X
- 2004
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 54 m
- 2004
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 54 m
Summary In the place where Evil was born, Father Merrin will finally see its true face. (Warner Bros.)
Directed By: Renny Harlin
Written By: William Peter Blatty, William Wisher, Caleb Carr, Alexi Hawley
- 2004
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 54 m
- 2004
- R
- Warner Bros.
- 1 h 54 m
Exorcist: The Beginning
30
4.9
Where to Watch
Summary In the place where Evil was born, Father Merrin will finally see its true face. (Warner Bros.)
Directed By: Renny Harlin
Written By: William Peter Blatty, William Wisher, Caleb Carr, Alexi Hawley
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 22 Critic Reviews
30
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
50% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
50% Negative
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 22 Critic Reviews
30
0% Positive
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
50% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
50% Negative
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
Here's a popcorn movie with soul, welcoming the masses to consider how much can change in popular culture over 30 years, as the horrific becomes the familiar.
The movie goes too far on too little motivation - and the middle section, with its maggoty villains, roiling skies and native revolts, seems almost barmy. Yet Exorcist: Beginning does score a small victory. It's not as bad as you'd think.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 45 User Ratings
4.9
24% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
47% Mixed
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
29% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 45 User Ratings
4.9
24% Positive
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
47% Mixed
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
29% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
I would like to start by saying that this is far better than Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) but absolutely nothing compared to The Exorcist (1973) or The Exorcist III (1990). You know that there is going to be an exorcism and they don't let you think otherwise at any point. The problem is that the build up to this finale is not looking at the social aspects and the introverted paranoia associated with such confusion but instead focuses on confusing the issue. It feels painful as this has been done before so much better. This is boring with little development until near the end with an interesting twist and some cool scenes. The biggest gripe is that this film is laced with computer effects designed to impress the audience. You don't need to be impressed, you need to be scared. This film isn’t that bad, it simply doesn't deliver.
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The “surprise” ending, when it comes, is more of a hoot than a holler.
The devil is back in Exorcist: The Beginning, and he is more disgusting than ever. Not more scary, just really yucky, in a kind of maggots-on-a-pizza-slice way.
The risible dialogue, the bulging eyeballs, the heaving bosoms, the digitally rendered hyenas and squirming maggots, the movie fails to achieve the status of the instant camp classic. That's partly because the vibe of the film is too torpid.
The serious Catholic themes that made the original film genuinely disturbing have been flattened out into a cartoonish backstory.
Sloppy, confusing, and dull as a dented crucifix.
To me, Exorcist: The Beginning is a stronger, scarier film that is not empty like Dominion kind of is. However, I still think this film ****.
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This prequel to "The Exorcist" seeks to follow the first confrontation between a young Father Merrin and Pazuzu, countering the opening scenes of the first film. The environment of the film is roughly in British Kenya, where a Byzantine chapel has just been discovered, in perfect condition because it was deliberately buried soon after construction. Here begins the problems of this film, with the script gluing Byzantine art to a chapel whose interior has nothing to do with it, besides being outside the geographical area where the Byzantines were. Okay, the movie is fiction, but does it need to invent something so unrealistic? Father Merrin is the most dense and complete character. Interpreted by Stellan Skarsgård in a relatively satisfactory manner, he is a priest in doubt due to the remorse and traumas of World War II. All this has been well used and intelligently developed. Another thing I liked was the romantic subplot between the priest and Sarah, the attractive nurse of the field, played by Izabella Scorupco. Possessions are slow to occur although demonic signs are evident, and the ending may even be surprising, but only partially. The film attempts to compensate for obvious screenplay flaws with special effects, but most attempts are so rudimentary that it does not have the desired impact. Renny Harlin may not be the worst director ever but he is definitely not one of the best. Throughout the film, there are very obvious exaggerations, likely fruit of a bad script and an indolent director. One of them is the characterization of Scorupco at the end of the film, in a clear and unnecessary allusion to "The Exorcist". This film was an effort, but an effort without glory or merit for any of those involved.
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I watched this today with my boyfriend and during the movie I predicted what would happen, and I was right every time. It was just too predictable and like other movies. Don't really see exactly how this is the beginning, and the movie stunk too much to watch it again to understand. :/ Plus, the DVD features were extra boring.
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Production Company
Morgan Creek Entertainment,
Dominion Productions,
Fratelli Cartocci S.r.l.,
Future Post,
Post Amazers,
Technovision France
Release Date Aug 20, 2004
Duration 1 h 54 m
Rating R
Tagline A Renny Harlin movie. The director of Cliffhanger, Deep Blue Sea and Die Hard 2
Awards
Razzie Awards
• 2 Nominations
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 2 Nominations
Teen Choice Awards
• 1 Nomination
