I have to say that this one at least has a stronger plot than the second one. And it’s nice to see Sam Neill starring, since he always gives a good performance. There are still problems, but it’s got some more interesting sequences, and I’m pleased to say that there was at least one surprise that it held for me.
In order, one of the weirdest things is that Damien’s assistant knows about who he is, and intends to help him. This makes sense, but the reveal for it seems so strange. During a normal meeting, Damien pulls out an excised book of the Bible and quotes a passage to him. I don’t know how the idea would be communicated earlier. Maybe they’d lean in and whisper “hail Satan” or something.
The core of the plot gives Damien a goal, which is a real improvement over the other entries. His goal is to have any male child born during a specific morning killed. He’s got a group of followers willing to execute his plans, too. For a sequence that focuses on killing children, this is handled pretty well. In retrospect, now I’m wondering how he gathered that many followers, and how he communicates to them.
It’s also interesting that Damien manages to keep his hands pretty clean through most of the story, even as he tells his followers to kill children. Only near the end does he start to get a little rougher, and directly kills someone. This, combined with the way that the religious opposition is painted in black and white, makes Damien into a strangely likable villain.
One other thing that makes this a distinct movie: it’s the first time that one of the Omen movies has ended with evil being thwarted. Strangely, in this movie, that’s kind of a disappointment.
The one scene that surprised me? When the mother turns back and sees the burnt corpse of her baby. Not what I expected.
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