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Damien: Omen II (1978)

Rate: 2
Viewed: 10/04, 10/07

Damien2
10/07: Just as I thought so.

There's nothing to learn from Damien: Omen II. Basically, the film serves as a continuity for the series and is therefore a pointless sequel. All I got out of it is an annoying pipsqueak who could never scare me and a bunch of horrible characters whom I couldn't care less if they died.

I feel Richard Thorn knew from the beginning that Damien was the son of the devil but was too vain to admit it. Other than cashing in, I don't understand why the sequel was made in the first place when everything a viewer needed to know was contained in the original.

In the first part, Lee Remick starred. In the second part, it was Lee Grant's turn. Who's next for the third part: Harper Lee? The script is predictable, revealing nothing new. I'm being told constantly that Damien is a perfect specimen with no health issues. But when Mark was killed and Damien let out a scream afterwards, well, well...did I see a cavity back in there among his teeth? So much for the "perfect kid" theory.

I know the second wife of Richard Thorn is a follower of the Antichrist, but does it have to be obvious? Anyway, William Holden was a great actor, but what the hell is he doing in this? Why does Joan Hart, after being attacked by a crow, wander to the middle of the road in spite of hearing the moving vehicles? It's indicative of how stupid the film is.

Normally, when somebody attempts to stab a child with fancy daggers, the police will confiscate and store them away forever. So, how did Bugenhagen get the weapons back quickly? On the other hand, the oddest scene has to be the fight between Damien and Chris Penn. I mean, what was that all about? When Damien was answering questions in relation to the historical dates, I felt like wanting to meet a schmuck with the same ability and ask him how much time he wasted learning this useless skill. Maybe Damien should use his evil powers to topple Alex Trebek from his perch to take over Jeopardy!

It's boring when somebody finds out Damien is an evil freak and therefore feels compelled to kill him. Then, the race is on in terms of how badly the characters are killed and in what manner. Meanwhile, I don't buy for one second Damien didn't know what he was until now because he had plenty of hints a long ago.

All in all, Damien: Omen II is a remake of the original film with the director going, "Oh, William. Will you take over Gregory's role? Oh, Ms. Remick...excuse me, Ms. Grant, will you blah, blah, blah..."