Majin Planet

Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)

Well it being Halloween month and this being one of the last horror films to leave us in the 1980s and being how I some what though Hellraiser was good to its respect I figure lets see how the fourth one goes. That and it was on entertainment on demand so it was an easy watch for me. So let’s get on to the review. I must warn you this is a rated R movie so some parts of this review are well a bit on the edge. If your looking for a quick take on the film, well simply put it bad.

Alright lets get into the movie. First off I’ve never see the others nor do I remember the first one all that much as I only saw it once in 1993 or something. We start off in the year 2127 in space on some sort of space station. Here is where the movie gets well weird. There is a crap load of stars in the sky and I mean they stay out like a sore thumb. So much so at the end of the movie when they are leaving the only thing that was on my mind was how fake the stars looked.

Our main guy Paul (Bruce Ramsay) using a robot, summons up a spawn of hell Pinhead (Doug Bradley) with the emblematic puzzle box that the series is known for. Shortly after he is taken into custody and question by the station’s doctor (Christine Harnos). Now here is where the movie fails, first off most of the movie is in flashback as the Paul character starts off with a story in the 18th century France which as you may guess involves the making of the puzzle box.

As I said I don’t remember the first film all to well and being how Bruce Ramsay played not only the Paul character but his ancestor not once but twice. Once this story wraps up and after a quick jump back to the future, we go back to American in 1996, where another ancestor has to deal with the puzzle box. Now maybe if there are any Hellraiser fans here who can clear this up for me. But I recall one film (maybe the 3rd or 2nd one) where it was a bunch of teens in a house party and some guy had put them in a box under ground and it was all just in there heads on the events that happen that night. In any even I don’t remember there being anything about the maker of the puzzle box in it.

Moving on, this flashback took up most of the movie. In fact if you where to jump in at any part of this movie you would be lost on what’s going on. You would almost say this was three small movies into one. There is a few very dark sex scenes in this movie with Angelique (Valentina Vargas). While the character seem to be more then just being brushed aside by Pinhead rather ten serving us a dramatic counterpart that you would think we should have gotten.

Out of all the flashbacks only one key point of information was given that could have been done in the first 15 minutes of the movie. Paul’s bloodline is the key to closing the gates of hell. Why? Because his family made the box and where the only one able to do it. There is also another key in which the original maker of the puzzle box start to work on a design that would counter it. Which could not be made until 2127, which in fact Paul was able to do.

The root problem with this movie is there is no character to root for. Its hard to even get behind the Paul character or even feel his plain because most of his acting time is spent playing characters in flashbacks who both are killed off. So what we are left with are more questions then answers. But the story itself is put so beyond itself that you almost don’t care.

But you know this type of film is not about giving us a good story. Well at least not if you know anything about making movies. The gore in this movie seems to be very good. I didn’t find myself looking away at all. If you have a weak gut then I can pick out a few choice scene where you would lose your lunch over. Besides form the standard leather, chains, hooks and blades its everything you could hope for in a Hellraiser movie.

The special effects weren’t no Star Wars or even World of the Worlds but it was worth a look at which I though was some what good other then the fact they didn’t go for a real look to space. Look more like something you see in a 1960s film then a 1996 film.

So what are we left with? Well after a good 90 minutes of flashbacks to set up the plot and reason why Paul is where he is, we get about a good 20 or so minutes left where lot doesn’t happen. We get some more gore scenes where the crew who are left are all killed off. No one cares because nothing is every give to us to make us care. Even Christine Harnos character had little do at the end of the movie, besides being chase by a dog like demon, which was badly done in terms of effects. Then he beats the dog demon thing like nothing and that is about all we get out of her character. You may have well just killed her as he had no other reason for being there.

Finally we get to the end of the movie where finally we understand the reason they ship was made and what it does. The sad part about this, was the simple fact that after the first flashback I pick up on the fact that the ship was the final design to close the gates of hell. There was a simple clue in the start of the movie made by the Paul character that is even more so set into place in the first flash back. The only real reason of the second flashback was to show the machine in action. At a bigger scale we see in the end as the space station does it things (which did look quite good for its time) and bomb it blows up.

In terms of box office numbers I have no clue. Taking in how this movie was done I bet it didn’t hold up very well in 1996. This is more of one of those rents on a Saturday night. In terms of DVD features. I’m sure there are some alright stuff. If your a Hellraiser fan then I’m sure this is already in your collection. If your looking for something to watch this month because it is Halloween then this is one I put on my list.

Overall I have to say for gore factor this movie gets a good 3.5. I would give it a 4 but seems there could have been more gore then there was. For story, characters I really have no comment and it does bring my score for Hellraiser: Bloodline way down, I have seen some really bad horror films and even the badly of them had a alright story and characters to care about which this one seem to just skip.

Overall rating: 2