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Just what I expected

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Good concept, poorly executed.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

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-

The book which was very long and detailed and offered explanations for things and really put a great story behind the events happening. I had hopes for the movie but sadly it failed on a big level.If you read the book then watched the movie you will be disappointed that so many interesting details are left out and that some things are not accurate.If you have not read the book but watched the movie, you will still be disappointed because you will find the lack of explanation for what's really going on and why confusing.I recommend just reading the book. Its so much better and you won't be able to put it down.This movie is just a huge mess.

Bless The Child is an excruciating experience, to go through. There is no suspense to be found, and the actors are often slumming it, and to be honest I didn't blame them. Bless The Child often feels like a straight to video production, featuring an A-list cast. Kim Bassinger can be a credible actress, but here she is overwhelmed with crappy material. Are we really supposed to believe That Basinger's fatal gunshot wound in the end, can be healed by an angel, just like that?. I believe in god, but that was too far fetched for my liking. It's also very slow for the most part, I often found myself having trouble, paying attention to the silly plot. Bless The Child was a movie, I avoided for years, due to all the bad reviews, but I needed something to rent, so I thought why not?. I also found the kid abuse to be extremely unpleasant. Dangling a kid off a high roof, is supposed to be invigorating?. Bless The Child is one of the worst Horror/Thriller's i've seen in recent memory.Performances. Kim Bassinger is OK, but often looked bad, due to the terrible script. Her character doesn't give us enough information, nor does it have enough development, to make us care. For her age, she certainly looks good, though. Christina Ricci gets 1st rate billing, but is barely in the film. Jimmy Smits is OK as the cop, but has done this part, before. Holliston Coleman is the best actor in the film, and that's pretty bad. For her age, she gives a remarkably steady performance, I was quite impressed. Rufus Sewell gives an amusingly hammy Satan worshiping, performance. Angela Bettis is OK as Jenna, but overdid it in some scenes. She did good in looking strung out, though. Bottom line. This movie certainly needed some blessing, because I was bored senseless with this movie. It's as bad as you've heard, believe me. Not recommended, there are much better films of it's type out there.1/10

The devil resides in New York City and from the moment this film begins, we see exactly where this film is going. As the opening credits roll, its wonderful atmospheric start with its close-up night time shots of New York's gargoyles brings back memories of the great vampire movie Queen of the Damned (2002) and its visual introduction to its narrative.With the arrival of The Star of Yacov, better known as The Christmas Star, once more in some two thousand years, we see childless Maggie O'Connor (Kim Basinger) taking on her younger sisters new born baby Cody, as Cody is dumped on her door step, this elder sister, this wise mature woman and now surrogate mother takes on full responsibility. Myth has it too that Saint Margaret the Virgin is known to be the Patron Saint of Pregnancy, and who, as legend would have it, was brought up by a nurse after her father disowned her, and having once met with the devil, with him in the form of a dragon. Irony and coincidence perhaps for both, considering her name being Maggie and her inability to have children and baby Cody's circumstance.Dealing with this child and her seemingly autistic state, autism being a condition that is caused by a disorder that prevents the brain developing properly, this in turn can impair interaction both socially and emotionally. It isn't until she reaches six years of age that Maggie's worries slowly turn into fears of what exactly is wrong with this exceptional child. There are more than just physical and mental states at play here that are more than concerning and enlightening. Maggie's doubts and fears are soon to be tested, to and far beyond the boundaries of human restraint.Bless the Child uses fables and myth to bring old legends to contemporary settings. With the killing of the innocent children to flush out the Prophecy, the way in which we see this being done is very subtle and coaxing, if a little disturbing, bringing an uncomfortable reality that something sinister, something malevolent, something lurking in the shadows and something extremely evil is all to ready to pounce. Here lies the winning formula, the evil that we see is not so much dark forces of the underworld, but be warned, they exist here too, it is more the evil of man and his willingness to be lead and be controlled by them. Man against man, sin against morality and the age-old battle of Light against the Darkness. We see Eric Stark and his followers taking parallel lines in the similar vain as the real life Satan and occult master Aleister "The Beast" Crowley (1875 - 1947), founder of The Golden Dawn, and once labelled "The Wickedest Man in the World". With Eric Stark renaming his cult The New Dawn Foundation, it is he who most certainly carries this trade of old evils and new Beasts to a tee. English born Rufus Sewell plays Stark with convincing zeal, with both phoney exterior compassion and charm to literally devil-may-care cold indifference, intermingling both persona's well enough to know that we are dealing with more than just the basic human traits that we see, hear and deal with in life. Evil, as it seems holds no bounds.Kim Basinger and Holliston Coleman (born 1992) bond very well, and a great performance as surrogate mother, she plays her role with devotion and with an honest and convincing feel. With just three years after winning her Best Actress in a Supporting Role for L.A. Confidential, this isn't Ms. Basinger going down a peg but raising the stakes in this thriller horror movie genre. Her integrity is most certainly kept in tact, and this is with the assistance of one Chuck Russell, director of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), The Blob (1988), The Mask (1994) and The Scorpion King (2002). A fine team they make, and as with the gelling of the two leading ladies, it is his fine work in crafting young Holliston Coleman to a standard of high-end child acting. Expect to see more of this young girl. Especially, if she were to take the good advice from the ever professional and independently versatile actress Christina Ricci as the heroin addict Cheri Post, which is always a pleasure to see her working.Bless the child also has its own parallels too, and lends itself to the likes of The Omen (1976), The Exorcist (1973) and the 1968 Roman Polanski film Rosemary's Baby, where we see children as axis of evils', Bless the Child sees the innocence and purity that is The Child; untainted and undemanding. Thus bearing the special gift of Life and the blessing of Divinity, sometimes disturbing, but slight, and at times touching, but never over demanding and horrific, which sets this movie of as being different and a little unique.With moderate violence and with the help of a little CGI, a script that fights its own ground when in the amphitheatres of right and wrong, excellent and well cast, we can then be assured that Bless the Child most certainly has not been cursed.