Hellraiser: Bloodline (1996)

"Hellraiser: Bloodline" is a bit of a conundrum. It seemingly has everything going against it. A director who removed his name from the film. A storyline that falls back on the old horror cliche of being set partially in space. A turbulent post-production. And yet... I actually kinda like it!

The film follows three generations of the Merchant family in three very different periods of time throughout history. And all have a very intimate relationship with the mysterious puzzle box known as the Lament Configuration. From the toymaker who first created the box in 1796, to an architect in 1996, to a space-engineer in 2127... the film follows their connection to the dark, demonic world of hell... and eventually the family's goal of destroying the treacherous cenobite known as "Pinhead."

Written by Peter Atkins, whom also worked on the scripts for the second and third film, "Bloodline" actually has a pretty interesting and novel approach when it comes to the series. Being told through a series of vignettes over time, the film certainly feels more grandiose than what came before, and it gives the movie a certain air of finality that I quite liked. And though he ultimately was credited under the dreaded "Allan Smithee" moniker, director Kevin Yagher does a pretty great job at guiding the story. The film is very well put together, with sharp compositions and a good pacing.

I also really enjoyed the cast. Bruce Ramsay leads the film in a triple-role as three members of the Merchant family, and does quite well at differentiating them from one another. He's a pretty solid actor all around, and he serves as a good protagonist to follow. Well... protagonists. Valentina Vargas is also a good bit of fun as a demonic princess who serves as a secondary antagonist in the film. She's sexy and seductive and adds some good contrast with the character of Pinhead. And as always is the case, Doug Bradley completely owns the film as that loveable monster Pinhead. He always brings a real sense of both class and menace to each film, and this movie is no different.

If I were to point out the flaws to the film, I would definitely say that the movie has some major issues with length and a somewhat weak third act. At a brisk 85 minutes, the movie really doesn't have enough breathing room to fully develop all three stories optimally. They're really intriguing, and I wish they were longer so we could spend more time getting to know these characters. This movie easily could have used another twenty... maybe even thirty minutes. And I do think the movie kinda starts to fall apart in the third act. As I understand, the movie's climax was completely reworked in reshoots, and you can definitely tell, because the ending feels rather abrupt and doesn't quite add up.

But still, for what it is... I actually really dug this movie. It never quite measures up the wonderful original, or the very solid second chapter. But it's a decent enough conclusion to the saga, while also leaving the door open for more stories to be told. I'd give it a mild recommendation, and a very serviceable 3 out of 5.

TedStixon