Warning: This review kinda gives away the endings of the first two movies in the series: The Omen and Damien: Omen II.

(Well ok, the fact that there are more movies kinda already tells you that Damien has been holding all the cards in the first two and came out ahead, dunnit? Ah well....)

In Final Conflict: Omen III, Damien is now an adult and a hotshot in the political arena. Where else? He knows of his powers and who he is and has a network of minions doing his evil bidding... as we would expect.

The problem now is that his supreme rival has been born, which screws with Damien's powers just a tad. What's a demon to do? Why, kill all kids born that same day! What else? But man, at the same time he has track down all those dratted ceremonial daggers once and for all....

This time around we have yet a third director. Weeeeeee. We deal with Graham Baker here, of Alien Nation fame. Well, he did this one first, and it was only his second time directing. It shows, saddly. We almost got Donner back for this one. Too bad some contractual issues prevented that.

While the first two in the series felt like they belonged together, this one feels like something altogether different. Like it should have stood alone and had the star named something other than Damien.....

But he is still named Damien and is played a bit anorexically by Sam Neill (Horse Whisperer, Merlin), who I usually like. I mean he's not one of my faves, but he usually at least holds his own. It just seems like he had far too much to live up to here with the popularity of the first two. We all pretty much had an idea of what our grown up Damien would look and act like.. and Neill just wasn't it. I mean, if the Antichrist really does exist, then he is the poster child for anti-social personality disorder; which means he would have the world charmed into liking him immensely before he let loose with the evilness. Neill's Damien was just mean from the get-go.

There really aren't near as many jump or cringe moments in this one, yet it does still garner the R rating in the US. That has to do with all the baby killing. Well... you know how I feel about that already... let em watch it. Be a parent and discuss any issues that arise.

I'm afraid this is the part of the series that starts unraveling, so three stars here. Still. It's worth getting the entire set and having a fun horror night. Especially if it's storming outside....


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This review has been brought to you by the third annual Lean-n-Mean write-off hosted by Sleeper54 (In which Movies once again whoops Book's butt).

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Recommended:
Yes