Omen 4 - The Awakening (Digitally Remastered) (DVD)

...someone decided to resuscitate the Omen franchise...... A mistake????

Baby girl enters the world motherless, Gene and Karen York are desperate for a child and only to happy to adopt the child known as Delia (you can see what they have done here cant you Damian - Delia; who on earth would call there daughter Delia in this day and age?). Delia like with the other three Omen movies that came before it starts out nice and turns nasty; ...
...to read any of the Omen novels you'll find that they are filled with too much religion. I'm not saying that religion is a bad thing, please don't get me wrong here; but there really is much more religious insight than is required. The films that came off the back of the three novels realised that this was so and the screenwriters made sure that while the religious issues were addressed they were not overpowering like the novels. What the makers of ... more

Over the years there have been some mammoth mistakes when it comes to joining the world of Cinema movie and TV movie; but in a wake of successful ones such as Psycho someone decided to resuscitate the Omen franchise...... A mistake????

Baby girl enters the world motherless, Gene and Karen York are desperate for a child and only to happy to adopt the child known as Delia (you can see what they have done here cant you Damian - Delia; who on earth would call there daughter Delia in this day and age?). Delia like with the other three Omen movies that came before it starts out nice and turns nasty; leaving a wake of dead bodies in her path. But when you think things cannot possibly get any worse the truth is revealed which is sicker than anyone is likely to expect.

Cast

Faye Grant .... Karen York
Michael Woods .... Congressman Gene York
Michael Lerner .... Earl Knight
Madison Mason .... Dr. Hastings
Ann Hearn .... Jo Thueson, York's Nanny
Jim Byrnes .... Noah
Don S. Davis .... Jake Madison
Asia Vieira .... Delia York
Megan Leitch .... Sister Yvonne/Felicity
Joy Coghill .... Sister Francesca
David Cameron .... Father Hayes
Duncan Fraser .... Father Mattson

If you have ever had the misfortune to read any of the Omen novels you'll find that they are filled with too much religion. I'm not saying that religion is a bad thing, please don't get me wrong here; but there really is much more religious insight than is required. The films that came off the back of the three novels realised that this was so and the screenwriters made sure that while the religious issues were addressed they were not overpowering like the novels. What the makers of Omen IV have attempted to do is to include more religion, and a more ridiculous story into the confines of a TV movie. Now I appreciate that younger readers may not have been affected by the TV movie era of the 70's, 80's and 90's because nowadays the TV movies are much closer to the build of a cinema movie. During the decades I have mentioned there were things that could not go into a TV movie bad language, violence, gore, sex and sexual violence and finally anything to do with portraying religion in a bad or menacing light. No imagine that from within these confines that someone has tried to make a horror movie? Yes your right its not going to be a pretty picture, as with the exception of sex and sexual violence the previous Omen trilogy featured all of those issues in copious amounts.

Omen IV fails on so many levels, the reasons above cause obvious issues but its not helped by a pretty awful script in which two books are condensed into one movie, and the absolutely abysmal performances from the cast. Faye Grant who I had a soft spot for as a child (she played Juliet Parish in V) is a horrifically bad actress, the face I found attractive as a child now causes me great offence as reach scene she is in literally makes you wrench because you realise that a trained dog could turn out a better performance. Worse still Michael Woods who plays her husband Gene, at least Faye tries to show some emotion this guy is completely emotionless, and is also a diabolical actor. The only saving grace of this movie is the bumbling private eye Earl Knight played by Michael Lerner, but his character is quite annoying as he seems to deliberately make mistakes that a half decent detective would not.

When you have been pushed to extreme limits, you are pushed to yet more by the absolutely awful climax, a reveal that you have to see to believe because otherwise people would literally think you were taking the mickey.

I was a great big fan of the Omen movies, and even enjoyed the recent remake of the original movie. But this forth movie is just too much to stomach, made worse for me by the fact that I have actually seen this movie more than once and did not enjoy any viewing of it. Imagine trying to make a scene where a woman is bitten to death by snakes repeatedly without showing the bites, and the effect of the bites without actually showing any of the action that takes place! Or trying to show someone being crushed without showing it! Ok you can hint on it, but to follow in a franchise that was in its time notorious for pushing limits Omen IV does not even stand a chance as a poor cousin.

My advise is that this movie is best avoided!

Special Features

The first feature is annoyingly the only reason this DVD carries a 18 certificate, because the movie itself is only rated a 12 certificate. The Omen legacy part 4 is a follow on from the previous three which one of which features on each of the original three DVD releases. This documentary although it focuses on the forth movie shows extracts from the previous three raising the certificate level. The documentary is actually the most interesting reason to watch this DVD, and is actually better than the previous three instalments because it shows you the difficulty of trying to resurrect a famous brand. The downfall of this documentary however is that it follows on from the previous three, and if you have not seen them it may appear that something is missing; which in reality it is.

The other two features relate to the 2006 remake of the movie one an visit to the world premier, which is nothing to really talk about. The second feature is a casting session for the 2006 movie, which shows Julia Styles and co. testing out for the movie, what would have been interesting was to see footage of those who never made the grade including Ben Affleck who tried out but was rejected on the fact that he might not be convincing enough.

Omen IV: The Awakening is available from Play.com priced £10.99 or as part of a box set with the other original three movies for £44.99. 

...less