First of all let me say I searched for any threads about this movie, and all I could find was the pre-release one. If I stupidly missed a glaringly obvious thread regarding this film please feel free to tear me asunder. It would be a fitting punishment for watching this sad excuse for a film.
Why did I watch this? Easy really, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ever looked at their Netflix list while under the influence of alcohol, spotted a new release & decided to give it a try! Well, this is a good example of why you should never , ever do that.
Now, I'll admit I may be biased here. I love The Omen (1976), it was one of the first "real" horror movies I saw as a kid. I watched it so many times I could almost recite the dialogue, line by line. And what do you know? With the remake you can do it again! As Devin said in his review, it's the same movie. Almost.
Apart from a few alterations, the intro & some of the death scenes, it IS the same film. Only I found one thing glaringly different. There is no feeling to the movie, it came across as totally flat. It has a good cast, yet they all deliver a dull, lifeless performance. Liev Schrieber in the Gregory Peck role, I know it's a hard act to follow but he just seemed to be mumbling half of his lines. Julia Stiles just looks pained throughout. Pete Postlethwaite as Father Brennan, now there's an actor I love & he does pretty well, but doesn't come close to Patrick Troughton's effort. The one thing I will disagree with Devin on is Mia Farrow. I did not care for her at all as Mrs. Baylock. None of the edge that Billie Whitelaw had.
The only actor I think could come out of this mess with any credit was David Thewlis. He actually made the part interesting, and no disrespect to David Warner but he did his job well.
There is just no tension in this film, I know some of that may be due to the fact that you know what is coming but even so, the whole thing feels dead! The scene where the nanny commits suicide in front of the party guests has none of the impact of the original. The moments where Damien begins to act strangely are frankly, pathetic. He freaks out in the car on the way to the church. "Drive on" mumbles Schreiber. Instead of baboons attacking the car at a safari park we get fake gorillas in a zoo!
Weak, flat, lifeless, dull. Without doubt one of the most boring movies I have seen in years. The thing that worries me the most is that the DVD is advertised as "containing the scenes too shocking for theatres." If that's the case, I hate to think what the poor bastards who saw it on the big screen were subjected to!
Avoid this like the plague!
Why did I watch this? Easy really, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ever looked at their Netflix list while under the influence of alcohol, spotted a new release & decided to give it a try! Well, this is a good example of why you should never , ever do that.
Now, I'll admit I may be biased here. I love The Omen (1976), it was one of the first "real" horror movies I saw as a kid. I watched it so many times I could almost recite the dialogue, line by line. And what do you know? With the remake you can do it again! As Devin said in his review, it's the same movie. Almost.
Apart from a few alterations, the intro & some of the death scenes, it IS the same film. Only I found one thing glaringly different. There is no feeling to the movie, it came across as totally flat. It has a good cast, yet they all deliver a dull, lifeless performance. Liev Schrieber in the Gregory Peck role, I know it's a hard act to follow but he just seemed to be mumbling half of his lines. Julia Stiles just looks pained throughout. Pete Postlethwaite as Father Brennan, now there's an actor I love & he does pretty well, but doesn't come close to Patrick Troughton's effort. The one thing I will disagree with Devin on is Mia Farrow. I did not care for her at all as Mrs. Baylock. None of the edge that Billie Whitelaw had.
The only actor I think could come out of this mess with any credit was David Thewlis. He actually made the part interesting, and no disrespect to David Warner but he did his job well.
There is just no tension in this film, I know some of that may be due to the fact that you know what is coming but even so, the whole thing feels dead! The scene where the nanny commits suicide in front of the party guests has none of the impact of the original. The moments where Damien begins to act strangely are frankly, pathetic. He freaks out in the car on the way to the church. "Drive on" mumbles Schreiber. Instead of baboons attacking the car at a safari park we get fake gorillas in a zoo!
Weak, flat, lifeless, dull. Without doubt one of the most boring movies I have seen in years. The thing that worries me the most is that the DVD is advertised as "containing the scenes too shocking for theatres." If that's the case, I hate to think what the poor bastards who saw it on the big screen were subjected to!
Avoid this like the plague!
