Reaction & Review | Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled

Welcome, one and all, to an all new Reaction & Review. Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we're taking a look at the final entry in the "Wishmaster" series. This movie came out in 2002. That movie is "Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled".

Now, this movie, as I just stated, is the fourth and final entry in the "Wishmaster" series. And for some reason, this movie is not numbered, unlike it's previous entries. I have read up on some sites that title this movie as "Wishmaster 4: The Prophecy Fulfilled", and I have seen others that don't. Regardless of that, I'm just gonna leave out the numbering for this title, because that's what the title on the DVD states it as.

So, for those of you who haven't read my review of "Wishmaster 3", I'm just gonna state this here. The movie was really fucking stupid. The Djinn was nowhere near as interesting as he was in the first two "Wishmaster" movies, the characters were shallow and lifeless, and the story itself was kinda shit. And this is gonna lead me into talking about this fourth entry, because I kinda held off on mentioning this until we got to this point. You see, in my review of "Wishmaster 3", I talked about how Andrew Divoff, the man who played the Djinn from the first two movies, wrote his own script for "Wishmaster 3". And to make a long story short, it was turned down because it was too ambitious and expensive for the producers of "Wishmaster 3" to work on. Well, I do know another reason why they turned it down. You see, both this movie and the third film were shot back-to-back in the span of two weeks. So......no wonder they turned it down. I mean, how in the hell were they suppose to film something like that within such a short time? Furthermore, I'm wondering why exactly they had such a short time to film both movies? And this is why I stated back in my review of the third movie that I was worried about the quality for both of these movies, considering they were both shot back-to-back in such a short time.

Now, who knows? Maybe the fourth movie will pull off something good here, despite all of what happened during the filming for both this movie and "Wishmaster 3". But I really don't know if it will. The only way I'm gonna find out if this thing is in any way watchable, 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: The Prophecy Fulfilled".

7 minutes later

Wait a second here. So this guy gives our main character, at least I assume it's suppose to be our main character, the same box from the third movie that contains the gem in which the Djinn resides in. Even though at the end of the previous film, the Djinn's gem was turned colorless after he died from the Sword of Justice. Are they going to explain that bit at all? I'm really curious, guys, because if this movie doesn't attempt to explain this plot hole by the time the movie's over, then I'm going to be left with a huge question that might never get answered. I'm certainly hoping that it does get answered at some point. But right now, we're off to kind of a bad start, guys.

16 minutes later

OK, I have a question. So the Djinn, who has been disguised as a lawyer by this point, is talking to this guy on the phone. I want to make mention that this guy cannot hang up the phone due to the Djinn's magical will, or something like that. And he's cutting his own face off with this knife. As cool as this all is, why are the people behind the glass frame not stopping this? Instead of taking a chair or something, and smashing the glass into pieces, they're just gently banging on the glass with their fists. Why are they not just busting through the glass with something heavy to try and stop this guy from cutting himself? Guys, I understand it's a horror movie, but nobody can be this fucking stupid. It's really starting to bug me, and.......oh, and now he just shot himself with a gun. Seriously, guys, the logic in this movie is starting to hurt a bit.

19 minutes later

Wait, wait, wait. Let me see if I understand this. If the Djinn doesn't fulfill this third wish before this hunter kills Lisa, then the prophecy can't be fulfilled. Mind you, the Djinn can't grant this wish of hers unless if it's "real" love. So...does that mean that the Djinn is suppose to develop feelings for her now? Seriously?! What the fuck happened to just fulfilling the prophecy like he was suppose to do in the other 3 movies? Guys, the writing in this movie is starting to become shit, and any hopes of this movie getting better is already fading fast.

18 minutes later

OK, I have another question. Does the Djinn not realize that the hunter is still out on the loose? You know, the same hunter that's suppose to kill Lisa, the one who awakened the Djinn in the first place? Why is he not going after him? Why is the Djinn wasting time like this? I thought he was suppose to be cunning and witty. No. He's just dragging this movie down, and it's really starting to depress me.

19 minutes later

What the hell happened to this series, guys? This series started off fun, and I was really getting into these movies. But this fourth movie comes along and becomes complete, utter garbage! And at this point, I am just counting down the minutes until this pile of shit is done.

The Review

Well, guys, that was "Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled". I'm gonna shut this garbage off...OK. God, that ending was shit. What the hell do I even start with? Well, when in doubt, start with the writing.

I have a theory about something. And mind you, this is all just a theory, so you have to take it for what it's worth. I am convinced that this movie was never meant to be a "Wishmaster" movie. I refuse to believe that somebody penned this script and thought that this would be a proper sequel to the "Wishmaster" franchise. I believe, at one point, this was meant to be a psychological horror movie. In a way, I would say it kinda falls in line with "Audition", if "Audition" were written by incompetent retards. Speaking of which, I found out that the people who wrote "Wishmaster 3", and this movie, were written by different writers. In case you're curious, "Wishmaster 3" was written by a man named Alex Wright. And "Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fufilled" was written by someone named John Benjamin Martin. What's the difference between these two writers? Well, in Alex Wright's case, he just wrote a really stupid movie. And you know what? For all of the faults and logic issues that "Wishmaster 3" suffered from, at least it felt kinda like a proper sequel. It wasn't written well, but at least it felt like it belonged in the "Wishmaster" franchise. Mr. Martin, on the other hand, didn't feel like writing a sequel to "Wishmaster 3". He wanted to write his own movie. The only thing that was slapped onto his script was the "Wishmaster" name onto it's title. And after watching this, it really feels like, as I just stated, that this movie was never intended to be a "Wishmaster" film. In fact, I don't think Mr. Martin has even watched a "Wishmaster" movie in his life. Because if he did, then, at the very least, he would've explained how the Djinn makes a comeback in this movie. Now, if you didn't read my review of the third movie, I spoiled that the Djinn dies from the Sword of Justice. And afterwards, the gem loses it's color and goes completely gray. And because of that ending, I was wondering how exactly the Djinn would be resurrected in this movie? Well, guess what? This movie has no explanation for that. So, during the beginning of the movie, Steven, who is the lawyer that the Djinn possesses in this movie, gives our main character, Lisa, a gift that has a box. And what do you know? It's the same box that was in the third movie. How exactly he got a hold of this box is anyone's guess. And it also has the same gem that has the Djinn sealed inside of it. So, even though the third movie clearly shows how the Djinn dies and the gem loses it's red color, it's back in this movie all pristine and intact. No explanation on how it pieces itself back together. It's there because fuck you, that's why. The Djinn is back again, despite being killed in the previous film, because fuck you, that's why. In fact, if I were lazy enough, I would just answer all of these questions that this movies poses as fuck you, that's why. However, I am not going to do that here. I'm gonna talk about why this movie is so fucking terrible.

Our characters are all shallow and lifeless. Our main character, Lisa, has no fucking personality to her. Which is saying a lot, because Diana, which was the main character in the third movie, didn't have much of a personality either. But at least she had some kind of a backstory, as cliche as it was. What's Lisa's conflict in this movie? Well, her husband, Sam, got into an accident and cannot walk again, thus he is stuck in a wheelchair. Now the movie doesn't really explain what kind of an accident he got into. My guess is that he got into a motorcycle accident, because he and Lisa were riding together in it at one point. And the only reason I say this is because, at one point, Lisa comes home with dinner and notices the motorcycle that was mostly covered in a tarp. She covers the rest of it up because it reminds her of her time with Sam before he got paralyzed. Now, I would probably care more about Sam, if he was in any way likable. However, this movie doesn't even do that here. Because Sam really only cares about one thing, which is sex. But because he's in a wheelchair, he can't have sex anymore. I should probably explain this a bit. So, at the beginning of the movie, he and Lisa bought a house. And as soon as they get inside, they start to bang each other. Why? Because I guess that's the first thing couples do when they move into a new house. I wouldn't have known that, but I guess you learn something new everyday, don't you? Anyway, so it cuts to 3 years later, and now we see Lisa trying to support her husband while he's in a wheelchair. And his personality and presence doesn't make him likable. Because he's in a wheelchair, he thinks that Lisa is having an affair with Steven, the lawyer. Not only that, but the only thing that he can think about is having sex again. But because he can't do that, he can't "love" Lisa like he use to. What the fuck kind of logical reasoning is that?! You can still totally love somebody, even if you have a disability. Sure, you might not be able to have sex anymore, but that's not a reason why you can't stop loving somebody. Never mind the fact that he could still love Lisa for her charm and personality. Not that she has much of one to begin with, but let's just assume. You know, there's plenty of reasons to love somebody, even if you have a disability. But no. He only cares about sex, and everything else about Lisa can go fuck itself. Oh, but wait, it gets better! You see, when Lisa is at dinner with "Steven", she wishes that Sam could walk again. So the Djinn grants her wish, and Sam's in total pain because of his legs acting up. And then later, when he is walking again, he STILL feels like a fucking unsympathetic person, because he thinks that Lisa is cheating on him with Stephen. Never mind the miracle that he can walk again, no, he doesn't care about that. He still feels like he can't make it work with Lisa, because he thinks that she's found someone else. And that he is an afterthought to her. And when Sam eventually does come to his wife's aid towards the end, I still didn't fucking care about him, because he was just an unsympathetic prick who only cared about sex. And really, no other character in this movie is even worth caring for because they were all that shallow and lifeless.

Which now brings me to talking about the Djinn. Oh dear heavenly fuck, the Djinn in this movie...so, let me try to explain this one. So, you know that big prophecy that he was suppose to fulfill? You know, the prophecy that he was suppose to unleash his fellow djinns on Earth and, basically, unleash Hell along with it? Well, there's something that's stopping him from doing that. You see, Lisa makes her third wish. What is this third wish? Well, she wishes that she could fall in love with Steven for who he really is. Which catches the Djinn's attention, because this is what he needs to fulfill his prophecy. But there's a problem with that. He doesn't know how to. Because he realizes that he can't fulfill this wish, unless he lets a human fall in love for real. And so he tries to figure out what love is. Oh, and there's something about a hunter that is going to kill Lisa, because she's made her third wish. And if this hunter kills Lisa, then the Djinn is fucked over because he can't fulfill the prophecy. I had no idea that something like that was suppose to happen, what with a hunter appearing if someone makes their third wish, but whatever. Now, this journey for the Djinn to discover what love is like is fucking stupid as hell because it's a complete waste of time. Not just because of this ridiculous concept, but because there is a hunter on the loose that's after Lisa. So, rather than trying to prevent this hunter from killing her right at the start, he's at a strip club for...reasons, because I guess this is a way to discover what love is for the Djinn. And this scene goes on for way too long. In fact, I will say that this movie suffers from some terrible pacing, because not only does the Djinn waste time at this strip club, he also wastes time fighting a bodyguard that goes nowhere. On top of that, when he does eventually fight the hunter that's after Lisa, the fight itself drags on for way too long. Not only that, but the fight scene itself is poorly choreographed. I have seen fight scenes done better in the early seasons of Power Rangers that were not this bad. But anyway, setting aside the poorly choreographed fight scene, the Djinn developing feelings for Lisa makes no fucking sense. I say this, because the Djinn was suppose to fulfill this prophecy about unleashing Hell on Earth. Oh, but he can't do that because he starts to develop feelings for her. So if that's the case, then why didn't he develop feelings for the other 3 main characters from the previous films? What makes this woman so different from them? Oh, she wished to fall for "Steven" for who he really is? Well, that's apparently enough for the Djinn to go "Oh wait, I might have to rethink this, because it's not true love". Mind you, the only wish that he couldn't grant would be something involving killing himself, as he stated in "Wishmaster 2". Now, all of a sudden, he has trouble granting this wish, because it's not real love and that he's going to do the right thing by letting her fall in love for who he truly is. Fuck that garbage! What the hell happened to the Djinn that was granting wishes in the previous 3 movies and didn't care about their consequences of what they wished for? I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Djinn in this movie has been reduced to being a pussy. And that is sad and tragic for me to say, because the Djinn from the first 2 movies was fucking awesome. Even in the third movie, the Djinn had some level of charm. Not here, though. He's a fucking pussy in this movie. And that is a fucking shame, to say the least.

Now...I'm gonna try to move on from the writing, because I've said plenty about it as is. What about the acting? Well, unfortunately, between filming the third movie and this one, the acting took a nosedive into almost being terrible. I say "almost", because the only actor who puts in any kind of effort is John Novak, who reprises his role as the Djinn from the previous movie. But even he kinda phones it in here because the script is so fucking terrible. I'm surprised that he was barely able to make this dialogue work, considering the script that was given to him. As for everyone else, nobody else put in any kind of effort. Which is saying something, because the 3 previous movies had acting that was really good. None of it was great, but at least there was effort put into those movies. But just about everyone in this movie didn't even try. So, I can easily say that the acting is the worst I've seen from the "Wishmaster" series.

What about the special effects? Well, I will say that the special effects are not too bad. They're not great, and they're certainly a downgrade from what was in the previous film, but it's not too bad for what it is. The blood effects are still really solid, the costuming and the makeup effects on the Djinn look really fucking good. But then again, most of the latter effects were carried over from "Wishmaster 3". So, on that end, I can at least say that the special effects are fine. Again, they're not as good as what was in the previous film, but it's still passable for what it is.

Camerawork here is pretty good. Lighting is lit really well. Sound-mix is mixed competently. The score is actually pretty decent, too. I would actually say it's on par with what was in the previous 3 movies. So, at least we have a consistent score that works for this movie.

So, when all is said and done, am I able to recommend "Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled"? Fuck no. This movie is fucking garbage. And if THIS is how this franchise ends, then that is nothing short of sad and tragic. If you want to get into the "Wishmaster" series, then stick with the first two movies. And if you enjoyed those enough, then MAYBE I could recommend giving the third movie a watch. Even though I personally didn't care for "Wishmaster 3", at least there are some things there that fans of horror movies could really get into. But this fourth movie? No. Avoid this piece of shit. It is not worth your time, and it certainly does not feel like a proper "Wishmaster" movie. This movie can go fuck itself! And, you know, it kinda makes me yearn for a fifth movie. Because I read an interview online that Andrew Divoff would love to come back for a "Wishmaster 5". If they did that, and they actually got writers who know what they're doing, then I think it could be great. Because it would be really sad if this franchise ends on this shitty fourth movie. But, hey...at least I got the first two movies on DVD. And I'll be definitely be watching them next month, what with Halloween being right around the corner and all. But as for 3 and 4...those two movies can piss off. Especially that fourth movie.

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.