Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Leofwine_draca Another typical clichéd horror outing boasting "Wes Craven Presents" before the title (at least it's not as bad as MIND RIPPER though), WISHMASTER is a painting-by-numbers affair which is slick, superficial, and instantly palatable. The story is your usual one of murders and serial killers, with a slimy genie taking the place of scarred Freddy Krueger. No originality exists in the film, so you're coming to the wrong place if you're looking for that. Scenes have been taken from ALIEN 3, HELLRAISER 2 and HELLRAISER 3, even BRAINDEAD, and the laughing at the end titles is more than slightly reminiscent of the end of EVIL DEAD 2.The film does, however, boast an extraordinary cast of horror film actors, and it's fun playing 'spot the actor', just like in THE DEMOLITIONIST. Angus Scrimm narrates, while Danny Hicks and Josef Pilato turn up in tiny, blink and you'll miss 'em roles. Reggie Bannister also appears (Phantasm's ice cream man), and I'm even sure I saw Tom Savini in there somewhere. However, main interest lies in appearances of four "luminaries" (at least in some quarters) in the horror genre. Kane Hodder (all-round stuntman and actor inside Jason's hockey mask) has a brief and ill-fated appearance and is at the receiving end of the Djinn's curses. Similarly, Tony Todd has another small role as a bodyguard, and makes the most of his material. Just to emphasise the links to Craven's earlier works, Robert Englund has a large role (slight bias here?) as an antiques dealer, who vomits up something nasty. And the fourth actor? That'll be Ted Raimi, who has made fleeting appearances in more films than I can remember, who is killed right at the beginning (when is this guy going to get lucky?).Tammy Lauren is sadly totally annoying and incompetent in her large role and overreacts and screams a lot (just like the obnoxious Penelope Ann Miller in THE RELIC), while Andrew Divoff is a suitably charming but purely evil bad guy who gives us the typical wisecracks (and also is strangely reminiscent of the Emperor from RETURN OF THE JEDI. What was I saying about originality?). Apart from watching out for the actors, there's also a lot of gore (a heck of a lot of gore, and the film is uncut...ironically, however, it's far more gory than some of the video nasties were). The various deaths throughout the film are well staged, while the torture parties are excellent, with blood spraying and internal organs coming out. The highlight is the skeleton at the beginning of the film which pulls itself out of someone's body and attacks another innocent victim! (ARMY OF DARKNESS anyone?). There is also a good scene with statues coming to life (although rather too JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS for my liking), and obviously CGI plays a big role again, but is not too noticeably bad here. WISHMASTER is a popcorn movie, nothing more, but it's entertaining enough for what it is and it could have been a lot worse (just thinking of MIND RIPPER gives me a headache). And I never thought I'd say this, but it's good to see a monster movie instead of the wave of boring slashers filling the cinemas at the moment.

Python Hyena Wishmaster (1997): Dir: Robert Kurtzman / Cast: Tammy Lauren, Andrew Divoff, Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Tony Todd: Lewd and pathetic piece of trash that should be flushed down a toilet. An exercise in special effects containing no artistic talent. A genie is accidentally unleashed to cause destruction. When a clerk wishes not to lose her physical appeal he turns her into a mannequin. When a security guard challenges him to walk through him upon a threat we know the crap that follows and it is about as suspenseful as diarrhea. Director Robert Kurtzman is a better effects person than a director. Tammy Lauren plays the heroine who will run and scream and then run and scream some more until she collects her paycheck for the hard work. Andrew Divoff is an embarrassment as the evil genie. He is about as menacing as the Easter Bunny. Also appearing is Robert Englund and Kane Hodder who are better known as Freddy Kruger and Jason Voorhees, and this is hardly a compliment to them or those franchises they represent. They can deem themselves fortunate if they are never remembered for this garbage. Rather than address the dangers of greed, it becomes nothing more than special effects and really lame one-liners from one of the worst concocted villains ever imagined. My wish is that every copy of this film be destroyed. Score: 1 / 10

LeonLouisRicci There is No Doubt that SFX Artists were Reveling in Their New Found Ability to Splatter and Gorge more Guts and Gore on Screen in Semi-Clever and Nauseating Ways by the Late Nineties. There were even Fan Magazines Devoted to this Type of Thing. "Fangoria" and "Gorezone" come to mind.This is one of those that Celebrated this Type of Carnage Ad Nauseum. The Movie is Brightly Lit and the Color Explodes Off the Screen and the whole Thing has the Look of an R-Rated Sitcom. But if this is Your "Turn On", there is some Fun to be had Watching each Scene, Waiting for the Punchline, both Verbal and Visceral. The Money behind this is Evident, but it all went into the Makeup and SFX. The Lead Actress is just Awful, and the Supporting Cast is Not much Better. Andrew Divoff as the Djinn is Good Without the Makeup, but when in Full Costume His Voice Inflections Get on the Nerves.The Story is OK but Elementary and Executed in such a Standard Way that Nothing is Memorable. "Be careful what you wish for!" is as Good as it Gets. Made with a Franchise in Mind, the Sequels all Went STV. This one isn't Bad, its just too Artificial to be Scary, but it Contains an excessive amount of Bloody Gore, the Tone is Not Serious, and that makes it Entertaining Enough for its Target Audience.

JoeB131 Not a bad movie.Craven has his typical moments of horror and unreality, and a wonderful monster who really is a monster in the way he manipulates people.A Djinn is released from an ancient jewel, and starts granting wishes to people who never heard the adage, "Be Careful What you Wish for". Some of those are horror icons Kane Hodder, Tony Todd and Robert Englund.The special effects, just at the beginning of CGI technology, are very effective and the character portrayals are pretty interesting. But what makes this movie work is that Craven manages to deliver the scares with some pretty good timing.Sadly, as we will see, Much like Freddy Krueger, the Wishmaster will eventually find himself in the hands of less talented masters who don't get it.