I've
always been a fan of films like The Exorcist and The Omen because they scared
the hell out of me as a kid. Hell! They still scare me. Maybe it's because of
their unpredictability or their underlying sense of realism. Whatever the case
may be, they are effective films. Enter the dumb thriller Bless the Child, a film
that aspires to be a grand throwback to the previously mentioned masterpieces,
but comes up way short.
Kim
Basinger suddenly finds herself the guardian of her strung-out sister's newborn
baby. As the next few years pass, it seems that the young girl is stricken with
some form of autism. Actually, it isn't autism at all, but a gift that will protect
mankind from the clutches of Satan. How 'bout that? Before too long, a group of
Satan worshippers are after the child and what follows is a boring series of chases,
grisly killings, and cheesy supernatural hokum.
Basinger
(who won a Oscar for L.A. Confidential just a couple of years ago) has been on
a down swing lately with mediocre films like I Dreamed of Africa. She doesn't
fare much better here. Rufus Sewell (Dark City) plays a stock villain while talented
veterans like Ian Holm (Alien) and Lumi Cavasos (Like Water for Chocolate) are
completely wasted. Christina Ricci shows up in a completely thankless and irrelevant
role, and even an energetic Jimmy Smits stumbles around trying to save this doomed
demonfest.
Bless
the Child was directed by Chuck Russell (Nightmare on Elm Street 3, The Mask,
Eraser) and he's a wizard with scenes involving special effects. This is a film
with moments, and Russell does manage to create some eerie images, but that feeling
of impending doom that you should get while your watching this film never surfaces.
Bless the Child ends up being a predictable supernatural thriller that manages
to surpass End of Days and Stigmata by a hair. A very thin hair.
