Ces êtres venus d'ailleurs

Although it is often referred to as a sequel to "Village of the Damned", the plot differs in enough ways to make the claim seriously questionable. No mention is made of the events in the first film. The only real similarity is that the story concerns six children who are perceived as a threat to mankind because they possess strange telepathic and mind-control powers.

Unlike the first film, however, the children are of different nationalities (not identical blonds, as the children in the first film) and they do not mature at an accelerated rate.

It's as if the basic premise (six superintelligent kids who are a threat to mankind) was reworked into a new story. The children are explained as being "quantum leaps in evolution" (not alien offspring, as in the first film). And yet the story never clarifies why they were all born at approximately the same time in different parts of the world (coincidence?). When one sympathetic government agent asks the children, "Why are you here?", the children reply "We don't know."

A line of dialogue by a major character, stating that the children are here to help mankind, was later edited from the film. Too bad.

Mankind, rather than the kids, are portrayed as the bad guys. Despite some confusion over these basic plot elements, director Anton M. Leader does deliver a clear message concerning the hate, fear, and intolerance which society feels towards anyone who doesn't "fit in", as well as the greed for power which nations feel in their efforts to gain dominance over each other.

Not really a sequel to the original classic, but rather its own story with its own things to say. This is, in fact, a powerful allegory about our violent world, the suspicious nations that make it up, what those nations teach their children by way of example, the state of religion in the modern world, etc. Very smart, and beautifully shot in glorious black and white. If you're looking for a horror movie, you might be disappointed, but as an allegorical fantasy it's top of the line.

Children of the Damned is not so much a sequel to Village of the Damned as a supplement to it. This time it's children in the heart of London who are displaying terrifying powers. Instead of personalising the story as in the first film, this time screenwriter John Briley enlarges the scope to encompass some philosophical questions: what right does man have to interfere with evolution? Who's more scared, the adults or the children?

And of course, nature vs. nurture? Highly recommended, Children of the Damned is a fine example of British science fiction filmmaking, as good as Five Million Years to Earth.

Children of the Damned has generally been considered grossly inferior to Village of the Damned. I beg to differ as the point of both movies is quite different. In Village of the Damned the children were the result of alien insemination (presumably) and were simply evil. In Children of the Damned they are the result of a jump in evolution and they, themselves, are unsure of who they are and why they are here. The mystery is cleared up however when Paul makes a very eloquent speech near the end of the movie where he states that they have realized that they are here to help mankind. This speech no longer exists on the video version. It apparently was edited out at some point. However without it the ending makes no sense. The dropped screwdriver is played as a tragedy in the movie which contradicts the impression that the children are evil. In fact what the movie is about is a religious theme about how mankind kills its saviors.

In CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED, kids with supra-genius intelligence are suddenly popping up all over the world. They soon gather together, using an abandoned cathedral as a fortress. The military is utterly powerless against the psychic abilities of these terror tots.

These kids mean business!

Though this movie isn't quite as dark as its predecessor, VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, it does offer political intrigue, a resurrection, and a cool secret weapon involving a pipe organ.

Highly recommended for fans of the original film...