Customer Reviews

Prophecy 3: Ascent [VHS]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Unlike most films which carry the number 3 in it, The Prophecy III proves to be the most energetic and satisfying film in the trilogy. I can't say enough good things about it. The story while drawing from the previous films still brings the story to a close with it's own ideas and new directions for old characters. The best thing about Prophecy III is that it never does what you'd expect. Christopher Walken returns to the story once again as Gabriel the former angel of death now humble wandering human. The filmmakers have taken great care in recreating Gabriel while still having him be familiar too us. Still speaking in that menacing tone of his and piercing us with those eyes that see more than what is there. The movie somewhat mirrors T2. The villain is now the protector. Which I loved. The story revolves around The half angel half human neraphim of Prophecy II who is plagued by visions and compelled to stop the angel of genocide Pyriel. Enter Zophael, an assasin angel sent to Earth to destroy the neraphim Danyael. As before there are protectors. In this case it is the coroner from the previous two films who is tired of examining bodies with no eyes, the girlfriend who is taken hostage by Zophael as Gabriel had taken human slaves in the previous films, and finally Gabriel himself who does not have the lead role in this movie but shows up to deliver very compelling dialogue and give great foreshadowing for things to come. The story is in full drive for the whole movie. A surprising cameo in the end and a somewhat recreation of a scene from The Prophecy will have you rolling if you are a fan of the films. If the movie suffers from anything it is that all three films are well..the same. An angel chasing after a human to further the war in heaven. Human slaves are always taken by the angel in order to defeat the human who is always helped by another human. But despite that, Prophecy III has the same darkness of the original and a striking and subtle music score. This is not a film for first time Prophecy viewers. Go through the first two and if you like them then The Prophecy III will have you believing in The Word and that not all sequels to sequels bite.

I liked this one best out of all three. Christopher Walken as Gabriel was at his best. I liked Gabriel in the other two, I loved him here. The premise behind the story was a bit cliche, but its delivery was incredible! The action scenes were also much better, "borrowing from "The Matrix," but then again, who doesn't these days." They were much more what one might expect from angels.

While delivering on the action and gore started in the first two movies, this one leaves you actually thinking. This is what sets this movie apart from all the others of its genre.

Some people have commented that the questions left at the end might indicate a sequel.

The questions this movie leaves you with can't be answered by a sequel. They're answered in this movie, but you half to look for them. (That may be a problem for some.) If being left thinking bothers you, don't watch this movie. For the rest of you, this movie delivers on the questions raised in the other movies about Angels, The Word, and God in general. This movie was the perfect conclusion to the trilogy.

"Get used to it!"

While not coming to nearly the heights of the first Prophesy, it does advance the story in an interesting fashion. We join the adult child of Jennifer Beil's character from the second film Danyael as he is about 18. He is being hunted by one angel and followed by the human Gabriel. Gabriel has seemed to softened on his stance towards the human race, now opposing the angels with which he once stood. His time on earth has seemed to allow him to recognize his place with God and man. Walken has made his [resence more humorous in this third installment and less menacing. But it's still a solid Walken performance. The film seems bring everything to a close, revealing the mastermind behind the war in heaven. And it is Danyael's job to confront him. Brad Dourif is briefly in the film as one of his off kilter characters. Over all, it's an interesting end to the storyline and it brings closure to the various characters we have been introduced to. Not as high quality as the first, but a decent closer.

Prophecy 3 is a much more worthy sequel to Prophecy than # 2 was, and it adds the charm of bringing back familiar characters from the original story. It makes up for that charm with a convoluted story that is a bit difficult to grasp, and will have you checking which side you're on from moment to moment. The new kinder/gentler Gabriel is no longer the mankind-hating angel he once was (aawww... still you gotta love Christopher Walken: like the scene when he's driving and disgustedly switches off "Earth Angel" on the radio). We are given some idea that God's successor, Pyrael, is about to ascend to God's throne and he plans on starting things fresh with an instant genocide of mankind. The Gabriel of old would've welcomed this since this would herald a new era in heaven I guess, but now that Gabriel's learned to drive and gotten a bit more in touch with humanity he's not as down on "the monkeys" as he used to be. Enter newly-dead-again angel Danyael, who Gabriel has been guiding towards some cloudy destiny for eons that even Gabriel claims not to know. And the match is set: will Danyael stop Pyrael from becoming God ? That's the story, take an educated guess as to how it all ends. Ok, it's a tiny bit deeper than that... figuring out the simplistic storyline with the scant provided dialogue took the most effort here. And how many movies can claim that they are a good vs. good story anyway ? You just can't top the original Prophecy but at least we've been treated to another cool extension of the Gabriel/Christopher Walkin character (could've used more Gabriel scenes, like everyone says), which was worth the price of the movie for me. And the concept of a "new God" as a new threat character is a great addition to the old "God vs. Satin" battle of old. The slip cover says this is the "final chapter" of the Prophecy series... aawww. No more direct-to-video releases ? Too bad, maybe someone will carry on with a book series. Speaking of which, I'd like a copy of the angel catalog that everyone refers to in this film. Gotta give Prophecy 3 a passing grade for the effort. Nothing can touch the original and the lame ending will have you going "so ?", but for Gabriel/Walkin fans, 3 is a keeper.

Prophecy and Prophecy II were both terrific films - Prophecy was filled with interesting touches that made the angels seem real, and Prophecy II swiped entire storylines from Terminator and The Crow and made them hugely entertaining (tremendous credit to Chris Walken as Gabriel). Prophecy 3 on the other hand is impossible to enjoy because there is no perceptible evolution of the characters. We know nothing about our teenage hero except that he is the nephilem conceived in II. Technically, his character does evolve, but since we never knew him before it is not really perceptable - the first and worst failure of the storyline. Several other characters are introduced, none of whom can be related to any better, they are so thinly drawn. As for the villain, Zophael is supposed to be an evil angel out to kill the teenage hero, but he looks more like he'd be on a mission to find some mousse and a good blow dryer. He falls flat. So much for the characters - can the story make up for their lack? Nope. Another God is about to show up and wipe the earth clean. It is not entirely clear why this other God was waiting around for a showdown with the hero. But he was. Before I condemn this film I want to add that Chris Walken returns, and is in the film a good amount, adding some cheer (I'm serious). But he is wasted in a film that has no central character, and doesn't define the characters it does have well enough to care about them. Throw in a random showdown, and you have a pathetic sequel to a great film series. Stick with I and II.

After the "The Prophecy 2" there was a 3 year gap before the release of what at the time was going to be the final movie in the 'Prophecy' series, to serve as a bookend for a trilogy. However, in 2005 'The Prophecy' series returned, but that's for another time and another review.

"The Prophecy 3: The Ascent" picks up around 16-18 years after the events of "The Prophecy 2". A new dark angel named Pyriel, not satisfied with simply blocking humans from entering into Heaven decides to attempt to eradicate all humans. To do this he has sent one of his followers to kill the Nephilim(a child born of a human and an angel), named Danyael. Danyael is not aware of his destiny to be mankind's salvation from annihilation and opening up the gates of Heaven, and is gunned down before he can fully realize his potential. However, Danyael is no mere mortal, as his self-appointed secret bodyguard, the fallen angel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) had figured out years ago when he attempted to kill him before he was out of the womb. Gabriel, who is now human after the events of "The Prophecy 2", discovers that Danyael has been resurrected and takes it upon himself to guide the boy in embracing his destiny to fight Pyriel and save humanity.

This 3rd installment in the franchise was a great sequel and at the time a very satisfying ending to 'The Prophecy' saga. It brought everything full circle, and was a great story of destiny and repentance. Great fight sequences, the best in the series to date. Top-notch acting and writing, rarities in direct-to-DVD releases, made this series the best religious/sci-fi thrillers ever made. The entire series is a must see.

"The Prophecy 3: The Ascent" is rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity.

This is the last chapter in the saga of the second war in heaven. Being a huge fan of the first film, I was a little let down with #2 (there was a scene deleted with a flying winged angel) and #3 started to leave me cold, until the last half-hour or so. The plot should have been much, much better. It was great to cameos from "Madge" & "Mary". Not nearly enough Walken for me, but his performance is worth viewing this. Like #2, this would have been a bit more interesting with more visions of the angelic battle. As to purchasing it, well... maybe a completist would.

Now how about someone making a movie of "To Reign In Hell" by Steven Brust?

Christopher Walken has done it again. Gabriel has returned to the screen, and now we are introduced to a more human and amiable Angel of Death. The film itself is somewhat of a repeat of Prophecy I, but not annoyingly so. Walken injects memorable humor into his role, and some of his lines are hysterically unforgettable. This film proves that the third in a series does not always mean certain death. I highly recommend!

Disappointing! I was going to add it to my DVD collection when I first spotted it because I loved 1 and 2, but after having watched it... very glad I didn't. It's like they threw in a sequel because 2 ended like there HAD to be a sequel... but they didn't give any thought to it! If you haven't seen the first two movies in this trilogy, you'll find yourself lost... or at least left wondering, "What's the big deal?" The story (not much there) cannot stand on its own. Very bad character development... about as much depth as wallpaper. You couldn't care less about them. For example, Danyael's girl friend... what role was she exactly supposed to play other than the "monkey" driving Zophael in the one lame car chase in the movie? I trust she's supposed to represent Danyael's vulnerable, "human" connection in the middle of all the heavenly hoopla but the writers totally failed to accomplish it. And as any good writer knows, if the characters don't work, the story and theme won't be enough to involve your audience. So, you can't even blame the acting because the actors really had nothing to work with. The only good thing about it is Christopher Walken's Gabriel, who added some comic relief but, again, even that would be lost on someone who's being introduced to this trilogy for the first time. He's a fantastic actor... but it's not enough to save the whole movie. For me, it held none of the awe and wonder that a movie like this should inspire. ANY movie that promises God, angels and all-of-creation-in-peril kind of things should move you in a big way. The Prophecy 3 could definitely have been done better. Can they PLEASE do a re-make! So, see it if you're a die hard fan of 1 and 2, buy it even, but it's not going on my shelf.

I'm speaking of the 3 movies I've seen in this series of movies, Christopher Walken is one of the best actors I have seen and this roll is his apex in my mind, totally funny + he gets weirder as the movies go along, the writers know what they are doing + christopher playes it perfectly + adds his amazing performance in a perfect roll for him. Top Rate!