Demon Hunter (Anchor Bay Entertainment)

Review by Kyle Braun, contributing editor

When Highlander is married with The Exorcist, the result should yield mucho killing, tons of gore, creepy suspense and heart-pounding action. Written by Mitch Gould and produced by legendary television creator Stephen J. Cannell, Demon Hunter has a ton of potential in many areas, namely concept and religious symbolism. However, when it comes to potential, thank the Hollywood gods for digging up Sean Patrick Flannery (Boondock Saints).

In Demon Hunter, Flannery plays Jacob Greyman, a half-human, half-Demon that teams up with the Church to slay the evil demons that now walk the Earth in search of human souls. Armed with a sharp, demon-slaying cross and a take-no-prisoners attitude (not to mention some elite fighting moves), Greyman is dispatched to "take care" of the many possessed humans after the Church's own exorcisms efforts fail. When a hard-bodied nun, Sister Sara (Colleen Porch), joins Jacob on his campaign, the two go head-to-head with the mighty Asmodeus (Billy Drago) and his sultry, sexy "minionettes."

On DVD, Demon Hunter looks and sounds fantastic. Presented in 1.77:1 widescreen anamorphic, the most definite plus is the neatly choreographed fight sequences, which combined with an engaging level of cinematography, vibrant color saturation, clean video quality and wire-tricks, add an original touch to the gritty tone on DVD. Enhancing the overall feel, the clean graphics and pretty-good CGI are enough to inject a stimulating punch to the action-packed presentation. As for audio, Demon Hunter features a solid, stable and spacious Dolby Digital 5.1 track, which definitely showcases a decent alternative-driven soundtrack.

Underneath the visual appeal, guided by director Scott Ziel (Proximity, Cruel Intentions 3), Demon Hunter also possesses an admirable level of social commentary between good and evil and the state of prostitution in our society. Rookie writer Mitch Gould, though definitely not a rookie in the industry (having been stunt coordinator on films such as The Rundown, Hidalgo and Stuck on You), raises the argument of prostitutes being lost souls. Although it's pure fantasy entertainment, there is a sense of noble symbolism underneath the blood and fight sequences.

However, as ripe with potential and visually appealing as Demon Hunter is, the film is lacking in several key areas, namely initial set-up and back story (enough to make us care for Jacob the way we need to). Since we don't know Jacob's history and what brought him to this specific moment in time as a half-breed, we're not completely emotionally invested in the main character. Instead we end up waiting for Jacob to square off against one demon after another, but the story never capitalizes emotionally on its admirable subtext nor the potential within its conflicted protagonist.

The biggest upside with Demon Hunter is the stable presence of Sean Patrick Flannery. Due to Flannery's solid performance, combined with the aforementioned X-Files quality, Demon Hunter really feels more like a pilot pitch for a series than a feature film, a demonic vehicle for both Flannery and actress Colleen Porch. Given Stephen J. Cannell's amazing track record on television, it would have been an interesting ride to see where Demon Hunter could have gone as a series.

On DVD, Demon Hunter delivers a level of special features similar to its financial limitations. Along with the customary trailer and previews, the disc taps into the action in the form of rehearsal footage for one of the film's fight scenes. Although it's not the best fight breakdown segment on the market, the clip offers decent insight into the level of sophistication and attention paid to the action within the movie. The disc also features a commentary with writer Mitch Gould and actress Nancy Yoon, who plays Nancy Yamakawa. However, the best bang for your entertainment buck is the featurette "Demons Among Us," which tells us the story of the filming from the point of view of the writer, director, produce and the actors, although notably without Flannery.

For the most part, Demon Hunter has a ton of potential. To some degree, given the Highlander meets The Exorcist meets The X-Files qualities, Demon Hunter would have worked better on television in the mid-'90s.