The Final Conflict (1981)

Director:

Graham Baker

Writers:

David Seltzer (characters)
Andrew Birkin (written by)

Release Date:

20 March 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The power of evil is no longer in the hands of a child.

Plot:

The now adult Antichrist plots to eliminate his future divine opponent while a cabal of monks plot to stop him.

Plot Keywords:

Monk | Dagger | Angel | Antichrist | Second Coming

Cast

Sam Neill	...	Damien Thorn
Rossano Brazzi	...	DeCarlo
Don Gordon	...	Dean
Lisa Harrow	...	Kate Reynolds
Barnaby Holm	...	Peter
Mason Adams	...	President
Robert Arden	...	American Ambassador
Leueen Willoughby	...	Barbara
Marc Boyle	...	Brother Benito
Milos Kirek	...	Brother Martin
Tommy Duggan	...	Brother Mattius
Louis Mahoney	...	Brother Paulo
Richard Oldfield	...	Brother Simeon
Tony Vogel	...	Brother Antonio
Arwen Holm	...	Carol

Also Known As:

Omen III: The Final Conflict
The Ill Omen (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | South Korea:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Eagle River, Wisconsin, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Richard Donner had once considered directing the film, but was involved with legal problems involving the Salkind brothers stemming from Superman II (1980).

Goofs:

Factual errors: The initial computer simulation of the Second Coming alignment gives the position's declination as -276° 24' 29". Declinations of stars vary between -90° and +90°.

Quotes:

Dean: She has her own weekly news show. It's called "The World in Vision."
Kate Reynolds: [correcting Dean] "In Focus."
Dean: Excuse me, "The World In Focus."
Kate Reynolds: Or out of focus, as the case may be.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Allemaal film: De amerikaanse droom (#1.6)" (2007)

Not a bad movie, but an unsatisfactory end to the trilogy

After the success of the first two 'Omen' films, it was inevitable that there would be more. According to the documentary 'The Omen Legacy' the original plan was for 7 total films, but producer Harvey Bernard and Twentieth Century Fox settled on 3. Now this was probably a smart thing to do, because you could only take this story so far until people would be tired of it. 'The Final Conflict' would be the long-waited finale to the series and was much anticipated. To the dismay of many who saw it, it was not the grand finale it should have been. It's sort of a cross between the first two films. On one hand it has more story and less blood and gore, but on the other it seems a bit more concerned with spectacle than telling a good story and ending the series in a satisfactory way. That doesn't mean this film isn't any good, but if you like the first two then you will likely be underwhelmed by the end result.

Pros: Fine work done by the cast. Jerry Goldsmith composes a different, but still excellent score. Some elaborate and creative death sequences. Moves at a decent pace. Well photographed and nice scenery. A stronger, more layered script than last time. Has quite a mean streak.

Cons: Lacking in scares and tension. Some things are too underdeveloped. The ending is a letdown for this film and the series as a whole.

Final thoughts: After a series starts so well you hope the level of quality stays high in the subsequent installments. In the case of the 'Omen' franchise it did take a dive after the first film, but both theatrical sequels are still above average and worth the viewers time. They could have been better, especially this one, but unlike some sequels they aren't an embarrassment.

My rating: 3.5/5