short takes (2)

Let's hope The Final conflict is, indeed, final. "The Omen" was an effective thriller, but the series has gone downhill ever since, and this installment is the weakest entry in the trilogy. The devilish (literally) main character is now the American ambassador to Britain, and busily engineering the end of the world, which is averted in the weirdest Hollywood climax of the year. Among the many failings of this idiotic film are its superstitious theology, its nasty violenc e, and its inability to generate a single memorable image or plot twist. Enough of this series!