Rating: 
Summary: Good movie.
Review: The Omen Part II:This movie is about the ant-christ, Damien Thorn, as a twelve year old boy. In this movie, Damien discovers his true identity after "Showing off" his knowledge of world history to his teacher. His first reaction to finding out that he is the son of the devil; sobbing, running off into the woods, and yelling "Why? Why me?" gave me the impression that he really wanted to be a normal kid, and NOT the son of Satan. However, as the movie progressed further, it became obvious that Damien didn't mind being the son of Satan anymore. He then used his powers to wipe out anyone he felt was threatening his mission or his life. Toward the end of the movie, Mark over hears his father and Dr. Warren talking about Damien. That night, he reads the Book of Revelation and becomes absolutely terrifed of his cousin and former best friend. He tries to avoid Damien by running off into the woods. Damien catches up with him and a very tense movie scene occurs. The movie ends with Damien causing a boiler to explode, killing his aunt.
Rating: 
Summary: "Please Come with Me, Mark"
Review: Over-the-top but highly effective sequel to the 1976 horror classic "the Omen." Seven years after the mysterious death of his "parents," Daniem Thorne, the Devil's son, is now twelve and living in Chicago with his adopted aunt and uncle. It is during this time when Damien learns his true identity while attending military academy. Meanwhile, folks are coming out of the woodwork to warn Richard Thorne (William Holden) that he and his wife are in danger, but anyone who so much as hints that Damien is the son of Satan gets offed--quickly and nastily. Some scenes are truly creepy; there's one scene that looks like an outtake of "the Birds," only this time it's more gory. But by far the most intense scene is the "confrontation" between Damian and his cousin Mark, who finds out who he really is. The picture is really good, although the Dolby Surround sound is really little more than glorified mono. Nevertheless, this film is flawed but well done and a must-have for fans of the horror genre.
Rating:
Summary: THE RETURN OF DAMIEN...A LITTLE OLDER...A LITTLE WISER
Review: This sequel, released two years after the blockbuster success of "The Omen", is itself a stylish thriller. Featuring an excellent cast, it attempts to continue the momentum of the original. While having some shortcomings, the film, nonetheless, manages to entertain and shock. This is due in large part to its excellent cast and another chilling musical score by Jerry Goldsmith that is used to great effect. This film continues the story begun in "The Omen". The Antichrist, Damien (Jonathan Scott Taylor), is here on earth and is now twelve, His parents, Katherine and Robert Thorn, now dead, and Damien is being raised by his uncle, Richard Thorn (William Holden) and his second wife, Ann (Lee Grant). He lives with them and Richard Thorn's son by his first wife, Mark (Lucas Donat). Damien is disliked by his Aunt Marion (Sylvia Sidney), who counsels the Thorns to separate Mark from Damien with whom he is close. Damien attends a militairy boarding school with his cousin Mark. There, Damien's interests are looked after by Sgt. Neff (Lance Hendricksen), a sort of earthly sentinel. There, Damien begins to flex his satanic muscles, much to the chagrin of a school bully. Meanwhile, Damien's interests in the Thorn family's multi-million dollar empire are being watched over by his uncle's highly placed executive employee, Paul Buher (Robert Foxworth), unbeknownst to his uncle. This is a man about whom Thorn's chief executive, Bill Atherton (Lew Ayres) has some serious misgivings. When several of the people who stand in the way of Damien securing control of the family fortune meet unusual deaths, the viewer knows that Damien's true nature has been unleashed. William Holden and Lee Grant are terrific. With straightforward, sincere portrayals, they are the linchpins of this movie. Jonathan Scott Taylor is good as Damien but not particularly charismatic. Well nuanced performances are given by Richard Foxworth and Lance Hendriksen, Damien's earthly sentinels. Old timer Lew Ayres is wonderful as the ethical business man, and Sylvia Sidney is terrific as the aunt who knows that there is something wrong with Damien. Lucas Donat is excellent as Damien's cousin Mark. There is a surprising twist at the end of this film, that is sure to catch the viewer unawares. Still, that is not enough to make this sequel comparable to the original. It lacks the subtlety and deft direction of "The Omen". While the director, Don Taylor, does a competent job of directing this sequel, some of the scenes are heavy handed, giving in to special effects that detract from the film, rather than enhance it. The opening scene is a prime example of gratuitous excess. Here, the archaeologist, Bugenhagen, played by Leo McKern, reprising his original role in "The Omen", is trapped in a ruin with a friend of his, while showing him a fresco of an Antichrist that looks remarkably like Damien. As the walls come tumbling down about them, the special effects are so hokey as to be laughable. This was unnecessary, as the actors themselves were strong enough to carry the scene, had it been shot with more subtlety. Less is sometimes more, a mechanism that the original director, Richard Donner, employed to great effect. The DVD has some bonus features, such as a commentary by the producer, but is not a loaded DVD. It has clarity of picture and sound. The DVD is well worth having, however, if one is a fan of the original film upon which this sequel was predicated.
Rating: 
Summary: a-okay
Review: Own the 1st own. Unless you are a die-hard Omen fan, I would skip on this, not worth the $$$ to own since this movie kinda [stunk] and the transfer isn't all that great.
Rating:
Summary: Damien is even more evil in part II
Review: Damien was an evil child in part I. However, in part ii his true nature starts to show and sure is not a pretty picture. As far as sequells are concerned , this, i.e., Damien: Omen II VHS ~ William Holden , is truly demented and the acts that he performs are truly vile. The special effects are sparse, yet effective. Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: As good as the first film
Review: This film keeps the narrative moving, potentially setting up a great third film about Damien controlling an evil company trying to corner the global food market. (Unfortunately, The Final Conflict is not the great film we had the right to expect.) William Holden and Jonathan Scott-Taylor give superb performances, and the special effects, photography, and score are excellent. If there are any complaints, they are how closely the second film sticks to the formula of the first one and how this film doesn't have the same eerie mood of The Omen. Also, one scene is blatantly stolen from Hitchcock's The Birds. On the plus side, I found Omen II to be less hokey than The Omen, with fewer mumbo-jumbo pronouncements based on ancient poems and the Book of Revelations. The second film seems to be a logical outgrowth of the first, with no confusing contradictions or major plot lapses, except for the peculiar fact that ravens rather than dogs now do Damien's dirty work. If you liked the first film, see the second one!
Rating:
Summary: The O-Man Book II
Review: As I get older I realize how right the great Mad Magazine
was to skewer The Omen and its even more preposterous
sequel, Damien: Omen II, in its hilarious pages. These
films might have scared an old horror buff like me
when I was 10 years old but the more I watch the two
films now, the creakier and more totally ridiculous they
seem. I will grant that the first film is a horror classic
despite the absurdities once must swallow in suspending
disbelief witnessing the accelerated catastrophes and
mysterious murders that befall all who stand in Damien's
way to power. This sequel is well-made but more of the same,
Bill Holden is great as usual but yes he does seem out of
sorts in the "Gregory Peck" role, and Lee Grant is near-comatose as his unbelieving (but secretly Damien-worshipping) wife.
One thing I will say about these films is anyone that knows the final biblical Book of Revelations (which Damien quotes out loud in this sequel) knows the passage: "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads." Well, this
might be quibbling but Damien's "mark of the beast" is square on
the back of his head (or the top, looking like it was done with
a produce ink marker! Aisle 5, antichrist price-check please) and NOT anywhere near his forehead or his hand. And if this is the case then shouldn't there eventually be thousands if not millions of fellow anti-Christs roaming the
earth with the mark on them? I'm pretty sure the 7 Daggers
of Meggido are totally fictitious as well, and nobody ever gets
near enough to Damien to actually use them anyway, so we'll
never know if they really are effective, like Raid, of
finally offing the Antichrist.
But hey aren't we supposed to take Revelations that literally/seriously? I think not, and neither should we take this film, fascinating trash though it might be. And Lance
Henriksen was destined for much better films (ALIENS), God bless him!
Rating:
Summary: Pretty dreadful but strangely interesting
Review: Like "Jaws 2", this milking-the-franchise sequel involved almost none of the important talent of the classic original and thus, predictably, reduced artistry to banal formula. (Person suspects Damien is the Antichrist. Person receives spooky stare from Damien or his raven accomplice. Person imminently meets with gruesome death.) It wouldn't even be worth the time to dismiss this movie were it not for a few elements of peripheral interest. There is the presence of film demi-legend William Holden, prostituting himself for booze money, but still effortlessly projecting his natural authority and charisma. There is the irresistable idea of having the Antichrist (well played, I thought, by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who actually manages to create sympathy for the Devil) discover his calling. And there are a few memorable deaths for horror buffs, though none quite up to the standard of the first "Omen". (The victim of the best one - the elevator cable - is none other than Meshach Taylor, who later flounced his way to fame on the dreadful sitcom "Designing Women".)
Rating:
Summary: A sturdy sequel to the cult horror classic.
Review: Seven years after his father tried to kill him, Damien Thorn, now living with his Aunt and Uncle, is fast approaching is thirteenth birthday. Once again evidence is uncovered that points to Damien's satanic origins, this time its a Mad Monk's Mural. While the forces of evil erase those that know, or at least begin to suspect, what Damien is, they also clear the path for him to gain power in the world. Damien: Omen 2 is a pleasent surprise. While it may lack the doom and gloom of the first film, it makes up for it in having a solid plot and an interesting, if somewhat weak, subplot twist - Damien must learn of and then embrace his true purpose. The scene where Damien learns just what he is a well handled moment, as is his taunting a history teacher, blurting out the correct dates for historic events before the increasingly shaken instructor can even finish asking the questions. Damien obviously enjoys himself. The film is also jammed with the best of the 'accidental'' death sequences that most people went to see the movies for in the first place. Jerry Goldsmith's score is also a joy to hear, as is to be expected. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: "Damien Omen II" continues the demonic spell
Review: Now going on thirteen, Damien Thorn (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) is living in Chicago with his uncle Richard (William Holden) and his second wife Ann (Lee Grant). Damien is enrolled in a military academy and leads a charmed life, as Richard is president of Thorn Industries, a multi-national food conglomerate. The remains of Bugenhagen - and the daggers - are located during an archaeological dig, as well as a box which contains a letter addressed to Richard, warning him about his nephew. Richard initially refuses to believe "the rantings of a senile old man" but reconsiders when those around them start falling victim to "accidents." Meanwhile, at the urging of his drill sergeant Daniel Neff (Lance Henrikson) Damien reads the Bible - and discovers who he is. Richard's paranoia is heightened when following a small explosion at his plant, everyone is affected by noxious gas - except Damien. After his young son is suddenly stricken by a stroke (while alone with Damien) and he witnesses the horrific death of a friend, Richard retrieves the daggers and declares, "That boy has got to die." This is an entertaining and competent sequel which continues the story, but it's more of an involving story than a frightening one. Jerry Goldsmith contributes another chilling score. Well done, and it does justice to the original.
|
