Damien: Omen II

Rating:
Summary: A good story, but it's hard to top the first.
Review: A good follow up to the original and a good story. But it borrows too heavily from the good versus evil earlier theme of Damien's guardians striking down anybody who learns of his dark secret. This story is interesting because young Damien finally comes to realize who he is and gradually accepts it, then relishes it. Now as a young adult with his destiny set before him the stage is set for the next sequel.

Rating:
Summary: Close adaptation to movie...and a good read
Review: Just in case you do not know already, Damien: Omen II is an adaptation of the movie of the same name. Damien: Omen II is a sequel to "The Omen'. The original Omen movie started out as a novel, while Damien: Omen II started out as a screenplay which the novel is closely based on.

The story takes place seven years later in which Damien the Antichrist is now thirteen years old, and totally in the dark about his diabolic heritage and destiny. He now lives with his uncle, who runs Thorn Industries, his second wife Ann, and his cousin Mark. As usual, anybody who steps in Damien's way to his destiny or knows his true nature is promptly knocked off in ingenious and gruesome ways. WHile a huge black mastiff lingers around Damien in the first movie/novel, now a monstrous raven hovers ominously nearby.

The biggest change in the novel from the movie is the Joan Hart character. In the film, she was merely just a reason for the producers to stick in another gruesome death scene. In the novel, her role was expanded. Her association switched from the David Warner character in the first movie to the archeologist Michael Morgan in the second film's prolouge.

Another change is Ann Thorn. In the film it is suggested that she was in league with the DEvil and was dispatched when her usefulness was over. In the book, it is not clear what her true motivation was in the story's finale.

Earlier editions contains photographs from the movie, which you may be able to find in used book stores.

Overall, the book is a good read, even though it lacked the religious details and atmosphere of the first movie, the book still ended with an evil note like the first one, in which evil triumphs.

Rating:
Summary: Close adaptation to movie...and a good read
Review: Just in case you do not know already, Damien: Omen II is an adaptation of the movie of the same name. Damien: Omen II is a sequel to "The Omen'. The original Omen movie started out as a novel, while Damien: Omen II started out as a screenplay which the novel is closely based on.

The story takes place seven years later in which Damien the Antichrist is now thirteen years old, and totally in the dark about his diabolic heritage and destiny. He now lives with his uncle, who runs Thorn Industries, his second wife Ann, and his cousin Mark. As usual, anybody who steps in Damien's way to his destiny or knows his true nature is promptly knocked off in ingenious and gruesome ways. WHile a huge black mastiff lingers around Damien in the first movie/novel, now a monstrous raven hovers ominously nearby.

The biggest change in the novel from the movie is the Joan Hart character. In the film, she was merely just a reason for the producers to stick in another gruesome death scene. In the novel, her role was expanded. Her association switched from the David Warner character in the first movie to the archeologist Michael Morgan in the second film's prolouge.

Another change is Ann Thorn. In the film it is suggested that she was in league with the DEvil and was dispatched when her usefulness was over. In the book, it is not clear what her true motivation was in the story's finale.

Earlier editions contains photographs from the movie, which you may be able to find in used book stores.

Overall, the book is a good read, even though it lacked the religious details and atmosphere of the first movie, the book still ended with an evil note like the first one, in which evil triumphs.

Rating:
Summary: Professional novelization lacks fear.
Review: This novelization of the second film in the omen series is a professional job, it just isn't that scary (a problem the film it's based on had as well). It was also written by Joseph Howard, not David Seltzer as listed above. Fans of the series will want to search for it anyway, for there are minor differences in the story that will no doubt be of interest.

Rating:
Summary: Professional novelization lacks fear.
Review: This novelization of the second film in the omen series is a professional job, it just isn't that scary (a problem the film it's based on had as well). It was also written by Joseph Howard, not David Seltzer as listed above. Fans of the series will want to search for it anyway, for there are minor differences in the story that will no doubt be of interest.