If the first "Wishmaster" just about made it to the guilty pleasure category, then this even lower budgeted sequel unfortunately does not. The bad acting from the previous film has returned, but not the tremendous practical effects.
The Djinn (Andrew Divoff) is this time released accidentally, when a robbery damages the statue that contained his crystal prison. This binds him to Morgana (Holly Fields) one of the robbers. Though Morgana escapes, particularly as Demerest inexplicably agrees to go to Prison for the crime, their bond is set and she see's him use his powers on the population, claiming souls for Monkey's Paw wish granting. When he has 1001 souls, Morgana will make her three wishes and that will release him to take control of the world.
Andrew Divoff returns as the Djinn but unfortunately neither of the aspects that made the first film palatable have come back with him. There are a couple of physical effects scenes that aren't terrible, but nothing to match the scenes that bookended the first film. There's also no return for a series of classic horror actors, either in cameo or in more complete roles. The nearest thing is that Tommy "Zeus" Lister has a small role. The Djinn is now played for laughs more than horror, with Divoff cracking wise throughout and at one point literally winking down the lens.
It doesn't help that Morgana opposite him is an odd character. Holly Fields isn't particularly good in the role but it doesn't help that she's badly defined. The plot requires her to lie around in not much clothing in the early stages, until realising that it's virtue that will be her saving grace, so she is rebaptised and cuts something out of her arm (I honestly don't know what that was about) and then is free to try and take the Djinn down. She's joined by a priest, Gregory, played by Paul Johansson who is unfortunately a bit of charisma vacuum. The two have sex later in the story, which I assumed would mean that she'd been unable to win the day, as she was no longer chaste - but turns out I was thinking about it more than the writers did.
It's a half-assed, cheap, sequel to a film that wasn't top drawer to begin with and apparently I have two more to grit my teeth and get through.
The Djinn (Andrew Divoff) is this time released accidentally, when a robbery damages the statue that contained his crystal prison. This binds him to Morgana (Holly Fields) one of the robbers. Though Morgana escapes, particularly as Demerest inexplicably agrees to go to Prison for the crime, their bond is set and she see's him use his powers on the population, claiming souls for Monkey's Paw wish granting. When he has 1001 souls, Morgana will make her three wishes and that will release him to take control of the world.
Andrew Divoff returns as the Djinn but unfortunately neither of the aspects that made the first film palatable have come back with him. There are a couple of physical effects scenes that aren't terrible, but nothing to match the scenes that bookended the first film. There's also no return for a series of classic horror actors, either in cameo or in more complete roles. The nearest thing is that Tommy "Zeus" Lister has a small role. The Djinn is now played for laughs more than horror, with Divoff cracking wise throughout and at one point literally winking down the lens.
It doesn't help that Morgana opposite him is an odd character. Holly Fields isn't particularly good in the role but it doesn't help that she's badly defined. The plot requires her to lie around in not much clothing in the early stages, until realising that it's virtue that will be her saving grace, so she is rebaptised and cuts something out of her arm (I honestly don't know what that was about) and then is free to try and take the Djinn down. She's joined by a priest, Gregory, played by Paul Johansson who is unfortunately a bit of charisma vacuum. The two have sex later in the story, which I assumed would mean that she'd been unable to win the day, as she was no longer chaste - but turns out I was thinking about it more than the writers did.
It's a half-assed, cheap, sequel to a film that wasn't top drawer to begin with and apparently I have two more to grit my teeth and get through.