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A review by vaporvox
Damien: Omen II by Joseph Howard
2.0
Before you read this review, please acknowledge that I've actually never seen the film, so this will be based strictly from the content presented in the novel. Damien: Omen II is odd, mostly-lackluster sequel to the first book by David Seltzer. Joseph Howard takes the writing reins in this adaptation, and in comparison, it shows. The writing style is so much more different and way less detailed than Seltzer's style. However, I did enjoy how the death scenes were written, as Howard's description shined in these portions; the deaths felt just as real and terrifying as if you had witnessed them.
Some of the plot points, however, are intensely flawed. For example, what was the significance of the raven, and why did no one do anything about it? One could compare it to the dog in the first book, but that loose end was tied. Also, a lot of characters and events seemed to be cloned directly from the first book with names and deaths changed. Joan Hart was this book's reporter, Charles Warren was this book's Bugenhagen, and Ann's character read very similarly to the Damien's mom from the first. It feels unoriginal or like a loose adaptation of the first book. In addition, parts of the novel focused too much on the business aspect of Thorn Industries - which led to boring filler content - and not enough development was put into certain characters, like Sergeant Neff. He was supposed to be a crucial part to Damien's success yet he was written in very nonchalant, forgettable manner. Lastly, the ending felt too rushed. Things built very quickly around four chapters to the end, and the ending skipped most of the suspense for the final execution.
Joseph Howard's adaptation of Damien: Omen II is rich in violent, bloody description is ultimately a lesser clone of the original, but this time, with a rushed ending and focus in the wrong sections. Read the first one for enjoyment, then leave this one alone unless you're just looking for a time-killer.
Some of the plot points, however, are intensely flawed. For example, what was the significance of the raven, and why did no one do anything about it? One could compare it to the dog in the first book, but that loose end was tied. Also, a lot of characters and events seemed to be cloned directly from the first book with names and deaths changed. Joan Hart was this book's reporter, Charles Warren was this book's Bugenhagen, and Ann's character read very similarly to the Damien's mom from the first. It feels unoriginal or like a loose adaptation of the first book. In addition, parts of the novel focused too much on the business aspect of Thorn Industries - which led to boring filler content - and not enough development was put into certain characters, like Sergeant Neff. He was supposed to be a crucial part to Damien's success yet he was written in very nonchalant, forgettable manner. Lastly, the ending felt too rushed. Things built very quickly around four chapters to the end, and the ending skipped most of the suspense for the final execution.
Joseph Howard's adaptation of Damien: Omen II is rich in violent, bloody description is ultimately a lesser clone of the original, but this time, with a rushed ending and focus in the wrong sections. Read the first one for enjoyment, then leave this one alone unless you're just looking for a time-killer.