This is a lot less schlocky than I expected. The demonic possession we see here, a small boy in Spain, brings unavoidable echoes of Linda Blair's Regan in the 1973 movie. The demon speaks in a guttural voice. The boy levitates and also hurls people across the room by pure mental power. Writing appears on his skin.
But despite the recycling there are many genuinely goose-bumpy moments. The boy (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) is believably desperate. Russell Crowe and his young sidekick (Daniel Zovatto) give measured performances, not too shouty. Franco Nero as the Pope is still a commanding screen presence at 81.
The last quarter of the film goes into CGI overdrive, bringing THE MUMMY remakes to mind, but even if the ground is a bit familiar, this is an exciting and entertaining way to revisit it.
But despite the recycling there are many genuinely goose-bumpy moments. The boy (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) is believably desperate. Russell Crowe and his young sidekick (Daniel Zovatto) give measured performances, not too shouty. Franco Nero as the Pope is still a commanding screen presence at 81.
The last quarter of the film goes into CGI overdrive, bringing THE MUMMY remakes to mind, but even if the ground is a bit familiar, this is an exciting and entertaining way to revisit it.