Bless the Child (R, 2002)

Given up by her unstable mother, Jenna is raised by Maggie (Kim Basinger). When Jenna turns 6, her birth parents steal her away from Maggie, who turns to detective Travis (Jimmy Smits) for help. Together, Maggie and Travis learn that other children born on the same day as Jenna have also been abducted, and the clues lead them to a group of Satan worshippers.

If your teen is at all prone to nightmares and can't stomach moderate gore then this movie isn't for your family. And search elsewhere for your thrills if you're at all offended by any of the following: the Catholic church's struggle against actual forces of darkness; an unconvincing Kim Basinger as an overwrought mother-figure; a frightfully uninspired script; and a movie that shamelessly manipulates audience emotion by rolling out the issue of child abduction.

So who will get some enjoyment out of this one? Fans of Jimmy Smits' character from NYPD Blue. Smits plays the same character here--understated professionalism, low-key sense of caring, and humorless sex appeal. Also, B-movie horror buffs who will take their chills in any form and enjoy a few laughs at the movie's expense should get their money's worth.

Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Chuck Russell
Cast: Jimmy Smits, Kim Basinger, Rufus Sewell
Genre: Horror
Run time: 107 minutes
Theatrical release: August 13, 2002
DVD release: August 13, 2002
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: violence, drugs, sexuality, language