666: The Child

After a plane crash where a boy is the only survival, the famous anchor Erika Lawson (Sarah Lieving) convinces her husband and cameraman Scott (Adam Vincent) to adopt the child. They bring Donald (BooBoo Stewart) home and Scott's father Big Jake (Robert D Mcewen) offers to take care of him while the couple works. However, after a series of bizarre accidents that culminates with the death of Jake, the nanny Lucy Fir (Nora Jesse) comes to the Lawson's home to work. However, Lucy is actually a follower of the Anti-Christ and together with Donald, they bring more tragedies to the Lawson's family.

"666 – The Child" is a terrible low-budget rip-off of "The Omen". The awful screenplay has also bad acting and poor special effects and the result is a stupid flawed and annoying film. The conclusion is ridiculous. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "666 – O Filho do Mal" ("666 – The Son of the Evil")

Thats really saying a lot considering this was made on like a shoestring budget, but really this film was WAY better than the theatrical remake of the Omen. The remake was really boring and just basically the original shot for shot and line for line; this film however while it pretty much retains the same plot line and and angle to it, it adds some nice twists to the story as well (The mark of the beast is on a different place, the plane crash opening, the kid was creepier, etc.) Also the acting was actually decent even for a TV film. Liked the whole different approach for the parents as well (teens instead of adults.) the deaths are pretty cool as well, and while i wont spoil them they are actually better done than the remake deaths.

So overall if you actually wanna see a good remake of the omen see this instead of the big budget remake.

Orphaned child is adopted by a couple who eventually discover he's the anti-Christ. Low-budget and painfully tedious until the last 20 mins, whilst there's a constant aura of tension, the flow is stilted and lacking momentum that the audio-visual effects can't overcome.

The acting is functional and the technical specs are passable when you consider the budget, but if you're not prepared for the C-grade scale, chances are you'll be a little disappointed. One actress has a great scene where she eats a fire poker, and then there's the dude who's spontaneously attacked by the lawn mower, circular saw and power drill which is hilarious (and bloody). Plenty of sex and violence, nudity and blood, all the cool stuff you're expecting to see in a cheap exploitation film, and in this department, 'The Child' doesn't disappoint.

Around those elements though, it's a struggle even allowing for the fact it's not taking itself too seriously; bland and unimaginative, like a student film homage to 'The Omen' - which is okay for curiosity sake if they screen it for free, I just wouldn't be paying money to see it.

There are a few redeeming values, some of the music is creepy and the camera work and lighting are decent. The acting is not great, Donald especially could have had much more personality, nor is it terrible like other Asylum movies. Everything else however is a mess. The effects are slapdash at best, part of the reason why the suspenseful/gory scenes don't make an impact, and the direction is inconsistent, there are a few moments where it is competent but one too many times also where it's lazy. They're not the worst parts though. It was how 666: The Child was written where the film really sank. The script is peppered with corny dialogue and lines and exposition that too often go nowhere. The characters, excusing for a moment that they are clichéd, are more annoying than likable and underdeveloped in alternative to well developed. The story is just dull, there is no atmosphere and things happen randomly and with no explanation. All in all, it's a little better than its sequel 666: The Beast but is still very bad, so that is little in its favour. 3/10 Bethany Cox

I actually like Asylum movies. I've made it a habit to see as many as possible. Even the rip-offs they've done have been cool like EXORCISM And WHEN A KILLER CALLS. This is just plain lame. I can't believe that the same people who made DEAD MEN WALKING and DRACULA'S CURSE actually made this movie too!!! It's not even laughably bad like JOLLY ROGER or ALIEN ABDUCTION (which, by the way are pretty bad). This is just BAD! I mean, I can appreciate and/or forgive bad acting or lame special effects in an Asylum movie, but this film takes itself way too seriously. I really hope that SNAKES ON A TRAIN is better. Now that's a movie I can't wait to see.