I'm reviewing this movie as a standalone movie, independent of its precursors or its director's career.
An excavation near a cemetery yields a coffin and an urn sealed with crosses and marked with ancient letters. The priest takes the urn and sends it to a university so the anthropologist there can take a look at it. Instead, the assistants, one of them played by Asia Argento, open it. Inside are 3 figures, a dagger, and a tunic- supposedly a talisman of some sorts. While playing with the dagger one them cuts herself and blood drips on the urn. While Argento leaves the room, a monkey and 3 dark creatures appear and disembowel the other woman and take the urn and the contents.
The tunic is placed on the Mother of Tears and that brings about chaos, violence, and destruction in Rome. While Rome is in flames, Argento, who now is a suspect in the other woman's death, goes to her significant other who is the anthropologist at the university. His son has been kidnapped- a kidnapping that may be related the the urn? While he goes in search for his kid, Argento is being followed by some annoying group of witches, who look like 80s punks. The police are also on her trail. But she discovers that she has powers. A voice guides her to making use of those powers.
Argento gets in touch with a priest and an alchemist/architect who reveal to her what is going on. The tunic has reawakened the Mother of Tears, the most powerful and terrifying witch that is almost indestructible. Argento finds out that she herself is the daughter of a white witch and her mother stars appearing to her. Her mission now is to destroy the evil witch. In the meantime, the witch has her acolytes kill one buy one those who help Argento, and she kills in the most gruesome ways.
This is an excellent horror movie overall. The movie looks good, it has great sets, attractive women, a story!, gory violence. It is a good old fashioned Italian horror movie. Something different from the usual American slasher/serial killer movies and the French ultra bloody avenging-girl theme. Here you have witches, ghosts, spirits- the supernatural element is refreshing these days when horror movies are all about realistic horror.
That is not to say it doesn't have shortcomings. Argento is an excellent actress but not very sympathetic. The Mother of Tears doesn't get enough screen time as the main villain. The CGI effects could look better or better, replaced by non-CGI effects.
Still, it's highly recommended.
An excavation near a cemetery yields a coffin and an urn sealed with crosses and marked with ancient letters. The priest takes the urn and sends it to a university so the anthropologist there can take a look at it. Instead, the assistants, one of them played by Asia Argento, open it. Inside are 3 figures, a dagger, and a tunic- supposedly a talisman of some sorts. While playing with the dagger one them cuts herself and blood drips on the urn. While Argento leaves the room, a monkey and 3 dark creatures appear and disembowel the other woman and take the urn and the contents.
The tunic is placed on the Mother of Tears and that brings about chaos, violence, and destruction in Rome. While Rome is in flames, Argento, who now is a suspect in the other woman's death, goes to her significant other who is the anthropologist at the university. His son has been kidnapped- a kidnapping that may be related the the urn? While he goes in search for his kid, Argento is being followed by some annoying group of witches, who look like 80s punks. The police are also on her trail. But she discovers that she has powers. A voice guides her to making use of those powers.
Argento gets in touch with a priest and an alchemist/architect who reveal to her what is going on. The tunic has reawakened the Mother of Tears, the most powerful and terrifying witch that is almost indestructible. Argento finds out that she herself is the daughter of a white witch and her mother stars appearing to her. Her mission now is to destroy the evil witch. In the meantime, the witch has her acolytes kill one buy one those who help Argento, and she kills in the most gruesome ways.
This is an excellent horror movie overall. The movie looks good, it has great sets, attractive women, a story!, gory violence. It is a good old fashioned Italian horror movie. Something different from the usual American slasher/serial killer movies and the French ultra bloody avenging-girl theme. Here you have witches, ghosts, spirits- the supernatural element is refreshing these days when horror movies are all about realistic horror.
That is not to say it doesn't have shortcomings. Argento is an excellent actress but not very sympathetic. The Mother of Tears doesn't get enough screen time as the main villain. The CGI effects could look better or better, replaced by non-CGI effects.
Still, it's highly recommended.