Genre: Fantasy/Horror
Director: Tarsem Singh
Writer: Clive Steinbeck
Based on the 1997 film
Cast: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Allison Williams, Danny Huston, Ambyr Childers, David Giuntoli, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Navid Negahban, Philip Quast, Anjelica Huston
Plot: Persia - 1127 A.D.
The Djinn (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a creature condemned to dwell in the void between the worlds. If one wakes a Djinn, they are granted three wishes, but upon the granting of the third wish, the legions of Djinn will be freed to rule the Earth. The Djinn is asking a Persian emperor (Navid Negahban) to make his second wish. The emperor asks the Djinn to show him wonders. The Djinn grants his wish, using his powers to torture and mutilate every one in the palace. The emperor is horrified, but the Djinn suggests that he could use his third wish to undo the damage to his kingdom. Before the emperor can make his third wish, they are interrupted by Zoroaster (Philip Quast), a sorcerer and prophet, who tells the emperor that if the third wish is granted, a gateway between the worlds will be opened, allowing the evil race of Djinn to take over the planet. Zoroaster then pulls out a fire opal. The Djinn is sucked into the jewel, where he remains captured.
892 years later, Raymond Beaumont (Danny Huston), an industrialist and collector of ancient art, is supervising workers as they lower a crate containing an ancient statue of Ahura Mazda, the God of Zoroastrianism. The crane operator lowering the crate accidentally drops it from the crane, killing Beaumont's assistant and destroying the statue. A dockworker finds the fire opal in the statue's rubble and sells it at a pawn shop. The pawn shop owner takes it to his friend Nick Merritt (Pruitt Taylor Vince), owner of Regal Auctioneers, to have the jewel appraised. Nick has Alexandra Amberson (Allison Williams) examine the jewel.
While Alexandra is examining the jewel, the Djinn awakes. Alexandra sees something inside of the jewel and takes it her friend Josh Aickman (David Giuntoli), a UCLA geologist, to analyze. As he is scanning the rock, the gem explodes and the Djinn is released. Josh is wounded from the explosion, and wishes that he wouldn't be hurt. The Djinn grants his wish as the entire lab explodes, killing Josh.
Alexandra hears about the explosion and suspects that the jewel must have had something to do with Josh's death. Researching the opal, she finds out that it was part of the Ahura Mazda statue, and contacts Beaumont after learning that he purchased the statue. He tells her that the statue was destroyed, but that if she really wants to learn about the jewel and Ahura Mazda, that she should contact Wendy Derleth (Anjelica Huston), professor of folklore at USC. Beaumont then invites Alexandra to a party he is hosting. Alexandra meets with Wendy, who tells her all about Zoroaster and the legend of the Djinn, and its evil history. Wendy tells Alexandra that the Djinn would need to power the gem with the soul of humans through granting them wishes.
The Djinn removes the face of a corpse at the morgue, taking on the dead man's form and the name Nathaniel Demerest. The Djinn starts granting people wishes in return for their souls while he searches for the person who woke him up, Alexandra. He goes to Regal Auctioneers and offers Nick anything he wishes for in return for telling him who had the fire opal. Nick asks for a thousand pounds of gold. Nick gives the Djinn Alexandra's address, before gold bricks start raining down from the ceiling, bludgeoning and crushing Nick to death. Alexandra has a vision of Nick's death.
Alexandra goes to Wendy's house to consult with her again, but the Djinn has already killed her and taken her form. Alexandra realizes that she is really talking to the Djinn. He asks her to make three wishes. He even offers her a test wish in case she doesn't believe him. She wishes that the Djinn kills himself. He complies by blowing his head off with a shotgun, but the wounds heal instantly, as he is immortal. She then uses her first official wish to know all about the Djinn. He teleports her to the hellish Djinn world within the jewel, showing her his true nature. She then uses her second wish to be back in her apartment, alone.
Alexandra decides to go to Beaumont's party, taking her sister Shannon (Ambyr Childers) along with her. Unbeknownst to them, the Djinn is already at the party talking to Beaumont. Beaumont wishes that his party would be unforgettable. All of the statues and artwork in Beaumont's mansion then come to life and start slaughtering the guests. The Djinn traps Shannon, trying to scare Alexandra into making her third wish. Alexandra wishes that the Ahura Mazda statue was never destroyed. The events of the film are then undone, once again trapping the Djinn within the fire opal.
Inside the jewel on the statue of Ahura Mazda, now in Beaumont's private collection, the Djinn sits on a throne waiting to be released once again.
No comments:
Post a Comment