Hellbound is a collection of decent ideas clumped together without much thought for coherency. The first Hellraiser had a sketchy mythology and left many things unexplained, but it compensated for this by conjuring a gripping and nightmarish tone throughout. Instead, Hellbound moves along at a frantic pace from one set-piece to another, without offering any kind of insight into just how a bloody mattress could work as a gateway through which Julia could escape the confines of hell, or why a child prodigy is required to open a box solves easily by Kirsty the first time around. With little character development or time to reflect on the events that occur, the film is a bit of a mess.Visually, it's quite stunning. We get to see more of the Cenobite world as Kirsty enters into hell and bumps into her old foe Uncle Frank (Sean Chapman), and although the sets occasionally appear a bit on the dodgy side, and with special effects and make-up encouraging more laughter than genuine terror, it manages to deliver some memorable imagery and wince-inducing gore when it is called for. Ultimately though, I found Hellbound to be a bit of a headache, and even the extended appearances of Pinhead (Doug Bradley) and his minions could not distract my attention enough to make me forgive the many narrative flaws. Perhaps it's because I love the first film so much, or maybe it's down to Clive Barker stepping out of the director's chair and being replaced by Tony Randel. Still, it's a damn masterpiece compared to the sequels that followed.
Directed by: Tony Randel
Starring: Ashley Laurence, Clare Higgins, Kenneth Cranham, Sean Chapman, Doug Bradley
Country: UK/USA
Rating: **
Tom Gillespie
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