Warlock III: The End of Innocence (1999)

THE END OF INNOCENCE is the third and final WARLOCK movie, but even Julian Sands wouldn't come back for it, which says something. As such, he's replaced by generic bad guy Bruce Payne, who after playing a fun role in PASSENGER 57 seems to have been stuck in the B-movie doldrums ever since. I enjoyed ARMAGEDDON, the outrageously gruesome second film in the series, but the third time's a real dud. This feels more like a torture-based HELLRAISER sequel and the presence of HELLRAISER actress Ashley Laurence in the lead role only enhances the similarities. A bunch of characters hang around in an old house, there's a lot of sex and nudity, and the occasional gore sequence. The whole thing is quite the bore, and best forgotten.

Warlock III: The End of Innocence (1999) * 1/2 (out of 4) Kris (Ashley Laurence) doesn't know anything about her past. She was adopted and there are no living relatives but one day she receives a call saying that her family home has been left to her. Wanting to know about her past, her and a group of friends travel to the house and it turns out an evil warlock (Bruce Payne) wants her blood.WARLOCK was a surprise hit when it was finally released and in fact it also turned out to be a pretty good movie. Sadly, as is often the case with good horror movies, a rushed and bad sequel followed and eventually a direct-to-video sequel. This film here could have been a lot more entertaining than it actually was but the screenplay just didn't deliver a very compelling story.The biggest issue I had with this picture is the fact that not too much happened. I mean, the horror elements really don't start until after the hour mark and then everything is rushed to get everyone killed before the film is over. I'm not sure why so much time was wasted in the first hour and especially since there were way too many scenes with the characters just sitting around talking. This here really made the film seem longer than it was and there's no question that it drags.I thought, for the most part, that the performances were better than average for this type of picture. Laurence, an unofficial Scream Queen, was good in her part and for the most part Payne is good in his. The biggest problem is that they're just not given too much to work with. The special effects are decent for what they are and once the death scenes start happening there's at least a little life but sadly it happens way too late to save the picture.

You really have to give credit where credit is due. I couldn't imagine anyone doing better playing Julian's Warlock than Bruce Payne. Then again, David Twohy isn't credited on this, so perhaps this isn't the Warlock we know and love to hate.I did assume that without Julian, they were just starting anew with a new Warlock character played by Payne, and I guess that may be the case. However, Bruce's outfit and hair color certainly imply it's old blondy again.Now, I thought a new character would really irk me, but while not simply emulating Sands' characterization, Payne adds to it. I don't think he quite makes it his own, but he certainly raises the bar for Sands, should he even consider returning to the role. Some think this may have been too wordy compared to the previous action-driven installments, but it worked for me. Certainly enough to overlook the other mediocre people in this film. That's not to say their acting sucked, though. They were believable as their characters. It's just that their characters were boring.I think I would quite enjoy Bruce returning as blondy again, but if Julian were to return, I think he'd have to rise to the new bar set by Payne, even if it isn't quite the same character. Bruce gave his Covington more depth in some areas, while Julian seems to bring more murderous intent to his Warlock.Sadly, it's been 8 years. While I consider one of the previous reviews "Hopefully the end of this particular franchise" to be sheer nonsense, it's clear that the rights holders have no faith in another film despite the quality of the premise the franchise is based on.This is a shame. The original film's story and characters were fantastic (well, Lori Singer's wasn't crucial), and surprisingly not realised on film in the decades before. It seems to be one of, if not the, definitive witchcraft horror films. True, the second paled in comparison, with only Sands worth watching, but this, the third installment, seemed to recapture the depth and motivation of the, or a, Warlock character.I would hope that those who own the rights consider seeking out a quality screenwriter who could tempt Sands, Payne or even Richard E. Grant back to their roles. (I always imagined blondy would finally meet his end at the hand of Redfern after being sent back in time again)Here's hoping for Warlock 4...

Here's how it goes, 300 years ago an all powerful controller of satanic forces (Bruce Payne) tried to bring about the end of civilisation... of course it didn't work, but now the time has come for another attempt. Searching for clues to her family history the young decendant of the Warlock's arch enemy visits her newly inherited house where the Warlock lies in wait. To raise from hell the poison bride who will plunge the world into unimaginable evil, the Warlock must sacrifice the descendant of a witch born on a blue moon to the devil. Rather luckily for him, the girl is such a decendant born on a blue moon, not so luckily for him she is played by Ashley 'The demon basher' Laurence; the one person the armies of darkness could never hope to defeat. To make things a bit more interesting he can't simply kidnap her and do the ritual like other Warlocks, instead he must be given something by each of her closest friends who must then give her up to him. The acting is perfect (as Bruce Payne & Ashley Laurence always are) and although the scenery is designed to look a bit daft the special effects and cool music more than make up for it. Horror at it's best.