Bram Stoker’s Shadowbuilder (1998)
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Father Jacob Vassey is having some definite changes of heart regarding his faith in God. It isn’t getting weaker, it is getting stronger and that is what scares him. He breaks in on a cult ritual where the group is trying to resurrect a demon, using possessions of a young boy (Christopher). Jacob is a bit late as the demon escapes his grasp although Jacob successfully kills all the members. But it turns out that the leader is none other than Father Quinlan whom Jacob has been tracking. Jacob now must find the boy, seeking to protect him from whatever Jacob has yet to find out. Once in the town of Grand River, he finds that the man who helped resurrect the demon was the father of the child. The wife died years back and it turns out that when Christopher was born, at his
baptism he showed signs of the Stigmata - a definite leg up in eventually
becoming a saint. The demon, Shadowbuilder, must take the boy’s life so it can make its way to Hell and destroy the world, via the eclipse that is only a day away. It seems like only Jacob can save the world, but Christopher is stronger than anyone thinks - only questions is, which side will he choose?
Overall: Somewhat decent film which essentially takes its origins from “The Prophecy.” Michael Rooker is easily very good as Father Jacob - although his career has really gone downhill since “JFK.” The film features fairly good graphics at times and very cheezy ones too. As for Bram Stoker's story, this film is "loosely" based on it. Outside of a few names, the title and the credit to a famous author, they're different altogether. Stick with the film. Comparison: The Prophecy meets The Exorcist |
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