This, the fourth of the 'Hellraiser' films, opens in the year 2127 aboard a space station. Its designer Dr Merchant is using robotic arms to open the infamous box to hell when an armed force seizes control of the station and arrests Dr Merchant. He then tells the story of the box and his family's connection to it and how he intends to destroy the evil once and for all.
In 1796 Phillip LeMarchand, a French toy maker, constructs the original box for a decadent aristocrat not knowing what power it will unleash. When opened a Cenobyte named Angelique is summoned; witnessing this LeMerchand runs home to begin work on a second box to counter the first. Unfortunately he is killed before he can finish his work. Because of what he has done his bloodline is now cursed.
Jumping forward two centuries to 1996, his descendant John Merchant has designed a New York skyscraper with distinct similarities to the box; Angelique is drawn to New York and later summons Pinhead, who explains that Hell has changed since she left. They have a plan to open the gates of Hell but inevitably that doesn't quite go to plan.
Now, in 2127, Pinhead learns of Dr Merchant's plans to destroy them so works to thwart them.
When I started watching this I had fairly low expectations and seeing 'directed by Alan Smithee' just made my expectations fall further... perhaps that was a good thing as what followed was actually pretty good. The way the story was told, with Dr Merchant telling his family history to a captor, worked well and gave the box an interesting story from its creation by an innocent man; its evil first use; the way it effected his family and ultimately giving a good reason for it to be set in space. Of course being a Hellraiser film there are plenty of gory deaths in each section as well as new Cenobytes, which were much better than those on 'Part III'. The acting was pretty good for the most part as were the gory special effects. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the series as it adds to the mythology as well as providing the expected gore.
In 1796 Phillip LeMarchand, a French toy maker, constructs the original box for a decadent aristocrat not knowing what power it will unleash. When opened a Cenobyte named Angelique is summoned; witnessing this LeMerchand runs home to begin work on a second box to counter the first. Unfortunately he is killed before he can finish his work. Because of what he has done his bloodline is now cursed.
Jumping forward two centuries to 1996, his descendant John Merchant has designed a New York skyscraper with distinct similarities to the box; Angelique is drawn to New York and later summons Pinhead, who explains that Hell has changed since she left. They have a plan to open the gates of Hell but inevitably that doesn't quite go to plan.
Now, in 2127, Pinhead learns of Dr Merchant's plans to destroy them so works to thwart them.
When I started watching this I had fairly low expectations and seeing 'directed by Alan Smithee' just made my expectations fall further... perhaps that was a good thing as what followed was actually pretty good. The way the story was told, with Dr Merchant telling his family history to a captor, worked well and gave the box an interesting story from its creation by an innocent man; its evil first use; the way it effected his family and ultimately giving a good reason for it to be set in space. Of course being a Hellraiser film there are plenty of gory deaths in each section as well as new Cenobytes, which were much better than those on 'Part III'. The acting was pretty good for the most part as were the gory special effects. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the series as it adds to the mythology as well as providing the expected gore.