Hellraiser: Judgement

Much better than I anticipated especially for a franchise that's been out since the 80s. I feel this new Hellraiser film breathed some new life into the franchise but it definitely did not break any new ground. If you're a Hellraiser fan it'll take care of your fix. Better put together film especially compared to the last few that came out. And it was shot in 16mm which gives it a nice raw gritty look which I enjoyed. Pinhead basically makes a glorified Cameo but they did introduce some interesting new characters.

Of the 5 previously released Direct to DVD sequels, this one is the best. Still not as good as the first 4 films. However, 'Judgement' takes us back to the roots of the franchise by embracing the gore and fantastical religious overtones that we fell in love with originally. In many ways this movie would be considered "Gore Porn" with excessive scenes attempting to be as disturbing as possible. To achieve this they used a lot of slow motion and extreme close ups. Along with the great make up, and practical visual effects. There are some obvious twists in the film, one of which does not work and goes against the core fantastical religious aspects. Also, I don't like the ending, but it does make sense. I'm just not a fan of how it ends. I was glad to see that we get more Pinhead than we have in the previous 5 sequels and Paul T. Taylor does is a very good Pinhead. Still not as good as Doug Bradley (he will always be the best). But, I would gladly watch future Hellraiser installments with Taylor as the iconic character. Overall, the cinematography was great, make up and visual effects were great. The story was good for the first 2/3, but fell apart in the end which was disappointing.

Its ok to a certain depth but not worth the Hellraiser passion that the originality of Clive Barker story demands. The original Pinhead....Hellpriest played by Doug Bradley holds all the stories more enthrall. To each unto their own but I enjoy the old hellraisers better and Doug is missed in the action