Released Year: 1999
Directed by Jack Sholder
Casted by:
Andrew Divodd as The Djinn / Nathaniel Demerest
Holly Fields as Morgana
Paul Johansson as Gregory
Story:
The statue of a Persian deity called Ahura Mazda is shown in the darkened room of a museum. The camera pans along the room to show various other exhibits and pauses at two paintings. A hooded figure dressed all in black uses a boxcutter to remove the paintings from their frames.
Two more burglars are seen, puttering around the room looking for portable exhibits to steal from the museum. One of them examines a display of a cluster of uncut gemstones and takes a heavy piece of metal out of a shoulder pouch, using it to smash the plexiglass cover. This sets off an alarm that immediately begins to blare throughout the museum. The burglars all begin to panic, looking to scramble out of the museum. A guard appears and orders the burglars to freeze. One burglar aims a gun at the guard and is promptly slain by a single shot from the guard's revolver. The other two burglars are pinned down in a brief exchange of gunfire. A gunshot hits the Persian statue and breaks off a large chunk near the base, revealing a large, dark red fire opal gem. One of the burglars pauses, staring at the gem. He pulls it out of the rock just as his partner ushers him through an emergency exit door.
The two burglars rush down the stairs and are confronted by another guard, who shoots one of the burglars. The other one shoots the guard in turn, and pulls off his hood, bending over the wounded burglar in tears and calling out, "Morgana!" He pulls off the wounded burglar's hood, revealing that 'he' is in fact a she. Morgana is in pain but finds that the fire opal stopped the bullet. She tells her partner that the gem was inside the statue. Suddenly the gem sizzles, burning Morgana's hand and forcing her to drop it, where it splits in two.
The first guard arrives on scene to confront the two young thieves. The male thief, Eric, grabs his gun, but the guard is ready and shoots him twice. In desperation, Morgana grabs Eric's gun and kills the guard. Tearfully she bends over Eric (we see that they are lovers), who tells Morgana to leave him and run. Morgana does not want to do this, but finally Eric gets her to flee the museum. Under cover of darkness, she avoids notice from arriving police and escapes.
In the meantime, as Eric lay at the foot of the steps, the shattered fire opal begins to pulse and squish, changing in size and shape. An amorphous mass begins to emerge from one of the halves. A tendril shoots out from this mass, hitting the wall a mere few inches from Eric's head. He squirms away in bewildered fear as the mass flows up the tendril onto the wall.
A hideous demonic face emerges from the amorphous mass clinging to the wall and addresses Eric by name, saying it can help him. Eric watches fearfully as the rest of this demonic form squirms out of the mass on the wall and touches down on the ground, crawling toward him on short, stubby armlike appendages tipped with claws. Speaking seductively, the demon tells Eric that it can give him life everlasting, or just end his pain, if he wishes for it. In grievous pain from his wounds, Eric says that he wishes he had never been born. The demon says, 'As you wish,' and Eric begins to scream in pain. His body convulses at it rapidly goes through reverse aging, growing younger every few seconds. Soon he is a mere infant crying loudly, and finally even the infant is gone, leaving only his black clothing behind. The demon stares and growls the word, 'Done.'
As the police enter the museum, the demon finishes forming into full size, revealing the Djinn (Andrew Divoff). He gestures and the two halves of the fire opal fly up to his hands and mend together into a single jewel. One of the police officers encounters the Djinn and orders him to freeze. Smiling wickedly, the Djinn says 'Done' and the police officer's whole body freezes solid, becoming coated with a layer of ice. Looking at the fire opal, the Djinn says that the time has come to 'fulfill the prophecy.'
Two more officers encounter the frozen one, and then see the Djinn, who has donned Eric's clothing and taken human form. The Djinn surrenders to the police without any resistance and is led away.
Morgana is safe at home, crying as she cleans her gun. She looks at a picture of Eric and is seized by a moment of grief-induced fury. She hurls the picture away from her and kicks over a night table before collapsing to her knees in bitter tears.
The next morning, the Djinn, as Nathaniel Demarest, is being questioned by a police detective. Demarest is taking the rap for the burglary and murders, saying he acted alone, even though he cannot produce the murder weapon, nor the stolen paintings. The detective knows he is lying and is innocent of the crimes. He pushes to find out who Demarest is covering for. Demarest is elusive on this, finally just inviting the detective to tell him what he'd like, and Demarest would be happy to oblige. He asks in an inviting tone of the detective 'wishes' that his job were more exciting. Losing his temper, the detective chews Demarest out and has an officer take him away.
Morgana is watching the news on TV in her kitchen as she fixes a meal for herself, and watches in disblief as the reporter discusses the art gallery robbery, and how a mysterious man named Nathaniel Demarest has pleaded guilty to the robbery, and the murder of two security guards during said robbery. The reporter mentions that nobody understands how Demarest could have committed the crimes or why he pleaded guilty, as the murder weapon and stolen paintings have not been recovered. The TV screen shows the damaged Persian statue, disclosing its name as Ahura Mazhda, after an ancient Persian deity. Museum curators are confident that the damage to the statue can be repaired. The reporter also shows the family of the security guard Morgana killed; the guard has left a widow and two young children. Morgana breaks into tears again as she turns away from this coverage.
That evening, Morgana is shown sleeping very restlessly, her left arm dangling over the edge of the bed. In the meantime, Demarest is in a holding cell waiting to be transferred to prison. One other prisoner is pacing back and forth, very agitated. Seeing a mark, Demarest asks the agitated man if there's something he likes. The agitated man responds with a few bombastic threats that Demarest shrugs off, assuring the man he isn't lying, and invites him to make a wish. The agitated man demands Demarest's shoes. Demarest just smiles, saying he's offering the man a chance for anything he wishes for, and surely he can do better than a pair of shoes. Amused, the agitated man plays along, declaring Demarest a genie. He says he is making a wish-- he wants to walk right through the bars of the cell and out of the jail. Demarest gleefully grants the wish-- of course, not the way the agitated man thought. He is pushed by an unseen force into the bars, and screams in horrible agony as his body is crushed and pulverized into pulp in order to fit through the narrow bars of the cell. As the man screams in his death throes, Morgana, still sleeping in bed, begins to toss and turn more fitfully. In her dreams she sees glimpses of the Djinn in his true form. As the agitated man crumples to the ground just outside the cell, his flesh and bones pulped into a horrible, mangled and bloody mess, Morgana hears the Djinn's voice in her head to fulfill the prophecy. An inhuman clawed hand comes up from under the bed and seizes her left hand, and Morgana jolts awake, screaming in terror.
The next day, Morgana goes to Church to pray and try to find answers... and to visit the priest tending the church, a man named Gregory -- a former lover of Morgana's before he found God and joined the priesthood. Gregory is the only one Morgana feels she can talk to now. She tries to ask if Satan must be real, as a counterpart to God. But she doesn't know how to follow up. Finally she tells Gregory that Eric is dead. His offer of sympathy is overly perfunctory and with no real feeling; nor is his follow-up that Eric wasn't the right man for her. Confronted on whether he knows what love is, Gregory offers the most well-known quote in the bible about God's love for mankind. But Morgana doesn't want a sermon... she is looking for answers; she just doesn't know the questions yet. She is also clearly afraid to completely open up to Gregory about recent events. Finally she leaves the church.
The scene pans across a prison yard, where two prisoners are discussing what they believe are bum raps. The second, Gries, tells how he was busted for a bogus search and his lawyer plea-bargained three-to-five when he should have walked. Disgusted, he voices that his lawyer should 'go fuck himself.' Arriving on the scene is Demarest, speaking in his standard, honeyed voice, telling Gries that he can arrange for Gries's lawyer to 'go fuck himself' as Gries wanted to see happen. He says he is the Wishmaster and can make wishes come true. Confusion melting his anger away, Gries finally tells Demarest to make it happen. Just at that moment, the chief of security at the prison, a big and burly man named Tillavar arrives, telling Gries that his lawyer is there to speak with him.
As Gries is led away, Demarest is confronted by a huge, heavily muscled prisoner, Butz and his two henchmen, the Tiger brothers. Butz runs all 'underground business' at the prison and gives Demarest a 'friendly' warning that he is going to be watching him.
Gries meets with his lawyer, Mr. Fox, who stuns him with news that he did some investigating on the search procedure that landed Gries in prison and discovered some information about it that would be extremely embarrassing to the DA's office; this can easily be used as leverage to get all charges against Gries dropped. Gries is at first elated, until Fox suddenly begins to groan and act oddly. Suddenly he is groaning in pain and his body begins to bend itself in a way it's not supposed to go. As Gries and a summoned guard watch in amazement. Fox's body bends backward as Demarest's spell takes effect-- Fox is forced to 'fuck himself' as Gries dejectedly asks about his case-- he is supposed to walk free.
Morgana is seen reacting to Fox's plight, and she sees more glimpses of the Djinn in her mind. She is left frightened and shaken by the vision. She hears the Djinn's voice, telling her to fulfill the prophecy, in her dreams as she sleeps fitfully, until she is jolted awake in terror by the Djinn's clawed hand grabbing her.
Morgana is up at dawn, screaming out to her unseen tormentor, demanding to know who he is. She goes to her computer and does an internet search on Persian Mythology. A voiceover from Morgana recites the contents of a web site she is reading on the Persian deity Ahura Mazda. He was known as a deity of both light and dark, symbolizing the duality of good and evil. He was also known as the keeper of the Stone of the Sacred Fire.
Morgana's thoughts are interrupted by her intercom ringing; Gregory is coming to visit. Arriving at her loft, he says that Father Dimitri from the church noted that she had passed by, and she seemed unwell. Morgana opens up just a little, telling Gregory she hasn't been sleeping well, and experiencing confusing nightmares about a voice telling her to 'fulfill the prophecy.' She wonders if it is connected to Eric's death. Gregory says that is why he came by-- to apologize for his brush-off of the news of Eric's death, and to give Morgana proper sympathy.
Hearing this gets Morgana to finally open up to Gregory, and she explains that she can't be entirely sure that Eric is dead, as there was nothing on the news... but she saw him shot. She explains to Gregory that she was part of the art gallery robbery, and that she killed the guard who shot Eric-- a crime for which a man named Nathaniel Demarest is taking responsibility for, for reasons Morgana cannot hope to fathom. What's worse, she is sure he is the one speaking to her in her nightmares. Struck with deep concern for Morgana and sensing the terrible burden of guilt that is tearing her apart, Gregory pleads for her to confess, both to set free the innocent man who is in jail, and for herself to find peace. Morgana says that most of all, she needs to find out who Demarest is, and get him out of her life.
Morgana goes to the prison to visit Demarest. As the bus carrying visitors to the prison pulls into the parking area to initiate check-in, the scene switches to the prison laundry room, where Demarest is approached by a man named Osip Krutchkov. Osip has heard that Demarest is 'the devil' who takes the souls of men. He claims he doesn't care if Demarest is the Devil or not; he is willing to accept any terms that Demarest will put forth in return for granting what Osip wants. He is a bit flustered though, when he starts reciting a second wish (the first one being to get out of prison), and Demarest says there is only one wish to a customer. The conversation is broken when Tillavar arrives and chases Osip off and tells Demarest he has a visitor.
Demarest is led to the visitor's room, smiling wickedly as he recognizes Morgana. He sits on the opposite side of the glass partition and they pick up the connecting phones. Morgana confronts him on how he knows her name, wanting to know where they'd met previously. Demarest tells her they met in the art gallery. She demands to know why he confessed to the robbery, and he says it was so she wouldn't have to. Morgana doesn't remember seeing Demarest at the gallery and tries to question him on it. Finally she asks about Eric, and he elusively answers as to his fate, before simply saying he's no longer with them. He took the rap for Morgana for 'access,' as he puts it-- and he won't be in prison long. She asks about the words, 'fulfill the prophecy,' and he tells her she's understand that when the time is right. The connection to Morgana is-- she set him free. Staring at Demarest, Morgana has a vision of the Djinn in his true form, causing her to shriek in fright. She drops the phone as Demarest hangs his up, and a guard goes to comfort her and lead her away as Demarest is ushered back into the interior of the prison.
Back in the prison laundry room, Demarest is cutting another 'deal' with another disgruntled prisoner; securing a pack of cigarettes in addition for the promise of the man's soul, in return for righting a wrong the man feels was done to him. Demrest is quickly confronted by Butz and the Tiger brothers; Butz sees that Demarest is doing 'business' in the jail and has come for his share-= a percentage in return for no unfortunate 'accidents.' Cleverly leading the conversation, even handing over his cigarettes, Demarest finally leads Butz into making a wish-- to get completely and utterly 'wasted.' Butz thought Demarest was being paid in drugs, and wanted his share. But Demarest grants the wish to become 'wasted' in a much more devious way: Butz's two henchmen, the Tiger brothers, suddenly attack him and beat him to a pulp. Tillavar breaks the scene up and confronts Demarest himself. He is losing his patience with the overly smug Demarest, seeing his face whenever there is trouble at the prison. He tells Demarest he's getting a week in solitary, to which Demarest simply laughs: he's been in 'a hole' for 3000 years.
Morgana is at home, doing more research on the internet on Persian mythos. She finds references to the Djinn, a powerful being that laid waste to the Persian court before the King's alchemist created the Stone of the Sacred Fire and imprisoned the Djinn inside it. The Persian deity Ahura Mazda was enlisted to keep the Djinn imprisoned in the 'space between worlds' so that he cannot escape and bring about world-wide apocalypse. Morgana is startled as her window is abruptly blown open by a sharp gust of wind, papers flying everywhere.
Morgana goes to see Gregory the next day to tell him about her findings. She explains she found a fire-red opal inside the statue of the Persian deity that is listed on the internet as the keeper of the terrible Djinn. She says the gem broke on her body when it protected her from being shot by one of the guards during the robbery. She tells Gregory about the vision she saw of the Djinn when she went to see Demarest in prison. Morgana believes the only way for none of the legends she's read, to be true, is if she's gone completely mad. Unable to describe in further detail, she starts to suggest that Gregory speak with Demarest himself, but then puts up her hands in frustration, waving off the idea-- but Gregory feels Morgana is right. By confronting Demarest himself, if there was any truth to Morgana's story, then Gregory would be able to see for himself.
Gregory rides to the prison with Morgana and confronts Demarest, demanding he leave Morgana alone. Demarest knows exactly who Gregory is, and about his past relationship with Morgana. He even perfectly duplicates Morgana's voice, speaking seductively to Gregory. As Gregory exits the prison and arrives back at the bus where Morgana was waiting, she sees that he is visibly shaken. He tells her that he believes her-- Demarest is not of this world.
Morgana has another vision of the Djinn as she is taking a shower; she thinks she sees him trying to enter the shower enclosure. The experience leaves her severely shaken.
Gregory acquires a book about the race of Djinn. He reads it with Morgana and they learn about the Djinn's purpose. First he must grant 1001 wishes, to claim 1001 souls-- the number one thousand and one being associated with the apocalypse in Assyrian mythology. On gathering all the necessary souls, they are held in a purgatory state until the Djinn's goal is either successful, or foiled. If the Djinn is defeated, the souls are freed. To complete his goal, the Djinn, after gathering all the souls he requires, must then find the human who woke him into the world, and grant that human three wishes. Once this is done, the Djinn can bring the whole of his race into the world and claim it as their own, destroying humanity in the process. Morgana understands now what this all has to do with her... she woke the djinn into the world by picking up the fire opal, and the djinn was released when the gem stopped a bullet meant for her. Gregory tells her that if he had never believed in the Devil before, he does now. Thinking on it further, Gregory and Morgana figure out why the Djinn took human form and claimed responsibility for the art gallery robbery and murders that Morgana had actually took part in... he was granting wishes of desperate men, collecting souls.
Later that evening, Morgana, alone in her loft, begins undergoing a number of rituals aimed at purifying her soul, as only someone pure of heart can banish the Djinn back into his prison. She begins by removing her nose-ring and all of her jewelry, and her dark lipstick. To try and atone for all of her guilt and the crimes she has committed, she cuts off the little finger on her left hand. She goes to the art gallery, and while nobody is looking, quietly leaves behind her duffel bag, which a guard discovers to contain the artwork Morgana stole. She goes to church and prays fervently, and attends confessional with Father Dimitri.
Back at the prison, Demarest and Osip are talking over a game of chess. Demarest, only able to grant one wish to a person, is running out of people to grant wishes to. It's time to move on and leave the prison. Doing so, as he tells Osip, is as easy as walking out the front gate-- Osip hasn't made his wish yet.
The two are interrupted by Tillavar, who shoves Osip aside and then pushes Demarest against the chain-link fence. Ever since Demarest arrived at the prison, there have been murders, an increase in contraband, and a lack of discipline among the inmates... and Tillavar knows that Demarest is orchestrating much, if not all of it. He is furious with the overly smug prisoner who has given the prison officials nothing but trouble. Seeing his opening, Demarest goads Tillavar with an announcement that he's made 'other plans' and then tempts him by asking if he is wishing for Demarest to spend time in the prison disciplinary that Tillavar refers to as 'hell.' At the end of his patience, Tillavar inadvertently gives Demarest exactly what he wanted... a wish. Tillavar wishes for just a few moments alone with Demarest to 'slow dance' with him, leading, of course, with his fists. Grinning with pure delight, Demarest tells Tillavar, 'done,' and suddenly Tillavar finds himself in the prison's boiler room... and standing right in front of him is the Djinn in his true form. Seeing that he's bitten off far more than even his formidable self can chew, Tillavar can only scream in horror as the Djinn grants his wish.
Demarest goes to Osip, who sees Tillavar in front of him, but speaking with Demarest's voice. Completely dumbfounded but also impressed, Osip makes his wish to leave the prison. On Demarest's command, the yard gate swings open as everyone else around, including the guards, seem frozen in time.
Meanwhile, another guard happens across the real Tillavar, lying dead in a pool of his own blood, mangled almost beyond recognition.
Morgana rushes to the church to speak with Gregory. She's heard that Demarest has escaped from prison, meaning either he's gotten all 1001 souls, or needed to get the rest elsewhere. She has heard that Demarest left with a Russian prisoner-- which could be a clue as to his whereabouts. They rush to a newsstand, and the paper's headline declares that the Mount Etna volcano has become active again-- a possible coming sign of the apocalypse. The paper also has an article on Demarest's escape, giving the name of the Russian prisoner who escaped along with Demarest as Osip Krutchkov. Gregory remembers the name, saying Osip murdered two men in his parish. He remembers the name of a nearby club that Osip often frequented.
At this club, Osip is celebrating his freedom. He has become quite drunk and boisterous. His celebration is stopped by the arrival of a Russian mob figure named Pushkin (Levan Uchaneishvili), who Osip clearly fears. Demarest introduces himself to Pushkin, speaking flawless Russian to the great surprise of Osip. Pushkin leaves, waving Demarest off, and Osip confides that he despises Pushkin, but fears him as he is a very powerful boss in the Russian mob. He makes an impassioned plea for Demarest to 'get rid of' Pushkin so that Osip himself can be a big boss. Demarest tells Osip that there are some rules to how he operates, that even he cannot break. But Osip has another idea and asks Demarest to come with him.
Osip brings Demarest to Pushkin and tells him that Demarest is a Wishmaster who can give Pushkin anything he wants. But Pushkin brushes them off, saying he already has great wealth and power, and he doesn't need or desire fame. As he is leaving, Demarests asks if Pushkin has any enemies he would like to see eliminated, and Osip quickly pounces. Pushkin's greatest enemy is a rival crime boss named Moustafa. The mere mention of Moustafa's name sends Pushkin into a rage. Demarest assures Pushkin that he can do what Pushkin himself might not be able to, like take care of Moustafa. Carelessly, fueled by his anger, Pushkin wishes to have Moustafa's head.
Demarest grants the wish, and suddenly Pushkin's men are pointing their guns at him. Pushkin feels his face, freezing in horror. He goes to a mirror and finds that he does in fact, now have Moustafa's head... in place of his own. The sight of it quickly sends Pushkin into a breakdown, and Osip declares himself the new lead figurehead in Pushkin's place. Osip is puzzled though at Demarest's expression of frustration. Demarest vents that he only has one more soul to add to those he's gained, but he needs 800 more and is growing impatient. Completely drunk with the shadow of Demarest's power, Osip tells him he knows where Demarest can get all the souls he needs.
Just then, Morgana rushes into the club room, shooting Demarest twice in the chest with her gun. Both she and Osip freeze in horror as the attack only causes the Djinn to assume his true form. He laughs at Morgana's foolishly thinking she could kill him. He tells her that soon he will claim the earth for his own race. As a gesture of good will, he offers her one wish completely free. Morgana struggles with herself, refusing to comply. The djinn warns her that she's running out of time. As Morgana flees the club, the Djinn turns to Osip, saying he needs the rest of the 800 souls.
Gregory finds Morgana praying feverishly at the church altar, and sobbing inconsolably. She confesses to Gregory that she tried to kill Demarest and then saw the Djinn's true face. She laments that her guilt, the blood of the innocent man she killed at the art gallery heist, can never be washed away, and so she can never hope to fight the Djinn. Gregory patiently counsels her, promising that God can cleanse any and all burden she carries if only she allows Him to, and that while the Djinn might be too powerful for they to fight, God can win the battle using them as His instruments.
At the club, Osip is surprised by the arrival of Morgana and Gregory. They are seeking to learn where Demarest went. Osip says he made a pledge not to speak about it. Scoffing at the notion that Gregory and Morgana can save the world by following Demarest, Osip says there is only one way to save the whole world. He points his gun at Morgana, saying she is the key to staving off hell. To Gregory's horror, Morgana herself completely agrees with Osip-- in that one instant, she resolves to die herself, alone, that the whole of humanity would not die with her. She rushes out from behind Gregory so that Osip can get a clear shot at her and kill her. But to the amazement of all three, the bullet rips a clean hole through the front of Morgana's dress, but her body is completely unharmed-- the bullet has simply vanished. Osip realizes the Djinn is protecting her, even from far away. Morgana demands to know how many souls the Djinn still requires. Osip tells her that the Djinn said he needed 800. Morgana thinks this will allow her some time... but Osip tells her, that where Demarest has gone... that won't be much time at all.
Demarest is walking through the common room of a casino, speaking with the manager, Mr. Farralon. Demarest is posing as a leading Eastern European casino operator that is partnered with Mr. Farralon's casino. Farralon takes Demarest on a tour of the casino, talking a little bit about the business. Of course, Demarest simply smiles his usual smug smile as Farralon speaks-- he, of course, knows the nature of gambling in ways that Farralon could never have dreamed of.
Morgana is just getting out of the shower when she is surprised by a phone call from Osip. He tells her that he has purchased a ticket for her to pursue Demarest, begging her to try and stop him, as she is the only one who can. On her request, he agrees to see to it that Gregory has a ticket as well so he can go with her. He tells her both tickets will be waiting at the airport. His voice shaking, he wishes her good luck in her hunt. But the camera shows that Morgana has fallen into a trap... unbeknownst to her, she has not been sent by Osip to hunt Demarest... but that Demarest himself is luring her to him. He is sending her the tickets in Osip's name, and has deceived her by perfectly mimicking Osip's voice.
Morgana and Gregory are preparing for the trip in pursuit of the Djinn. Gregory has compiled more notes, including the incantation used by the alchemist who imprisoned the Djinn: "As was prophesied, the alchemist took the stone into his hand as a woman pure of heart takes the light of God unto her soul, and spoke the words, Nib Sugaroth Baheim." Morgana points out that unlike the two of them, the alchemist knew what he was doing. But as Gregory points out, these notes are the only solid plan they have on how to defeat the Djinn. Morgana begins to kiss Gregory, and despite his initial reticence, she makes love to him.
Sitting in his office, Demarest puts into motion the final phases of his plan. The casino's gambling room becomes overcrowded to capacity and beyond, guards having to stop more people from trying to flock in. Everyone gambling in the room is winning... and winning big. Farralon is completely baffled and not overly pleased-- the odds are meant to favor the house. What he doesn't know is that the very rules have changed and swung the odds the other way.
As Morgana and Gregory ride a cab through Las Vegas to the casino Demarest is operating out of, the Djinn stands in his office in his true form. Holding up the fire opal, he intones a deep growl and calls in all the debts owed him-- he claims the souls everyone gave up through their wishes. Morgana, in the cab, begins to thrash about, crying in pain as the souls of everyone who made a wish before the Djinn, are pulled from their bodies, leaving the bodies as if dead, and the souls are trapped within the fire opal. As her pain subsides, a still-shaken Morgana tells Gregory that she felt it-- The Djinn has all 1001 souls he needs. Now he is coming after her... and if he can wrest three wishes from her, then all of humanity is doomed as the race of Djinn will reign over the earth.
Morgana and Gregory arrive at the casino, finding it in complete pandemonium as all the victims are being loaded into ambulances. Grimly they march forth for the showdown with the Djinn.
They confront Demarest in his office. Demarest is delighted at their arrival. He is ready to make sure Morgana makes her three wishes. Morgana tries to wish that the Djinn were gone forever. He plays along for a brief instant, before telling her that defeating him is far from that simple. She tries to wish him back into the Stone of the Sacred Fire. He smiles, impressed that she's 'done her homework,' but reminds her that he is the Wishmaster, so any wishes directly pertaining to him are circumscribed by the prophecy.
Noting that Demarest has left the fire opal on his desk, Gregory quietly inches toward it while Demarest is speaking to Morgana. Rushing forward, he grabs it and recites the incantation used by the alchemist. Demarest merely smiles again, noting the two of them have studied the legends well, before gesturing, and the fire opal vanishes from Gregory's hand into Demarest's. He warns them about playing with forces they don't understand. Growing a little too zealous for his own good, Gregory pulls forth his crucifix holy symbol and brandishes it before Demarest, calling on his faith in God to banish Demarest from the world... but carelessly says that he (Gregory) wishes Demarest into hell. Demarest delightedly springs his trap.
Morgana finds herself inside the Djinn's dimension within the fire opal. The Djinn stands before her in his true form. He shows her Gregory, attired as Christ was on his crucifixion, and likewise crucified as Christ was. As she watches, her hands are suddenly stricken with the same impalement wounds dealt to Christ when His hands were nailed to the cross. Seeing Gregory suffering, she tearfully begs the Djinn to let him go. She is forced to make a wish for Gregory to be released. But Morgana has forgotten that death is often a release. She screams in grief at the Djinn, angrily wishing for a world free of evil. But the Djinn reminds her that evil is but half of a perfect sphere-- without it, good cannot exist. He warns her that he is losing his patience with her. Morgana tries desperately to resist the Djinn's will.
The Djinn then pulls out all stops. He brings Morgana back to the casino room and despite her desperate pleas, tricks Farralon into wishing the whole nightmare that has struck the casino, to end. The Djinn then turns all of the objects in the casino into nightmarish tools of death and destruction. Farralon is consumed alive by carnivorous locusts. Roulette balls, playing cards, and chips fly around like bullets and razor-sharp projectiles. The Djinn confronts Morgana and asks if she 'wishes' to see more. If not, she must end it-- she must make her final two wishes.
Morgana's fears suddenly quiet and she asks the Djinn the meaning of fulfilling the prophecy. She reminds him that he himself told her that she would know when the time was right. The Djinn impatiently recites the prophecy to her, that the one who wakes the Djinn shall have three wishes; upon the granting of all three, the race of Djinn will reign over the Earth.
But Morgana realizes that this is not the prophecy she is meant to fulfill. Speaking quietly, she recites (more to herself than to the Djinn) the prophecy Gregory had told her from the books: 'And as was prophesied, the alchemist took the stone into his hand as a woman pure of heart takes the light of God unto her soul, and spoke the words, Nib Sugaroth Baheim.'
Morgana finally understands the key to defeating the Djinn. She realizes what she must do to completely receive the grace and light of God into herself, making herself pure. Facing the Djinn, she wishes that the guard she killed during the gallery robbery, was alive again.
The Djinn is required to grant the wish, and Morgana sees a vision of the guard, alive and well, arriving home and greeted warmly and excitedly by his wife and children. The love the guard has for his family, and they have for him, flows through Morgana's heart, and she smiles, feeling the light of God inside her. Reaching her hand out, she lays it on the Djinn's fire opal and intones the alchemist's chant, 'Nib Sugaroth Baheim.'
The Djinn freezes in place, his terrible form starting to twitch. Morgana repeats the chant, each time a little louder and with greater force. Slowly the Djinn begins to buckle as all of the 1001 souls he has claimed are released and find their way back to their bodies. Inexorably, the Djinn's form is pulled into the fire opal as Morgana clutches it in her hand. Finally he vanishes completely inside it, defeated.
On the floor before Morgana is Gregory, alive and intact, also released from the Djinn's evil. Dropping to her knees, Morgana hugs him gratefully, filled with relief. She quietly tells him that the Djinn is gone and the nightmare is over.
The camera zooms inside the Djinn's dimension, his back to the camera. Turning, he rages his anger, and the camera zooms out to show the fire opal. Fade to black as the credits begin to roll.
L² Scored: 4/10
L² Comment:
Throwing off all the big cast like the first movie, the 2nd one they put a lil bit effort on the story but it really didnt help much on it. But overall, it is still better than the 1st~ how boring....
.jpg)
