Prequel a classic horror tale revisited

It does not take long for director Renny Harlin to create suspense in this Exorcist prequel. Sure there is an excitingly morbid introduction, but even after the story begins in earnest, we soon are taken into a world of rare objects, mythical demons and mysterious churches in the Saharan sands of Africa circa 1949. \nIf you have seen the original Exorcist movies, especially the first one based on William Peter Blatty's novel, you will not be surprised by this movie. It is, afterall, the Devil channeled through the doctor (Izzabella Scorupco) that he begins to fall in love with. Father Merrin from "The Exorcist" (Stellan Skarsgard) confronts her at the climax, but the structure has some differences from the original. Along with writers Caleb Carr, Alexi Hawley, and William Wisher, Harlin builds this tale slowly from a mysterious beginning through some gory details in the middle to a final freakish finale. That is not to say that there are not any scary horror movie motifs along the way such as the frightened and loud bats that get stirred up by the investigators of this church that appears more Satanic than Godly.\nOverall, this movie is well put together. With freaky camera angles, scary set designs, good acting and a decent soundtrack with a heavy emphasis on sound effects and not enough scary music, it offers something to think about as it compares the evil of World War II to the devil who is displayed at its most deceiving.