Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Siflutter It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Wuchak Released in 2000, "Bless the Child" is a thriller/horror that comes across as an inverted "The Omen" (1976) with elements of "End of Days" (1999). A little girl with awe-inspiring abilities is raised by her aunt, Maggie O'Connor (Kim Basinger), because her mother is a drug addict (Angela Bettis). The latter hooks up with a weird cult, led by the arrogant Eric Stark (Rufus Sewell), and they want the child for diabolical purposes.This is no low-budget production as it cost $40 million to make and was directed by Chuck Russell, who's known for a few fairly significant movies, like "Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors," the remake of "The Blob" and 1994's highly successful "The Mask." Despite this, "Bless the Child" strangely comes across as a Lifetime movie with a higher budget. In other words, it somehow lacks the sheen and pizazz of an expensive production, which explains the film's mediocre ratings.While I understand this criticism I was able to enter into the world of the characters and enjoy the movie. It's not technically as good as "The Omen" (and some would say that it's sacrilege to even compare them), but I personally prefer "Bless the Child" simply because I like the story, characters and themes better, despite the film's limitations.Concerning the cast: Kim Basinger was past her physical prime, but she still looks good and she's a likable and compassionate protagonist. Jimmy Smits co-stars as the detective on the case and he's effective, as always. Cutie Christina Ricci shines in a small role as a runaway who tries to help Maggie. They're all good, but it's Rufus Sewell who's most memorable as the leader of a cult that mixes elements of LaVeyian Satanism with Sciencefictionology.The CGI is a mixed bag, some of the effects are pretty good while some are barely serviceable, but you have to consider the age of the movie. Regardless, special effects are just icing on the cake; it's the story and characters that count and this is where "Bless the Child" is solid—nothing great or exceptionally good, but solid.The film runs 107 minutes and was shot in Toronto, Burlington and Sarnia, Ontario.GRADE: B or B-

culmo80 Let's be honest, Kim Basinger isn't the greatest actress out there and this film is just further proof.I liked the premise of this film and here are spoilers:There's a young girl born to Kim Basinger's sister who was born under the same star as Jesus. Kim's sister is a drug addict and promptly leaves the baby with Basinger. As time goes by, it becomes clear the girl is not quite normal. At first, its unclear whether she is evil or good, but that suspense is quickly dispelled as we see the girl bring a dead bird back to life and other acts. Well, it turns out there is a cult that worships Satan but poses as a self-help group. The leader of this group knows that anyone born under the aforementioned star is blessed with special gifts from God. He seeks to either turn the child or kill them, which he does to several children. At some point, Basinger's sister turns back up under the influence of the cult and they kidnap the girl, but Basinger gets the help of FBI Agent Jimmy Smits to help. There are some chase scenes and a few fight scenes and a final confrontation at an old church.The general plot line is decent, but some of the acting is terrible. Some of the dialogue is just dumb:Like when Basinger pulls a gun on the cult leader and says "I've never shot a gun before!" Why would she say that?Or when she goes to the police and says her (adopted) daughter has been kidnapped and the stereotypical uncaring police officer blandly says "calm down..." Really??Iam Holm is in this film, but don't blink because you'll miss him. He plays a wheelchair bound former priest who battles evil cults and tells Basinger about the cult. That's really the extent of his role.If they had made this movie without Basinger and really worked through the plot and took more time with it, this would have been a good film, but as it is...eh, you can find better.

Robert J. Maxwell Unbearable schlock. Kim Basinger adopts her sister's child, a little girl who turns out to be the Second Coming or something. Jimmy Smits is the FBI investigator called in on the case when the girl is kidnapped by Rufus Sewell and his gang of thugs. They run an outfit called The New Dawn. It poses as a self-help program but is really a Satanist church.It's all mechanically slapped together with multiple borrowings from "The Exorcist" and "Omen" and their devolved descendants.Everything is predictable except that which is completely arbitrary. Hordes of skinless rats come and go without explanation. Angels appear as fuzzy balls of white light. Gargoyles sometimes fill the sky. Sometimes not.The performances by some of the talent are okay. Basinger doesn't do badly, for instance. But nothing could save this piece of unspeakable crap. Rufus Sewell, as the Satanist-in-Chief, has these goggle eyes. He's so exopthalmic that the whites completely surround the irises. And if he blinks even once during the entire film, I must have missed it because I was blinking at the same time.It's not worth going on about. How do the kids put it? Oh, yes. "It sux."

Mr_Ectoplasma "Bless The Child" is a very nicely done supernatural/spiritual thriller that is vastly underrated and easily overlooked. Maggie O'Connor (Kim Basinger) is a single woman who was recently left by her husband. Then, on Christmas Eve, her estranged, drug-addicted sister, Jenna (Angela Bettis) shows up with a baby, and ends up disappearing, leaving Maggie to take care of the baby girl, named Cody. As Cody grows older, Maggie notices things about her - like how she seems to be hearing things nobody else can, and has magical healing powers. While a series of child slayings (all children born on a certain date, strangely enough) are occurring in the city, Jenna resurfaces out of the blue with a husband, Eric (Rufus Sewell), a leader of a cult-like religion, and the two demand Maggie to give Cody back to them. A mysterious girl with a connection to Eric and his cult of Devil-worshipping followers, Cheri (Christina Ricci) reveals more about their intentions to Maggie, but ends up murdered by the cult after she tries to leave. Now it's up to Maggie to stop the cult from initiating (or killing) Cody, in a battle of good versus evil.Very suspenseful and nicely written, "Bless The Child" is an interesting and refreshing take on a story that has been done many times before. Similar to "The Omen" in some ways, but also quite different, the story is a very interesting one at that, and kept my interest the entire way through. There are some genuinely suspenseful scenes and some really pulse-pounding moments that are brought out nicely and really get you on the edge of your seat (I am really big fan of supernatural thrillers of this type, so this film was really a treat). The plot itself starts off very well, and as the film progresses, becomes more and more interesting and involving. I liked the entire story and I thought it was very well written and not at all hard to follow. I was rooting for Basinger the entire time, just like was intended, and wasn't once bored at all with what was happening on screen.The acting isn't bad either. Kim Basinger leads the cast, and plays the heroine well. Jimmy Smitts is good in his supporting role as a detective trying to help Maggie, and Hollistan Coleman, playing the part of the young Cody, displays a very innocent and adorable character (she actually reminded me quite a lot of my niece). Rufus Sewell is very good at playing 'evil', and Angela Bettis (I've always liked her) is again excellent in her role as Maggie's sister. Christina Ricci (like her too) also has a semi-small role as a troubled girl who was involved with the religious cult, and even with what time she has on screen, is excellent. The characters are all brought to life and very well fleshed out, which is a major attribute to overall effect of the movie. Some of the CGI effects were a little unnecessary though, but I suppose it was the director's vision of bringing actual evil to life, could have been done in a better way though. The film's conclusion was kind of predictable, but it wasn't bad in the least and it fit with the rest of the movie.Bottom line - "Bless The Child" is an excellent supernatural thriller film that fulfilled all of my expectations, and had me on the edge of my seat. It's a very original (and interesting) take on a story that's been done many times before, and is ultimately rewarding in the end. Highly recommended for fans of thriller films, you won't be disappointed with it. 8/10.