Search: Directed by Renny Harlin

There's a lot of things going on here, but it's a talented cast and crew playing firmly within a set of genre tropes, not painting by numbers.

The dialogue is terrible but it has enough energy and spirit to entertain many viewers nonetheless.

Comes very close to salvation through utter silliness.

As a look-what-we-can-do-with-animatronics showcase, the movie has its cheesy moments.

The action sequences are state-of-the-art and there is a chase through the busy streets of Chicago in racing cars that is genuinely thrilling.

It’s not entirely successful but it’s gripping entertainment that maintains a sense of mystery right up to its insane everything-but-the-kitchen-sink climax.

'The best view of God is from Hell.' The best view of Exorcist: The Beginning is not at all.

It’s all so straight-faced and humourless as to feel redundant, especially with such a bland protagonist.

While impressively warped dream logic often prevails, tension is completely absent as Freddy exudes none of the menace he used to; the emphasis is now firmly on pun-tastic entertainment.