Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981)
"The Final Conflict" (original title)

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

Director:

Graham Baker

Writers:

David Seltzer (characters), Andrew Birkin

Stars:

Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi, Don Gordon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sam Neill	...	Damien Thorn
Rossano Brazzi	...	DeCarlo
Don Gordon	...	Harvey Dean
Lisa Harrow	...	Kate Reynolds
Barnaby Holm	...	Peter Reynolds
Mason Adams	...	President
Robert Arden	...	American Ambassador
Leueen Willoughby	...	Barbara Dean
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

Storyline

Now come into his full knowledge and power, the Anti-Christ in the body of Damien Thorne is about to strike his final blow. The Christ-child has been born again, on the Angel Isle, Great Britain (Scotland, England & Wales). The plan is simple, find the male children born on the specified day, and kill them all.

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Plot Keywords:

monk | antichrist | dagger | angel | second coming | 

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Taglines:

The ultimate confrontation between good and evil!

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 March 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Omen III

Filming Locations:

Eagle River, Wisconsin, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First international starring role in a Hollywood / American movie for New Zealand actor Sam Neill.

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Goofs

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°.

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Quotes

Damien Thorn: Most people confuse evil with their own trivial lusts and perversions. Now, true evil is as pure as innocence.

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Connections

Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King (2011)

User Reviews

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