Welcome, one and all, to an all new Reaction & Review. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we continue this run of the "Wishmaster" films by taking a look at the second entry that came out in 1999. That movie is "Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies".
Now, a bit of a recap for those of you who didn't catch my review of the first "Wishmaster" movie. I thought it was a really solid horror movie. The Djinn was fucking amazing, it had likable characters, and a very fascinating story. And the writing didn't insult your intelligence, especially considering that it did something involving a twist that most movies would fail to do, because most of them would pull out a cop-out ending that makes no fucking sense. If you want to know what I'm talking about, go read my review of the first movie.
But as for tonight's movie, I know almost nothing about it. I know that Andrew Divoff, the guy who played the Djinn from the first movie, reprises his role here. Which is great, because he was the reason to watch the first "Wishmaster" film. Beyond that, I know nothing else about this movie. In fact, the only thing I was curious about after the ending of the first movie was how exactly was this going to lead to a sequel? I have no idea, but I'm hoping that the movie will give some sort of explanation. I haven't bothered to read the plot on the back of the DVD case, because I want to go into this movie as blind as possible.
I'm really hoping that this movie will be just as good as the first movie. On the other hand, because this is a sequel, this thing could be a massive step back in quality. But I'm hoping that's not the case, because I kinda have high hopes for this one. The question is, will this movie live up to those expectations? I have no idea. But the only way I'm gonna that find out, is if I shut up, and I push play, and I'm gonna do that right now. So, without further ado, it's time to kick back, relax, and check out "Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies".
2 minutes later
So the reason why the Djinn's stone got released from the statue from the first movie was because a bunch of thieves wearing druid-like clothing were just in a shootout with a security guard, who attempted to shoot one of the thieves that was hiding behind the Egyptian statue. And his shot was the reason why the stone gets released? All right...at least, it's one of the least dumbest ways you could release the Djinn's gem from it's statue. So yeah, at least that answer's my question really easily.
4 minutes later
OK...the Djinn's back. No idea what the hell he is...and...OK, that is kinda loud.........and that guy literally just disappeared. Well, he did wish that he was never born. So...I guess he got what was coming to him.
11 minutes later
Wow....that was, quite literally, the most painful way to get out of a jail cell. That was fucking awesome, dude!
19 minutes later
OK, I have a bit of a stupid question. Does Nathaniel always have to make that creepy fucking smile of his, every time he talks? I know that he did that in the first movie, but it was just something that I noticed here. It's so fucking creepy every time that he does this, that it's actually making me feel a little bit uncomfortable. I totally understand that it has nothing do to with the movie, but I just felt like I needed to get that off my chest, you know?
16 minutes later
Oh my God, she really cut off her own pinky finger. Why? Why the hell would she cut off her own pinky finger in order to change her ways?! That's not going to stop what she did before back when she was a thief. So why the hell is this necessary for her to cut off her own pinky finger? Guys, I'm gonna be honest, this really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
11 minutes later
Well...that's certainly a creative way to ask for someone's head. He didn't necessarily say in what condition the head would be in, but still, at least he got his head. I just wish he thought about that ahead of time...God, that joke really sucked.
14 minutes later
So the Djinn's idea of getting 1001 souls was to grant everyone at the casino their wish in winning. That is probably one of the most creative plans I have ever heard of, and it actually is working. I, personally, would've never thought about that if I were tasked in writing this thing. I have to give the writing a ton of props there for coming up with such a creative plan.
The Review
Well, guys, that was "Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies". Let me shut the movie off...OK. Well, that was pretty good. Mind you, this movie does have it's problems, but I'll get into talking about those, eventually. So I guess I should start by talking about the writing.
Going into this movie, there was one thing I was kinda worried about. As I stated earlier, being that this thing is a sequel to a movie that was really good, you have a lot to live up to. You want to live up to your predecessor. You want to show that your writing is as strong as it was in the first movie. Because the first "Wishmaster" movie had really strong writing, likable characters, and an overall solid story. And while this movie certainly has it's moments in really sharp writing, it also has a bit of a problem when it comes to the pacing. Because the first "Wishmaster" movie flew on by and just kept chugging forward with it's story. "Wishmaster 2", however, has more of a slower paced story. Now, I don't really mind that for a lot of movies. Most of the time, they are trying to build up their characters while telling their story. Other occasions, it will almost have no fucking plot and will just sit there while doing nothing. "Wishmaster 2" certainly takes it's time in building up it's story. But I feel as though it takes up a little too much time. Because most of the time, the Djinn, who is once again disguised as Nathaniel from the first movie, spends about the first half of the movie in prison. And while he's there, he's trying to grant the wishes of the prisoners that are there. Including one security guard, which honestly was one of the funniest moments in the entire movie. I'm not gonna spoil what that is, you're just gonna have to watch the movie for yourself. But that's where the Djinn is at for a good portion of the movie. And another reason why this movie takes up a bit of time has to do with how the Djinn needs to grant wishes. You see, in this movie, he needs to grant the wishes of 1001 souls, plus 3 wishes from the person who set him free, which would be our main character Morgana. I'll get to her in a bit. Now, while the Djinn is in prison, it's not really specified as to how many wishes he has granted by that point. I will say that a little later on after he escapes with a Russian prisoner, it's revealed that he needs to grant around 800 more wishes in order to unleash his djinns on Earth. And the way that he does this is when the Russian prisoner, who had a name that I totally forgot about, suggests that he goes to Vegas to help speed up the process. Now we don't get to hear him say "Go to Las Vegas, it has a ton of souls for you to collect". He just says there's a place he knows where the Djinn can grant a ton more wishes. And while I will say that the plan is very creative once the Djinn gets to Vegas, it felt like getting to that point was kind of long. So, the pacing definitely feels rather off here. Now, I will say that, unlike the previous film I covered in the "Digimon Adventure tri." series, which was "Determination", I felt like there was more of a story here, than what was in that movie. So, at least, we have that.
As for the story itself, outside of it having some pacing issues, is still rather solid. The Djinn, once more, is fucking amazing in this movie. And while his time in prison was where the pacing issues came in, I will say that the Djinn more than makes up for it, because he was the best character in the first movie. And he still retains that in this movie. Part of that has to do with the acting, which I'll get to later on. There are a couple of things that did sorta bother me. One minor thing came to me was when the priest, Gregory, who is Morgana's love interest in this movie, comes to visit Nathaniel in prison at the request of Morgana. Nathaniel, at one point, mentions Gregory's profession as a priest. How the hell does he know that? I ask this, because Gregory was not wearing anything that pertained to his profession of being a priest. There is no sign of a cross on him and he doesn't carry a bible when he comes to see him. So how the hell does the Djinn know about his profession? I understand that the Djinn is a mystical being and the question could be answered with "fuck you it's magic", but I still feel like I needed to ask that. The other thing, and this is where my issues with the writing are going to come into play, has to do with Morgana, the main character for this movie. First off, I will say that if I had to compare her with the main character in the first "Wishmaster" movie, which I think her name was Alex, I would totally say Alex is the more likable character. She was straight-forward and not stupid. Morgana, on the other hand, does not meet those standards. We first see her right at the beginning of the movie where she was disguised as a druid, while stealing from a museum with two other people that were also dressed as druids. And it ends up with them getting found out when one of the thieves breaks open a glass case with a jewel inside. Now I want to make mention that this is NOT the jewel that contains the gem where the Djinn is sealed at. That would belong in the Egyptian statue that one of the thieves, which I believe was Morgana, was hiding behind. And the security guard ends up shooting part of the statue off, revealing the gem to Morgana in the process. So she, and another thief, who ends being her boyfriend at the time, ends up being shot at by the security guard while trying to get away. In which she, in turn, ends up shooting the security guard and killing him. Now the reason why I bring this all up is that later on, she ends up going to church to pay her respects and, I guess, have God forgive her of her sins. First of all, it's never explained why she needs to steal anything in the first place. Does she need money that badly? Is she in debt or something? The latter doesn't seem to be the case, because she lives in an apartment and seems to be living a decent life. So why did she need to steal anything in the first place? Also, it's implied that she's a Christian, what with her going to church and all. I'm sorry, but if you're a Christian, then shouldn't you be following what the Ten Commandments say? Two of them, in particular, being "Thou Shalt Not Steal" and "Thou Shalt Not Kill"? I don't know, maybe I'm just following common sense here.
One other thing about her that really bothers me is that there is a plot point in the movie where in order for the Djinn to be put back into it's gem, it needs someone with a pure heart to be one of those conditions. Which OK, I guess that makes some level of sense. But here's something that I don't understand. So, as has been established already, Morgana is not really pure-hearted material. So with the advice of Gregory, she begins to try and change her ways. And by that, I mean she tries to pretty herself up by cleaning up herself, with regards to her appearance. She cleans off her lipstick, cuts off bits of her hair to make herself look less like a goth chick, and returns a portrait of one of the items she stole from the beginning of the movie. She does all of that, but there's one thing that REALLY makes no sense. So, for whatever mind boggling reason, she ends up CUTTING her left pinky finger, because that somehow is a part of her atonement to try and change her ways to be of a pure heart. Now I'll admit, I am not a Christian, so I may be ignorant in this subject. But I don't think that cutting off your pinky finger is going to do anything. Especially when you consider that what she's done in the past is not going to change. Now yes, you can become a better person, even if you have done some bad things in the past, but I don't think that cutting off your pinky finger is a tradition that most people would follow. But you know what? I might be completely wrong on that. So if there's anybody out there who is a Christian, I want you to answer this for me. Is it common knowledge for someone to cut off their pinky finger in order for them to become a better person? Or, according to this movie, become a person of a pure heart? Please. I want to know. I want to know if it's a common practice for someone to cut off their pinky finger, just so that they can become a better person, despite what that person has done in the past. I would love an answer. And I understand that I'm probably thinking WAY too deep into this, but it's just something that really bothered me when I watched that happen. Now, beyond Morgana's stupidity in doing something like that, our characters here are not all that interesting, besides the Djinn. As I've stated, Morgana is suppose to be a Christian, despite breaking two of the Ten Commandments that she's not suppose to. And then we have Gregory, who's just a priest and is Morgana's love interest for this movie. Outside of them, our characters are kinda shallow. But I will say that even though Morgana's character in this movie is incredibly flawed, it's still something that kinda works. And I would rather take a character who has a ton of flaws, rather than have a character who is incredibly shallow and lifeless.
So, writing here is not as good as it was in the previous film. But it's still not enough to bring this entire movie down. At least, to me it isn't. What helps this movie is the acting. Once more, Andrew Divoff is amazing in this movie. And as I stated earlier, he is the reason to watch this movie. In fact, he is the reason to watch the first two movies. Because he makes this character his own, and makes it work so well. And the sad part about this is that I know he's not in the other two "Wishmaster" movies that I'll be covering next month. But anyway, Andrew Divoff is still amazing at what he does here. Now, unlike the previous film where I recognized quite a few actors such as Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, and George Buck Flower, this movie has nobody in the cast list that I recognize. Now, even though I don't recognize anybody in this movie, outside of Andrew Divoff, the acting is still really solid from the rest of the cast. And even though Morgana's character was incredibly flawed, the actress who played her did a really good job. The only actor who I felt was a bit weak in this movie was whoever played Gregory, the priest. There was like one or two moments where he sounded like he phoned it in, but it's not going to be noticed by anybody, unless you went into this movie like I did. Other than that, the acting is, mostly, really good. So I have to give the acting a ton of praise here.
And similar to the first movie, the special effects are amazing in this movie. In fact, when compared to the first movie, the special effects are upgraded to a tee. Especially towards the final act, because there is a lot more going on here, when compared to the first movie's final act. We have quite a lot of blood in this movie, and the practical blood looks amazing here. We also have a bit of CG in this movie. And what few bits of CG that are here looks really good. At least, really good by 1999 standards. Makeup effects are amazing, and that's mostly on the Djinn. The Djinn looks just as awesome as he did in the first movie. Costuming here is pretty good. The sets, specifically when it comes to the Djinn's home world, looks great. Overall, guys, special effects are just as good, if not better than what was in the first movie.
Camerawork here is really solid. Lighting here is great. Our score is pretty good. Sound-mix, when compared to the first movie, is definitely improved here. You'll recall in my review of the first movie that one of my issues I had with it was the sound-mix when it came to the volume. Sometimes even when I had the volume up really high, the audio sounded really quiet. Now again, I don't know if it was because of the DVD that Artisan Home Entertainment put out, or if it was just a technical issue on my end. But regardless, it was something that I did notice. I will say that, while there were a couple of moments where I had to mess around with the volume on my TV to get the sound just right, it's definitely not as noticeable here. I could hear, just about, the entire movie really well. So again, while it may be an incredibly minor issue on my end, I'm happy to say that it has improved here. So that's always a positive.
Overall, guys, can I recommend "Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies"? Mostly yes. If you can overlook some of the odd writing when it comes to the main character, and some of the pacing issues that this movie has, then you're, probably, really going to enjoy this thing. Now again, this movie is nowhere near as good as the first movie was. But since it is a sequel, it is something that you have to take for what it's worth. Because, most of the time, sequels almost never end up being as good as the previous film, anyways. But still, if you were a fan of the first "Wishmaster" movie, then go ahead and check out this one. It certainly is a rather good sequel. In fact, I mentioned it back in my previous review of the first "Wishmaster" movie that I had gotten the first two movies from a DVD 2-pack that has the first two "Wishmaster" movies. And I'm gonna tell you, this 2-pack is worth every penny. If you can find this 2-pack anywhere, be it on DVD or Blu-ray, pick it up. At this point, it's definitely cheap, especially considering that the 2-pack I bought was only $5. So if you are looking to get into the "Wishmaster" films, this 2-pack is definitely a start. Now, I don't know if the other two movies are going to be worth adding to those first two movies, but I am going to find out come next month. Now...I think I'm gonna go find something else to watch. I think I'm gonna go watch my copy of "Sin City". Why not? And if I'm in the mood, I'm gonna go watch "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For". So I'm gonna go do that, and this 2-pack is going to have a happy spot on my DVD shelf.
Anyway, guys, with that, we come to the close of another Reaction & Review. Until next time, ladies and gentlemen, take care, and I will see you all in the near future. Peace.
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