Warlock III: The End of Innocence (1999)

What a beautiful movie!

Instant Favorite.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

I'll be honest. It really was an okay movie. While no one can replace Julian Sands, Bruce Payne did a pretty good job as The Warlock. He played the facade of good well (as Phillip Covington) and he played his true evil self (The Warlock) even better. It was a treat to watch him act in this movie. Ashley Laurence did a good job of playing Kris as well, her performance wasn't too over the top, and she still managed to play the part fairly accurately. I went into this movie expecting something more akin to the original movies, and I was absolutely devastated that Julian Sands wasn't playing The Warlock. I was skeptical about it, but in the end, I was rather pleased with how it turned out.

It's hard to keep a movie interesting for 90 minutes, especially when you fill it with stock characters and an episodic plot that goes nowhere but in circles.I was really hyped for this movie when it began. The cinematography, acting and editing was above the standard direct to video tripe that's out there. I thought that someone actually cared enough to try and make Warlock 3 a good movie, and I felt relieved in knowing that the next hour and a half would be an entertaining one. And it is for the first 35 minutes, as we see our heroine arrive at a spooky old house that she has inherited. That night, weird voices drift through the hallways, freaking her out until she tries to flee the house.Her friends all show up and convince her to stay, and after this point the movie becomes just another ten little Indians. Kill and repeat. The maniac this time is a Warlock that kills people with magic. The victims are the slut, the basket case, the goth dude, the pothead, and the bland boyfriend guy. We learn nothing about them, they're tissue thin, and as they are killed off, the plot just runs around in circles until the inevitable conflict between heroine and Warlock. Yawn.There is a nice psychological aspect involving the friends having to give the Warlock permission to kill the lead, I liked that. But still I became restless after the stylish and atmospheric opening.It is of note that Ashley Lawrence plays the lead. The Hellraiser girl has grown into a fine naturalistic actress and is too good for this movie. Bruce Payne is back, and I normally dislike him, but this time he had a sinister charisma that worked well for the character.I must say that I did enjoy this one more then part two, but only marginally so. While part two was a total goof, this one tried to build suspense, and did until dissolving into slasher formula, and ended in an insulting manor, complete with magic daggers and a porcelain doll that scares our Warlock out of his wits. What kind of evil being is afraid of a doll, even if it's a magic doll, it doesn't play well in a movie. The ending lacks all the style and craftsmanship of the first half of the movie.I commend the Warlock series for always having flashier visuals then your typical horror flick, but with exception of the original which was fast, funny, and intelligent, the sequels have all been handicapped with screenplays that wallow in beaten to death clichés and hollow characterizations.

I praise the first Warlock film...... who wouldnt? I even defended the second one because too many sad people winged about it. Geeze, it wasn't that bad!....... was it?So should I defend this third installment?.... Hell No!!! .... I just cannot seem to peice together any possitive words in my head to maybe lift this review up a notch.... in fact maybe it's better that I dont even talk about this tele-movie-esque film at all.Instead may I suggest that someone put pen to paper and create a fourth Warlock film that blends the first two formulas into one. Being that Redfern seeks assistence from the Druids to battle against the Warlock.... none other than Julien Sands.... none of this Bruce Payne nonsense. (No offence Bruce. You were great in Passenger 57... but you just aint no Warlock)So to sum up Warlock III: End of Innocence...... Miserable waste of time. Part 4 would be a classic.... if it existed! 2 out of 10(it gets a 2 because it had at least some balls to even be made at all)

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.