If you want to see what happens when you blend "Irreversible", "Soul Survivors", and "Memento" with "Hellraiser", then this is the movie for you. As a matter of fact, this movie is MUCH better than "Soul Survivors" and is sufficiently creepy and confusing that it should keep your interest.
I, for one, don't mind the fact that Pinhead and the Cenobites rarely make an appearance. Keep in mind that the Cenobites were not the centerpiece of Barker's "The Hellbound Heart", the novella on which the original "hellraiser" was based. In fact, the DVD commentaries for "Hellraiser II: Hellbound" emphasize that Barker envisioned Julia as the main character in future entries in the series. I think that the roles played by the Cenobites in the most recent movies are much truer to the original intent than the over-the-top Cenobites of "Hellraiser III".
The special effects are above average and put some much more expensive films to shame. We also get one of the most realistic corpses I believe I have ever seen. (Unfortunately, CSI has taken the edge off of this and Hollywood has become much more proficient at showing death in a realistic manner.)
I actually have only one major problem with this movie...
****SPOILER!!****
Towards the end of the movie, a detective "grows" a second head to demonstrate his split personality. The effect is cheap and very silly. It is more appropriate to "Men in Black II".
****END OF SPOILER****
So, if you have an afternoon free, try it out. It's not "the Seventh Seal", but it's the best "Hellraiser" in a long time.
I, for one, don't mind the fact that Pinhead and the Cenobites rarely make an appearance. Keep in mind that the Cenobites were not the centerpiece of Barker's "The Hellbound Heart", the novella on which the original "hellraiser" was based. In fact, the DVD commentaries for "Hellraiser II: Hellbound" emphasize that Barker envisioned Julia as the main character in future entries in the series. I think that the roles played by the Cenobites in the most recent movies are much truer to the original intent than the over-the-top Cenobites of "Hellraiser III".
The special effects are above average and put some much more expensive films to shame. We also get one of the most realistic corpses I believe I have ever seen. (Unfortunately, CSI has taken the edge off of this and Hollywood has become much more proficient at showing death in a realistic manner.)
I actually have only one major problem with this movie...
****SPOILER!!****
Towards the end of the movie, a detective "grows" a second head to demonstrate his split personality. The effect is cheap and very silly. It is more appropriate to "Men in Black II".
****END OF SPOILER****
So, if you have an afternoon free, try it out. It's not "the Seventh Seal", but it's the best "Hellraiser" in a long time.