Just when I started thinking that Uwe Boll has a monopoly on turning great story ideas into horrible movies, Renny Harlin shows up and reminds me once again why he is the undisputed king of crappy cinema. Behold the evidence of his royal pukie-ness: one more in an endless stream of butt-stupid movies.
When the metaphysical power behind witchcraft is an addiction more seductive and self-destructive than heroin and crack combined, what happens when a super-junkie finds a way to steal the power of others just to keep riding his high? Though the original plot and storyline of the film were quite intriguing and solid ideas, Harlin and screenwriter J.S. Cardone managed to infantilize the dialogue so that even crack-whores and NASCAR fans would still think it was pretty lame.
Then Harlin added his special touch; that indefinable quality of his that perfectly demonstrates his utter lack of imagination. He turned what could have been a phenomenal battle of supernatural powers (I was hoping for the Dark Phoenix versus Emperor Palpatine on Steroids) into a schoolyard scrap involving explosive water balloons. Sadly, Ken and Ryu did it better in the original Street Fighter arcade game.
Harlin dropped the final nail in the film's coffin by casting a bunch of no-talent rejects from Melrose Creek, 90666. It was probably because no self-respecting actors would have tied themselves to this sinking ship. Apparently after doling out a trifecta of trash with "Driven", "Mindhunters", and "Exorcist: The Beginning", Harlin was hoping to suckle from the same teet that nourished Andrew Fleming's "The Craft" and Aaron Spelling's "Charmed." Unfortunately that breast has shrivelled up and gone, and all we are left with is a boob who fancies himself a director. Pity for us.
When the metaphysical power behind witchcraft is an addiction more seductive and self-destructive than heroin and crack combined, what happens when a super-junkie finds a way to steal the power of others just to keep riding his high? Though the original plot and storyline of the film were quite intriguing and solid ideas, Harlin and screenwriter J.S. Cardone managed to infantilize the dialogue so that even crack-whores and NASCAR fans would still think it was pretty lame.
Then Harlin added his special touch; that indefinable quality of his that perfectly demonstrates his utter lack of imagination. He turned what could have been a phenomenal battle of supernatural powers (I was hoping for the Dark Phoenix versus Emperor Palpatine on Steroids) into a schoolyard scrap involving explosive water balloons. Sadly, Ken and Ryu did it better in the original Street Fighter arcade game.
Harlin dropped the final nail in the film's coffin by casting a bunch of no-talent rejects from Melrose Creek, 90666. It was probably because no self-respecting actors would have tied themselves to this sinking ship. Apparently after doling out a trifecta of trash with "Driven", "Mindhunters", and "Exorcist: The Beginning", Harlin was hoping to suckle from the same teet that nourished Andrew Fleming's "The Craft" and Aaron Spelling's "Charmed." Unfortunately that breast has shrivelled up and gone, and all we are left with is a boob who fancies himself a director. Pity for us.