(2002)

review by:

1-10-04

Written by: John Benjamin Martin Directed by: Chris Angel Starring: Michael Trucco, Tara Spencer-Nairn, Jason Thompson, John Novak

Our ol' friend the Djinn is up to his old tricks again, preying on yet another young woman to coerce her into making three wishes. This time around though, the third wish is actually made (gasp!), but the catch is that it's one that only she can grant (all their limitless power, and yet a Djinn can't make a person fall in love--go figure). It's a lot of wining, dining, and dying in this fourth installment of a franchise that has us wondering: just what does he use those tentacles on his head for? I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself, but apparently a sandwich does stand a chance at a hobo convention (see my review of Wishmaster 3). Based on how bad the previous movie was, I had absolutely no good expectations for this film whatsoever, but as a fan, I decided to see the series through to the bitter end. To my pleasant surprise, my loyalty was rewarded with a rather decent movie that, while still not as good as the first two, at least washed down the foul taste of the third. Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled (or just Wishmaster 4) manages to fix almost all of the problems that plagued its predecessor. Writing, directing, and acting are all greatly improved. The plot is still predictable, but no one watches the umpteen- millionth installment of a horror franchise for its story innovation. I really wish though that they would have left that lame archangel thing out this time around. Just about the only purpose his character seemed to serve was to provide an excuse for a poorly- choreographed sword fight. Near the end, we actually get to see the rest of the race of Djinn that had been alluded to in the other three. Why they're all gross and deformed, ahem, grosser and more deformed than the main Djinn is anybody's guess (they must live in the same hell as Pinhead). This film also scores points abroad for having the earliest appearance of breasts in a movie (literally within the first 30 seconds), and those being of the main heroine as well, something rarely seen in a horror movie (despite that there are many others in their place). Does Wishmaster 4 save the franchise from disgrace? Yes. Enough for it to continue? I sure hope not. We've seen it all now; there's nothing left for it to offer. Now, it must crawl back into the shadows from whence it came, lest we be left with another New Nightmare or Jason X. Such train wrecks should be left solely for the Tremors and Leprechaun series. But knowing the track record of horror flicks, I'm sure we'll all meet again for the review of Wishmaster 5: Djinns in Space.

AKA: Can't Fry Me Love

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