomotive, in true Final Destination fashion. A incongruous boogie-woogie cotillion happens for Graduation Day. Uncle Richard unsuccessfully attempts to kill Damien and is shot by his wife, screaming "DAAAAAAMIEEEEEN!"

Should one mentions that the end credits roll on a bombastic "Ave Satani Versus Jesus" choir? Jerry, calm down. There is still one movie to be scored. There is no card indicating how many horn players were harmed during the recording of the soundtrack.

That lovable little rapscallion from "The Omen" has returned to raise more Hell in "Damien: Omen II". No longer a toddler, Damien is closing in on his 13th birthday. While most pre-teens must cope with puberty and the confusion that accompanies it, Damien (portrayed by Jonathan Scott-Taylor) is more pre-occupied with his destiny, which is that of the son of the Satan, The Anti-Christ. He is now living with his Uncle and attends a military academy where he is quick to put his peers in his place and is encouraged by a sketchy teacher (the one and only Lance Henriksen!) who encourages him to read a passage in the Bible that tells him all he needs to know about himself. If only every teenager were given such guidance!

The film faced an uphill battle when its original director, Mike Hodges, was swapped out for Don Taylor, but thankfully, the end results aren't as compromised as one would expect. On the contrary, "Damien: The Omen II" is a rather solid companion piece to the Richard Donner original, with death scenes that are every bit as ground-breaking for their time and still shocking today (all about the crow pecking out the eyeballs) and a great cast that includes William Holden, Lee Grant and Elizabeth Shepard. Scott-Taylor seems born to have played Damien, managing the dynamics of being a sympathetic character turned a bone-chilling menace quite effectively. The film may rush a bit to its ending, which is perhaps its only flaw, but on the whole, it's a worthy follow-up that is almost every bit as mean and memorable as its predecessor.

I didn't mind the first Omen picture. Despite the flaws in internal logic, (why is it that Satan can only kill the people who spill their guts about Damien after they've blabbed?). It's also worth watching Billie Whitelaw and Gregory Peck in damn near anything.

Damien: Omen II is a terrible drag by contrast. Every five minutes someone finds out that Damien is the Anti-Christ, then dies in some messy way. It takes William Holden's character an incredible amount of time to notice the corpses piling up around the teen ager, (during which we have to go through the irritating I'm Trying to Convince You scenes that are standard issue in these kinds of movies. They always end with something like, "If you don't do something, I will." The character uttering this line has to die, of course). By the time he gets religion it is so obviously too late that the ending is a fait accompli.

It would have been more interesting if they'd stuck to something the script gestured towards for a second. Damien finds out he's the Anti-Christ and that he's destined to do all sorts of horrible things and he runs screaming, terrified of what prophecy demands he become. It would have been an ironic twist if Damien were a good person who discovered that it was his ultimate, irresistible fate to be evil. That conflict could have had real drama and a meaning beyond the slaughter.

Instead, Damien went and committed the worst movie sin; the sin of boredom.

This entertaining movie is a pretty good example of big budget mainstream horror. It is, of course, a sequel to The Omen; a film that had tapped into the 70's thirst for religious themed horror and had went on to be a big smash hit. Damien: Omen II, perhaps unsurprisingly, doesn't have the originality of that first film but it maintains the story very well in my opinion. It's the one film in the franchise where the action has moved from the UK to the USA. It focuses on the now 13 year old antichrist Damien Thorn, who is being schooled in a military academy. It's also the part where he becomes aware of who he really is.

In many ways its story arc follows quite close to the original template but with the addition of more frequent, inventive and gory death scenes involving the poor unfortunates who get too close to the truth. In effect, this movie plays out like a series of elaborate set-pieces strung together over a fairly basic plot-line. This isn't such a terrible thing though because these macabre moments are all really executed very well. In particular are three notable death sequences – on a deserted road a woman is attacked by a raven who pecks her eyes out, she is then finished off by being hit full force by a truck; a man is cut in half by a falling elevator cable; during a game of hockey on a frozen lake, the ice breaks and a man falls under resulting in the disturbing scenario where we see him helplessly floating just below the ice. These set-pieces, along with several others, constitute the highlight of the movie and they are all well-conceived and give the film its definite draw. Because the film is neither a beginning, nor an end to the story it allows this instalment to simply focus its attention on the macabre material in between and it's really not a bad thing.

There are other interesting changes though, such as the use of the raven as the creature of the devil, I thought it was a better choice than the Rottweiler from the first movie and it was very well integrated into the story. The acting too is more than decent with the likes of William Holden basically taking on the role Gregory Peck filled in the first movie, while Jonathan Scott-Taylor looks right as Damien, his thin features can look cold and ominous but he is never cartoonishly evil, which was a good thing. He has one particularly memorable and original scene too where he knows the answer to every single question his history teacher throws at him. It's one of the less gruesome more subtly sinister moments that really stands out. Some things remain the same though and once again there is a really good score from Jerry Goldsmith. It's very dramatic with that ominous choir sound that is just perfect for this subject matter.

Damien Thorn (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) is now a teenager, but does not know he is evil. What will he do when he finds out who he is? Can he accept it, can he reject it? William Holden brings the star power that Gregory Peck brought to the first one, just as the crow has now replaced the rottweiler. The film is full of analogues. Oh, and even Lance Henriksen shows up! And we cannot overlook the glorious music of Jerry Goldsmith.

This was supposed to be developed with producer Harvey Bernhard's best friend Richard Donner, but he ended up getting "Superman" around this time Some of the beauty of the film is that the beginning was shot in an actual castle from the Crusades with an actual escape tunnel. Other scenes were filmed in Wisconsin (Eagle River, Lake Geneva, Delafield) and Illinois (Lake Forest, Chicago). When filming in Eagle River, they stayed at the home of a teamster who was murdered about three months later for his involvement with Jimmy Hoffa.

The scene under the ice was completely real: the man was really under the ice and had to swim for thirty or forty feet. Incredible, but true.

producer and story writer Harvey Bernhard's commentary tells about the film's creation, and chronicles his dislike of the film's original director, Mike Hodges, and his preference for Don Taylor, the man who took over. Bernhard also believes it is not possible to believe in God but not the devil... his reasoning is questionable.

This sequel to huge successful Richard Donner film centres on the rebirth of the anti-Christ personified in Damien(Jonathan Scott Taylor). The film starts in Israel when a priest(Leo McKern)along with an archaeologist(Ian Hendry) discover a dark secret. Chicago, seven years later, now the grown-up demon-child with the mark 666 and adopted by fostered parents, the magnate Thorn(William Holden, Lee Grant).He finds along with his brother in a military academy with a tutor-officer(Lance Henriksen). The young boy seems to be around when inexplicable deaths happen guided by terrible demonic forces, including rid various interfering adults with the objective for world domination. Damien is poised for ruling devil over earth helped by underlings(Robert Foxworth, Lance Henriksen) and around by his unsuspecting kin.

This following packs suspense, thriller and grisly terror with creepy killings. The chief excitement lies in watching what new and amazing can be dreamt by the believable special effects. Damien seem to dispatch new weird killing every few minutes of film.Sensationalistic terror pieces when happen murders, like the crow, ice lagoon(the best), train and elevator with gore and decapitations included.For those who like that kind of things to be amused. It's all frightening entertaining and effective, if predictable but we have seen the former classic movie but also its predictability is redeemed in part by the charismatic acting of enjoyable casting and all around. Cool cinematography by Bill Butler(Jaws) and again impressive musical score by Jerry Goldsmith(Planet of apes) with soundtrack-alike the first part , winner a deserved Academy Award.Although redundant to original movie is a fitting rendition by director Don Taylor(previously a famed actor) who took over the film-making when Michael Hodges (screenplay's author, alongside Stanley Mann) left. Followed by two inferior sequels, the third(Final conflict) with Sam Neil and directed by Grahame Baker and the fourth for television(The awakening) with Faye Grant and directed by Jorge Montesi. For addicts terror genre and followers to hit Damien saga.

The movie was scary when it first came out. It continues on the story where people mysteriously gets killed around Damian Thorn. But now it looks rather tame compared to what are posted these days on the internet about what satanists are actually doing in society.

The best part of the movie is its creepiness. The story is good, and so are the actors. It's part of the trilogy that put 666 and anti-Christ on to popular mythology. It was one of the best movie of this type at the time, and still holds its place as the movie that singles out anti-Christ as its main character. Thorn industry aren't so far off from what the likes of Monsanto and Halliburton are doing to our food, oil, and military industry. The movie was way ahead of its time in this sense.

This in my opinion is the best of the Omen trilogy, and is recommended for viewing.

if you have not seen this movie, I would suggest that you see it as soon as you can---especially if you are into occult type stuff. PS...Not all Damien's are evil...for I have a friend named Damien and he is the sweetest guy...

As this film opens up, director Don Taylor, gives off the impression, that Damien still doesn't know who he is, considering everything, that happened to him in the first film. This film takes place seven years after the first film, the classic horror film, The Omen (1976). Damien is going on thirteen years old in this story. He is in a military academy, as part of the school marching band. Eventually, he begins to grasp, that he is the antichrist and his evil begins to permeate into the world. This film tries to capture the spark, that was started in the first film, with the older film being a financial hit at the box office. It was also another summertime in 1978 for Damien: Omen II (1978). The summer block-buster movie season was here again.

This time around, William Holden plays Richard Thorn, the brother of Gregory Peck's, Robert Thorn, seen in the previous film. On his other side, the equally-good, Lee Grant, as his second wife, Ann. Holden gives a great performance, channeling the same anguished look in his face, that was seen on Peck's face, in the first movie. It shows how good, classic actors were at their craft. The power they can generate, just with facial expressions, is what makes a really good actor. His anguish comes from the same place as Peck's anguish. It comes from the fact, that he may need to kill his 12-year old nephew, Damien. Trying to struggle with the idea, that this kid is the antichrist and showing to us, the audience, his brain trying to process what is going on, is total cinema gold.

Composer Jerry Goldsmith returns for this film after his excellent score for the last film. The music is still perfect for this film. It has the perfect punch for a block-buster horror film. These movies have actually aged better, than what they were originally, during their initial releases. I think these movies may have ruffled some critical feathers, back in the day, but when you look at them, from a 21st century perspective, they are actually pretty good. The Omen movies may have come out ahead of their time. I have always liked the first Omen film, however, this film seemed a little boring to me, when I first saw it back then. But, I enjoyed it more recently, when I viewed it again, for the purposes of this review. I think it resembles a great example of 1970s, classic cinema. It has a quality to it, that needed time to mature. My recent experience was much more enjoyable, then when I saw it in the 1980s on cable TV.

6.9 (C MyGrade) = 7 IMDB.

I saw this film yesterday , In my opinion it is a worthy sequel to the omen . Picking up from where the story left off last time . Damien is slowly made aware of his true purpose on earth and who he really is. John Scott-Taylor done an excellent performance as the son of the evil one (why he quit acting i don't know ???) Lee Grant also took a good stab at the performance however not as creepy as Billie Whitelaw's and William Holden also gave a solid performance but not as good as Gregory Peck's . Instead of being high on atmosphere and creepy-ness like the first film , Omen 2 mostly relies on being suspenseful and tries to built up a bit of tension and pulls it off nicely in some areas with a good body count and some gruesome kills . However it does have a few silly flaws in it that can be rather ridiculous to believe which can make the film a little confusing . Top that off with a little bit of a twist towards the last closing seconds of the film and an ending which speaks for it-self and you have a good film that any horror movie fan would want to check out . I still got a chill down my spine when i saw Damiens face in wall so it still hits the spot to some extent . I have not seen the final conflict yet but i am looking forward to checking it out as i would see what becomes of the fate of the anti-Christ , i heard it did not get that many good reviews but each to their own !

The original Omen left itself wide open for a sequel, and even though I personally don't think it particularly needed one; I have to say that this second part, to my surprise, is actually very good! Don Taylor's sequel, of course, has nothing on Richard Donner's original; and even though the film often gets too convoluted and is more than a little bit silly, The Omen II follows on from the original nicely and is an overall worthy sequel. For the sequel, the action has expectedly moved to America; and the film delivers more of the uncompromising gore that helped to round off the original as an all round horror masterpiece. Logically, the film picks up the story of Damien seven years after his father, Robert Thawn, tried to kill him under mysterious circumstances. The film starts off with the revelation that Damien Thawn is the antichrist, and from there we follow him as he joins military school, comes under the guidance of one of Satan's disciples and violently disposes of anyone who stands a chance of discovering his real identity!

Jonathan Scott-Taylor is the actor given the honour of portraying the son of the devil this time around, and it has to be said that he does a really good job with it; even though the actor has hardly been seen since. William Holden is no Gregory Peck, but he does well in the older lead actor role; and he receives good backup from Lee Grant in the role of his wife. The cast is rounded off by cult stars Nicholas Pryor and Lance Henriksen. The plot pacing can be a little hard to follow, and not all the plot threads (the ones involving Thawn Industries in particular) are able to come through properly. However, director Don Taylor combats this by adding in an over the top and gory murder sequence every time the plot looks like it's going downhill. Here we have people burning to death, freezing to death, having their eyes plucked out and - of course - being cut in half in an elevator! The film just about carries off a mysterious religious tone throughout, and I was pleased that the film didn't get bogged down with theories surrounding Damien. The film ends with a nice little twist, before once again leaving the series open for a sequel - which, of course, it got three years later. The Omen II isn't a classic or must see; but it's a nice sequel.

Beginning again with the mad dash of Bugenhagen(Leo McKern) through the Haifa port under the very fitting theme of Jerry Goldsmith, this film contains all of the chills of the original as Damien learns about who he really is. It has one thing that I particularly liked that moment of indecision,when Damien, in a mirror of Jesus asks himself, why is it me. The moment when whatever innocence is in him is finally lost. William Holden and Lee Grant are excellent as his aunt and uncle, and there are several actors who cement their acting careers in the parts they play in this film. I am referring to Robert Foxworth for one, and Lance Henrickson for another. Silvia Sydney is one of of her last roles as Aunt Marion (smelling of Lilac or lavender) and the one really weak role was Nicholas Pryor as the director of the Thorn Museum. I am truly sorry for those people who did not care for this film, as it is head and shoulders above most of the Anti-Christ movies made. If you liked the first one this is a must see.

While I will be the last one to say that this is a great film or a must-see, it certainly is very entertaining though you might be embarrassed to tell your friends you liked it! That's because it has a silly plot involving the spawn of Satan, occasionally lame and overwrought dialog and a style that just needs to be seen to be believed! But, despite its many shortcomings, this is still a fun little film and not nearly as awful as I'd first suspected. That's because the previous film (THE OMEN) was panned and placed in Harry Medved's "Fifty Worst Films of All Time" book. However, after having seen both films I can definitely say that there are hundreds or perhaps thousands of worse films. In fact, since they entertain and keep your attention, they really aren't bad films but more guilty pleasures!

The film begins with budding teen Damien seeming a lot like a normal boy--not acting at all like the result of a mating with the Devil and a Jackal (wouldn't that make him a son of a .....?). But, slowly, it is revealed that some around the boy are well aware of who he is and are there to serve him without fail. When he is finally told who he is, Damien suffers a short existential crisis before he ultimately gives in to the dark side....no wait, he IS the dark side! Along the way, there are countless exciting to watch and very silly deaths--some orchestrated directly by Damien and his followers and others created by either an unseen force or a nasty crow who seems to be the one behind all the mess. Because the deaths are so bloody and creative, the film reminds me a lot of the low-budget Vincent Price film, THE ABOMINIBLE DOCTOR PHIBES. The dumbest death was the lady who is hit by a truck and the most interesting and disturbing is the man who was sucked under the ice (a nice touch).

While you will be entertained, please do NOT stop to think or reason this out as this is NOT a well-constructed plot. The Biblical passages are wrong--being twisted and misquoted and the film was not meant to be anything other than a silly little exploitation film. While this may offend some religious fundamentalists, if they actually sit still and watch the film, they, too, will probably find the whole thing ludicrous yet oddly entertaining.

Withered, unhappy sequel to "The Omen" has the AntiChrist coming into his own as a teenager at prep-school, learning of his powers and how to direct them. Film is so badly structured that a fight between Damien and a taunting classmate results in unintended laughter (the woman who gets her eyes pecked out and then stumbles in front of a truck also got laughter from the audience I saw this with). There's no momentum for the terror the filmmakers are trying to mount; they release all the tension by giving us outlandish, shock deaths (as with a lengthy elevator sequence, so painstakingly mounted with precision it can't help but be an anti-climax). Good actors like William Holden, Lee Grant, Sylvia Sidney, Robert Foxworth and Lance Henriksen struggle through this, but most of the movie rests on Jonathan Scott-Taylor's lead performance: he's well-cast as Damien but decidedly one-note, with a monotone voice that seems mired in indifference. If the Devil really did put a disciple on Earth, wouldn't that boy be a terrifying and dynamic presence? This kid squints his suspicious eyes and makes heart attacks happen... *1/2 from ****