Customer Reviews

Omen 2: Damien

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In William Holden's biography, GOLDEN BOY, he was just coming off the classic film NETWORK when he was offered the lead in the first THE OMEN. He threw the script aside and said it was ridiculous: no one would believe a story where a kid is born from a dog!
THE OMEN would end up being the biggest hit in Gregory Peck's career, not William Holden's.
But he did end up in the watchable sequel.

Jerry Goldsmith delivers another great score but the crow is a poor substitute for a demonic creature like the Rotweiler in the original (in OMEN's original script, it was a German Sheperd).
I wish there were more moments of self-discovery for Damien but the kids end up sounding phony spouting lines like, "You're the son of the devil!"
I liked the idea of the excavated wall.
The sequential deaths kept things moving but chopping that guy from DESIGNING WOMEN in half in the elevator was too over-the-top to revive the creepiness of David Warner's demise in the first film.
And William Holden's character's abrupt realization of how things have gone wrong isn't nearly as developed as Gregory Peck's superb dread and grief from the original.
The ending feels rushed no matter how you look at it.

I know, I know, it's a sequel. But it's the sequel to a very powerful story and, considering the leads in this film, I ended up wanting much more.
Worth watching though.

EXCELLENT SEQUEL TO THE OMEN MAY LACK THE MYSTERIOUS CREEPINESS
OF THE FIRST FILM BUT MAKES UP FOR IT WITH EFFECTIVE CHILLING AND
INVENTIVE DEATH SEQUENCES

Terrific sequel to terrific original, this one has devil child Damien (Jonathan Scott Taylor) 12 an living with his aunt and uncle (Lee Grant and William Holden), but when he discovers his true self, he becomes mad and many strange and creative deaths follow. Genuily creepy, yet not to gory, this sequel ranks high among sequels, giving us realistic and believable characters who we can feel love and sympathy for and a truly gret choice for the role of Damien (Scott-Taylor is outstanding!) Highly recommended! Next up: The Final Conflict.

**** out of ****

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.

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.

the omen 2 damien , got more scary and the freak accidents were so horrified now damien thorn is older and wiser and very brilliant what a really good sequel.the omen 2 damien was my favourite part of the omen trilogy.I still have the original vhs tape of the omen one and omen 2

WOW! This movie far surpasses the 1976 blockbuster, with better characters, music, & a plot that's much, MUCH easier to understand compared to that of the original. Damien Thorne is now one of my favorite horror icons of all time next to Leatherface and Pinhead! Continuing from where the first left off, Damine is 13-years-old living at his uncle's mansion in Chicago where he attends a Military Academy. This time, Damien shall discover the truth about himself as the supernatural terror continues for anyone who stands in his way! Very chilling and graphic horror film that will appeal to almost any horror fan! Followed by "The Final Conflict", the last chapter in the 'Omen' trilogy.

Don't believe the hype, this movie is not scary at all, it may be abit freaky but it isn't something to scare the living daylights out of you. DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM IF YOU DON'T INTENT ON WATCHING THE REST OF THE SERIES!!! There is absolutely no point in doing that because the ending isn't really an ending, it's more of a break for the next movie in the series. The movie is about a boy named Damien who is 13 years old, learning that he is the antichrist, and the people that threaten him and his secret must die in mysterious ways. The death scenes were very well done and creative and the history in the movie is also very accurate. But don't believe the hype, this movie isn't scary, I honestly thought it would be when I started watching it, but I didn't find it to be scary, maybe more shocking than scary. It's more interesting I would say, the movie keeps you wanting more and you just want to know what happens next, it does a great job of keeping the viewer entertained and curious. But if you want a scare, watch something else like The Exorcist. This movie is alot like Final Destination, in the sense that you can't escape from death, whether you expect it or not, this was of course made before Final Destination but just to give you an example of what you can expect. The soundtrack for this film is very, very good and sounds very morbid, which was really good because it sets that mood for the movie. But remember, only watch this if you plan on watching part 3 which is called The Final Conflict.

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.

A shocking, suspensful thriller that is pure evil. DAMIEN: OMEN II isn't better than the first but it was really, and I mean really close! DAMIEN: OMEN II is a * * * * chiller that is truely terrifing!