The Final Conflict

Slay The Nazarene! The Final Conflict is directed by Graham Baker and written by David Seltzer and Andrew Birkin. It stars Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi, Don Gordon, Lisa Harrow, Barnaby Holm and Mason Adams. Music is by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by Phil Meheux and Robert Paynter. The third and final part of "The Omen Trilogy" sees adult Antichrist Damien Thorn (Neill) now as a massive mover in industry and about to shift towards politics. As he surges towards the top, with a biblical prophecy about to come true, the second coming of Christ and a religious order look to be the only hope for mankind. Although it's undeniably the weakest of the trilogy, this does however close things down without utter embarrassment. Bringing to attention Sam Neill as an actor to note, where he is splendidly sinister, we are however burdened with a too long running for what is a surprisingly bloodless affair. The dark shades in the narrative are strong enough to keep us hooked in (yikes, infanticide), but there's too many unanswered questions and ignorance of continuity requirements from the previous two films. While it ends on a hopelessly twee religious Christmas card crescendo. Ultimately it's more a case of being one for fans of the series only, where the story reaches the conclusion for those who began the journey back in 1976. For casual observers, though, the lethargic nature of this particular beast is likely to bore and grate. 6/10

I am not much of a fan of Sam Neill at the best of times, and he really did not possess the skills to be menacing at all here. Still, this is way better than the second in the trilogy. Now running his huge "Thorn" conglomerate, "Damien" sets out to thwart the newly born Nazarine baby whom, together with the sacred daggers, could still stop him becoming ruler of the world. In true Herodian style, he tries to make sure all boys born between midnight and 6 am on the fateful day die; but when he discovers that the true bairn lives much closer to home, he must get his own hands dirty. It's very much a hybrid of the first one this and it's too long, but it's nice to see Rossano Brazzi ("Barefoot Contessa" (1954) and "Italian Job" (1969) on screen again, and it does move along reasonably quickly to an ending that given it's called "The Final Conflict" really doesn't leave too much to our imagination. It's not great, but it's not rubbish either...