Retrospect: DAMIEN: THE OMEN II (1978)

Having watched this film more times than I probably should have as a child DAMIEN: THE OMEN II is a product of its time. Following several years after the first film, this film takes place during Damien's teenage years at a military academy. Damien now spends most of his time with his Uncle Richard Thorn (William Holden) and Aunt Ann (Lee Grant). Damien is best friend to his cousin Mark whom also goes to the same school that he does. As Damien (Jonathon Scott-Taylor) becomes aware of his powers and his destiny through the people around him that wish to protect him, he becomes more focused on ridding himself of the people that pose a threat to him.

At school, Damien's gifts begin to show themselves at which point Sergeant Neff (Lance Henriksen) informs him of his place and how he must not draw attention to himself or his enemies will become aware of his presence. After Damien kills his cousin Mark who learns the truth about him, Richard begins to suspect that maybe his brother Robert (Damien's father) may not have been crazy when he tried to kill Damien as a child.

Richard sets out to discover the truth about his brother and the real nature of his adopted nephew Damien. What he discovers will test his strength not only as a human being but as a father and a religious man as well. He soon finds himself on the same tragic trajectory that his brother was on.

The problem with this film - having seen it many times in my youth and most recently before writing this, is that it follows the set up and plot of the original film too closely without truly going out of its way to present a gripping and altogether different film than the first. What is does do well is take into account the period in which it was made. Coming only two years after its predecessor and towards the end of the '70s there is more gore and violence in this film then in any of the films in the series, which is one of the reasons why it remains a popular film in the franchise.