Hellraiser - Hellworld
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Movie Reviews of Hellraiser - Hellworld
Movie Review: Different but entertaining
Summary: 4 Stars
Hellraiser:Hellworld takes another plot twist with the Hellraiser series, which started in Inferno. This movie is more of a slasher flick which all of the other Hellraiser's are not. The plot still has the twists and such as the previous direct to video releases. The best thing about this Hellraiser is that Pinhead is seen more in this film then all the other direct to video releases. Plus there are plenty of Ceneobites, including my personal fav(other then Pinhead)Chatterer. There is more gore in this Hellraiser then the most recent in the series, Hellraiser:Deader. For all of you Raiser fans out there that wanted to see more Pinhead again here is your chance, go rent this movie right away.Movie Review: Wasn't as bad as you might think!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Even with every new sequal of the "HELLRAISER" series you see less and less of pinhead.
I thought this one was different and creative compared to the 2 or 3 movies before it.
But always keep in mind this series was at its best when CLIVE BAKER was in control of it!!
I rate this movie a 7 from 1to10!!
Movie Review: A decent slasher film, but a disappointing Hellraiser film
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a tough one. Hellraiser: Hellworld is a Hellraiser movie, but it's not really a Hellraiser movie, except that it sort of is. You know something's just not right when Pinhead shows up and just lops off a dude's head without uttering a single one of his gleefully evil aphorisms, not even a quick "Time to play." The Cenobites are all about the sweet pleasure of pain, the beautiful anguish of suffering, the exquisite knowledge that comes with the most intimate exploration of the flesh - but Hellraiser: Hellworld is about death - pure and simple death. And let's face it - there's just no fun in that. Basically, this is a slasher film - until the end, when the filmmakers sort of make a mess of things by redefining the nature of everything we have just seen. It doesn't really work, and - despite a last-minute palliative - sort of leaves a bad taste in the mouth of us Cenobite fanatics. Clearly, the Hellraiser series has lost its focus.
It's not exactly original, but I like the basic storyline. Imagine that there is an addictive, online game called Hellworld, and it's based on the Cenobites we know and love, the puzzle box, etc. A group of friends - who lost one of their other friends two years ago when his obsession with the game consumed him - can't resist the temptation when they win a ticket to a private Hellworld party. Their host is a wonderfully creepy fellow played by Lance Henriksen, who adds a much-needed sense of menace to events as they unfold. After a gnarly tour of the place, the friends wander off to themselves and explore the big Leviathan House - and you know what happens to horror film characters who wander off on their own. The deaths aren't all that satisfying, though, as that's all they are - deaths, messy but much too quick. Eventually, we're left with two characters (one of whom, fortunately, is the film's designated hot chick) who try to figure out what exactly is going on and just try to survive. Then comes the ending, when everything is thrown on its ear, some justification for Pinhead's odd behavior is offered, and a final attempt to appease Hellraiser fans falls a little flat.
You don't need to have seen all of the sequels to understand what is going on here - as long as you have a basic understanding of the Cenobites, you're good to go. As a slasher film, Hellraiser: Hellworld isn't all that bad and does feature a decent amount of blood and gore. As a Hellraiser film, though, this is just a real oddity. It doesn't exactly hurt the series all that much, but it certainly does nothing to enhance and build upon the Hellraiser legacy.
Movie Review: "It's like I've died and gone to Hell!" (2.5 stars)
Summary: 3 Stars
Throughout the years we've seen the face of the "Hellraiser" series, Pinhead, go through many personality changes and strange journeys. Whether he was kept in the shadows or presented as a Freddy Krueger-type who enjoys his job just a little too much, it's safe to say that there's never been much consistency with the character. Likewise, we've seen him thrust into deep space and slum in a cheesy night club as well. It's safe to say at this point that "Hellraiser" fans have come to expect this series to try just about anything. True to form, this eighth outing pegs Pinhead as an internet phenomenon and host to a wild and crazy party. Sure, why not. "Hellraiser: Hellworld" it is.
Doug Bradley returns -- yet again -- as Pinhead and slashes his way through an assortment of b-grade college kids. This time his playground is the large house of a mysterious and wealthy man, played by Lance Henriksen. It doesn't take long before the lame-brained characters fall victim to their own devices, and as the plot twists and turns towards its nonsensical ending, we wish them a quick and speedy death. Director Rick Bota dishes up his third serving of "Hellraiser" and it's safe to say at this point that he knows the game well enough. In spite of a silly and dated script, Bota delivers with a film that at least looks good and boasts some surprisingly solid special effects. Sure, the characters are terrible (ranging from bland to grating) and Henriksen is obviously in auto-pilot mode throughout, but there's a sort of cheap charm that works in the film's favor. At the end of the day, you feel dumber having watched the film, but at least you got some cheap and cheesy b-horror amusement out of a cash-in flick with the "Hellraiser" name slapped on it.
In all honesty, "Hellraiser: Hellworld" is hardly the worst thing to happen to the "Hellraiser" series. Truth be told, this franchise was sent to Hell many a sequel ago. Who could blame the Weinsteins for cashing in? At least on some level, this chapter delivers cheap entertainment that can be enjoyed on some level. Whether that level be of the heavily intoxicated or not is left up to you, the potential viewer. Expect something on par with the 1987 classic and prepare for disappointment; lower your standards a bit and revel in some cheap entertainment you might.
Movie Review: Pinhead Goes Digital
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the eighth Hellraiser entry. I love this series, but it's not always "good." I think the films are fun, but I wouldn't recommend them to most people unless they're a fan of, say, Evil Dead or Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn. These are graphic, bloody films (but no more so than the Hostel films or most Friday the 13th entries). But that's part of the fun of slasher/monster films.
So it should come as no surprise this entry is entirely unoriginal. Using Lance Henriksen to draw fans of Aliens in a dwindling horror series? Been there (see - actually, don't see - Pumpkinhead 4: Blood Feud, Screamers: The Hunting, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, Scream 3, etc.). The tag line, "Evil goes online?" Been there (the cover is an almost direct copy of The Matrix including colors and just alters The Matrix tag line, "The future will not be user friendly"). A website that can kill you? Been there (feardotcom, Halloween: Resurrection, Pulse, etc.). A giant party promoting debauchery by some stranger? Been there (An American Werewolf in Paris, From Duck 'Till Dawn, etc.).
So what DOES Hellraiser: Hellworld offer? Doug Bradley and Henriksen in reliably strong performances and actually challenge the heroes for screen time, which is a nice change in this series. Hellworld also offers far more intentional humor than the usual dread-drenched or unintentionally funny Hellraiser entry. I thought the film was enjoyable and fun, but as a bad film.
This film is certainly not well-made with questionable special effects, a nonsensical script, horrid acting often lacking any emotion, boring and stagnant cinematography lacking any creativity, and even sometimes predictable death scenes. But I liked it, even though I could admire nothing about it.