The sfx in the climactic duel with the Devil is cheesy to say the least and the Devil's makeup render him more laughable than scary. On the face of it, the dice is loaded heavily against the movie.

The serious Catholic themes that made the original film genuinely disturbing have been flattened out into a cartoonish backstory pitting Merrin against Nazi storm troopers.

Reams of tedious exposition finally give way to a random jumble of horror movie clichs, rising to a shrill pitch of hysteria that is never remotely frightening.

One of the most pointless prequels of all-time.