Omen III - The Final Conflict

Taking care of business, a fully-grown Damien Thorn, having just been assigned American Ambassador to Great Britain (like his adoptive father before him) and President of the UN’s Youth Council, has his greedy eye on the prize of a senate seat.

All’s going swimmingly until he realises that the prophesied return of Christ is approaching, which could thwart matters quite significantly.

Thus, an order is sent out to his impish minions to simply kill all boys born on the specified date (which is where the UN job comes in handy), thus nullifying the problem. Enter the seven monks of saviour town!

The excellent thing about the previous two Omen films was that Damien wasn’t quite at full power and was therefore open to some significant threat. Unfortunately, in The Final Conflict, his assassins-to-be just don’t cut the holy mustard, despite their religious credentials and advanced weaponry, namely the daggers of Maggido.

Warrior monks from Italy? Come off it. Perhaps if they were Japanese Ninja Monks or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles then we might, just might, have less of a hard time believing they pose any threat to… What’s his name again? Oh yeah, THE ANTICHRIST!

Their efforts to stealthily eliminate their target are absolutely hilarious, and about as convincing as George Bush giving a speech on equal rights.

One of them climbs some rigging in a studio, whilst Damien is giving a TV interview below, only to trip, fall and catch fire upside down. Meanwhile, another two end up mistaking one of their own for the target and brutally stab him to death. Smooth chaps, smooth.

The plot, a fairly reliable aspect of the franchise thus far, has suddenly become as holey as a connect four board.

The Omen for example, was set in 1976. So if Damien is now talking of running for senate in 1984, that would make him all of fourteen. Even Sam Neill can't get pull that off. Also, wasn’t he thirteen in the second film?

There are some plus points, Neill being one of them. The New Zealand-born actor quite clearly relishes taking on such a villainous role and gives a true, guilty pleasure of a performance.

Furthermore, old Jerry Goldsmith is still on hand to provide the wonderfully arresting score that has so brilliantly defined the series and Robert Paynter’s cinematography is notably awe inspiring throughout; particularly during the fox-hunting scene.

An amusing, yet flimsy end to an otherwise fantastic trilogy. Oh, and Sam Neill has the last laugh. Cheeky devil.

Richard Kattan