Despite them being on my to see list for a while, it did take me some time to see the whole 'Hellraiser' franchise. This is because of many commitments and studying as well as a to see and review list that keeps getting longer but is gradually being gotten through with mixed but mostly rewarding results. It is a very uneven franchise, but do not regret seeing them at all.
The best of the films is by far the original, which is very good, well-made, very creepy and scary and is also surprisingly original, ambitious and intelligent, assets one doesn't always see in a horror film. The follow-ups are very variable, 'Hellbound' being by far the best for me while 'Hell on Earth' and 'Bloodline' were watchable. Post-'Bloodline' however, the series did go drastically downhill, where the films felt unrelated to 'Hellraiser' with any connection made being with shoe-horning awkwardly in Pinhead and the Cenobites and underusing them in appearances serving no point to what was happening in the rest of the film. On top of the mystery, ambition, intelligence and creepiness being absent and replaced by cheesy camp, dullness and lack of coherence. The one thing consistently halfway decent in all the films was Doug Bradley.
'Hellraiser: Judgment' is not a great, or even good, film and compared to the pre-'Inferno' entries the divide in quality is huge. It is though a significant improvement on 'Revelations' (by far the worst of the series) and the best of the franchise since 'Inferno'.
Always look for plus points and they are there in 'Hellraiser: Judgment'. Paul J. Taylor is no Doug Bradley but he does make the role of Pinhead his own and is creepy in his own way, so much better than the first replacement for Bradley in 'Revelations', Pinhead just looks much better here, and much more commanding and professional.
'Judgment' is at its best too in the last 10-15 minutes, which is the closest the film comes to feeling like a 'Hellraiser' film and is pretty tense and exciting. The make-up is effective and some of the imagery is eerie.
On the other hand, even for a film made on a limited budget, 'Hellraiser: Judgment' has a very cheap look to it, rushed time constraints also showing throughout. It all looks chaotic and sloppy and looks dreary, while the effects more often than not are at best slapdash. Again the music is not appealing-sounding on its own and tends to not be appropriately placed and jarring in tone. The direction is less inept than the direction in 'Revelations' but doesn't seem to be in control or at ease, while the campy and rambling dialogue is embarrassingly bad and the pace lacked energy or tautness in places and felt rushed in others, so erratic.
Much of the storytelling is weak, it at least doesn't feel incoherent as such and it feels much more complete than 'Revelations'. It does suffer from the creepiness happening far too fleetingly, popping up randomly and abruptly and then over too quickly, and from a lack of tension and suspense. It's very predictable, so the mystery and ambition aren't there, and it's too bizarre and silly in places. The characters are too stereotypical and are not interesting or endearing, while the Cenobites are underused (again) and have lost what made them so memorable before, which was their mysteriousness and eeriness. Other than Taylor the acting is weak, particularly from Alexandra Harris, with some histrionics and indifference.
In conclusion, not a catastrophe but didn't do much for me. 4/10 Bethany Cox
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