The Prophecy 3: The Ascent - 2000

Dimension Films

Directed by Patrick Lussier

Cast:

• Gabriel – Christopher Walken
• Zophael – Vincent Spano
• Danyael – Dave Buzzota
• Maggie – Kayren Butler
• Joseph – Steve Hytner
• Zealot – Brad Dourif
• Pyriel – Scott Cleverdon
• Mary – Moriah Shining Dove Snyder
• Madge – Sandra Ellis Lafferty

Story: The Nephalim is fully grown and preaching. Young Danyael, who was orphaned when Molotov cocktails were thrown through the window of his home, is preaching against God to the homeless and disenfranchised when a zealot in the crowd opens fire and shoots him. Gabriel, who is mortal, defends the young prophet, and takes steps to clear his path as he comes back from the dead. Maggie, his companion and mate, is disbelieving, but soon realizes Danyael is not merely a “talking monkey” like the rest of us. The rebellious angels, now led by Zophael, must prevent Danyael from defeating Pyriel, the angel who has been chosen to lead the human race into genocide. When Danyael travels to meet Pyriel, he meets Mary, the native American girl, who prophecies to him. As Gabriel travels to observe the battle, he stops in to the same roadside cafe as the first movie, and has a meeting with Madge, the waitress. In the end, Nephalim and Angel must battle for the future of mankind.

Review: This final chapter of the trilogy brings together all the unanswered questions of the first two films. Walken, Hytner, and, delightfully, Sandra Ellis Lafferty reprise their roles with amazing clarity. Walken is the mortal Gabriel who was cast to earth after the final scene in Prophecy 2, and he makes it apparent whose side he is on. By becoming one of the “talking monkeys”, he now understands the value of their existence and realizes he can no longer oppose God's plan. Dave Buzzota, in his premier performance, is intense and powerful as the Nephalim who soon discovers he has been “kicking against the pricks”. When his destiny is revealed, he throws himself into the role with such vehemence that you get caught up in his mission. The characters are consistent with the first two films, and the overall feel of the movie is enticing and thrilling. Rated R for violence, language, and some brief nudity, this is a good film for followers of modern horror and a must see for anyone who enjoyed the first two film. Collectible with the set, meaningless without the others.

The Prophecy II - 1998

Dimension Films, NEO Motion Pictures, Overseas FilmGroup

Directed by Greg Spence

Cast:

• Gabriel – Christopher Walken
• Valerie Rosales – Jennifer Beals
• Danyael – Russell Wong
• Izzy – Brittany Murphy
• Samayel – Glenn Danzig
• Joseph – Steve Hytner
• Michael - Eric Roberts

Story: Four years have passed and Lucifer is tired of Gabriel's presence in Hell and releases him to walk the earth again. Meanwhile, the angel Danyael has come to earth with a very specific mission, to create a Nephalim, a being born of a human female and an angel. Valerie Rosales, a nurse in a hospital, is driving her car when Danyael falls out of the sky in front of her. As he recovers in her hospital, they become close, and after several weeks he walks her home, and they make love. Within a week, she discovers she is pregnant. Nearly 4 months pregnant. Gabriel is on the move, wanting to eliminate the Nephalim as an abomination who might change the balance of heaven and earth and end the second war. He kills Samayel, and angel sent to watch over Valerie, and when the corpse is brought to the coroner's office, Joseph, the coroner who was a close friend of Thomas Dagget, recognizes who the body is and tries to warn Valerie about the angels and what is happening. Danyael must take Valerie to Michael, who guards the now polluted Eden with his angels, and Valerie must trust the voice of God to save her child.

Review: I'm not usually a big fan of sequels, but the continuity of story line and the introduction of some new characters keep this one fresh and intriguing. I was a little disappointed they could not get Elias Koteas back to reprise his role as Dagget, brief as that part is, but was pleasantly surprised to see Steve Hytner back in the role of Joseph, the coroner. Walken, of course, is consistent as the stars as Gabriel, and brings back a near corpse in the form of Brittany Murphy, who does a much better job in this film that others I have seen her in (In my opinion, the epitome of her career was in Uptown Girls, where she was totally upstaged by Dakota Fanning). Russell Wong is strong in his portrayal of Danyael, with the perfect balance of passion and aloofness. He cares for the human female, but realizes she is mortal, while the Nepahlim they create will not be. Jennifer Beals could have been a bit more passionate in the role, but her performance is passable and doesn't detract from the film's overall theme. Finally Eric Roberts does what he does best, let's his personality shine through, which is to say dispassionate, cold, and ambiguous. But that works here, and since the role is brief, does not detract from the plot or the action. Rated R for sexual situations, language, and graphic violence, this film is a worthy companion to the first, and if you own The Prophecy, this will make a nice addition. But as with all sequels, its a toss up. Definitely worth a viewing, but I suggest you rent it first before you buy a copy.