Bless the Child

Details

Maggie O'Connor is a single woman and career nurse. That is all set to change when her sister Jenna, whom she has not seen for many years, makes a surprise appearance with her newborn baby girl, Cody. However, the visit is not the reunion she expected and she is left with the baby. With her sister gone, she raises the child as her own but soon discovers that Cody is autistic.

A number of years later, Jenna, along with mysterious cult leader Eric Stark, returns for Cody just as she is starting to exhibit strange and supernatural powers. With Cody taken from her, Maggie meets an FBI agent who specialises in occult-related crimes. He is in the process of investigating a number of child murders in the area, and Eric Stark is a prime suspect.

Picture & Sound

The daytime picture is bright and colourful, albeit a little washed out, whilst it is particularly impressive during the darker scenes where the bit-rate increases, resulting in a sharp image without any artefacting. However, it is the picture's clarity which proves to be its downfall, as it highlights some rather ludicrous special effects. The CGI demon effects are so blatant that they are laughable and make the film very hard to take seriously.

The sound is only average, with very little use of the surround channels. There were many times I expected the action to appear in the rear channels and kept having to check that I'd actually turned on the surround speakers. However, on the plus side, the dialogue is clear and easily audible in the centre channel and, when called for, the musical score is used effectively in the rear channels.

Menu & Extras

Although there is a fair amount of extras, the menu is still completely static and rather boring. However, Universal are finally starting to learn when it comes to supplementary material - although you could be cynical and claim that the disc has been padded out to bolster a below-par film.

Another downer is the acting, which is rather poor from Kim Basinger and Holliston Coleman and is neither scary nor dramatic - especially when compared with the genuinely chilling performance from Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense.

Overall

While the film attempts to blend religious prophecy, supernatural horror and investigative thriller elements, it never fully commits to any one direction. There are moments of intrigue and atmosphere, particularly in the early stages, but the uneven pacing, unconvincing effects and flat performances prevent it from building genuine tension.

In an era crowded with similar end-of-millennium occult thrillers, it ultimately feels derivative rather than inspired. Although the battle between good and evil is clearly defined, the execution lacks the subtlety and emotional weight needed to make it truly compelling.

Special features

• Theatrical Trailer
• Original TV Spots
• Exclusive Cast and Crew Interviews
• Commentary by Director Chuck Russell and Visual Effects Supervisor Joel Hynek