In recent years we have been subjected to some very poor horror remakes including 2005's anaemic remake of the Amityville horror and this years poorly crafted The Hills Have eyes. Now also consider Gus Van Sants uninteresting interpretation of Phsyco and the totally abysmal Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, and you could be forgiven for thinking this years remake of The Omen is one to miss. Helmed by John Moore, the man responsible for the excellent Owen Wilson war film Behind enemy lines and last years forgettable The Flight of the phoenix remake, The Omen is given no new twists are turns and stays very faithful to the original.
This no doubt will be viewed by some as a weakness, and the film then considered a pointless exercise, but for me and hopefully many more this actually made the film a more interesting experience. It used the same story and instead of the 70's it places itself in modern times and explores many new perspectives on religion and even at times touches on politics to.
The Story as mentioned above is nearly turn for turn a carbon copy of the original. Liev Screiber plays an ambassador who leaves to go to London with his Wife and son Damien. However after a series of terrible events and some weird photos it becomes clear that Damien could be the Devil incarnate.
The cast is certainly a lot stronger than most horror films can boast and it does become apparent when characters interact. Instead of getting cardboard conversations and paper thin personality's here we get offered that bit more, and it really does improve the quality of the film. Liev Screiber and Julia Stiles both play well as Damiens parents, and in scenes of peril, particularly Stiles they both come up trumps in conveying their terror. Support is really good in this movie with David Thewlis, Mia Farrow and Pete Postletwaite all delivering spooky and hammy turns in abundance, and in fact rivalling the original films cast, particularly Farrow who is great value in the form of Mrs Baylock Damiens Nanny. As for Damien himself little Seamus Davey Fitzpatrick is clearly not a brilliant actor but his eyes and stare are so malevolent you get a chill whenever he appears, and that is fine for the role.
Moore has injected plenty of menace and boo moments into the film, so as to keep the audience alert. There are some genuinely scary set pieces and all the deaths are fun and gruesome in equal measure. Fun is an important word, and a film like this needs to have plenty of it, and thats maybe why it succeeds like it does. The end suggests that Moore and co definitely gave the politics of today a thought as the presidents head, are rather the back of his head looks a lot like George Bush. The beginning of the film is my only criticism. I understand why it is there, the sequence at the vatican involving all the disasters to try and add something new, but this was well enough made to stand on its own two feet and thus doesn't need the ill judged opening as an excuse for its existence.
My final verdict is The Omen is a well made film and well worth seeing for a new look at religion are politics. Or if you want fun and a guys head getting chopped of it works well to.
This no doubt will be viewed by some as a weakness, and the film then considered a pointless exercise, but for me and hopefully many more this actually made the film a more interesting experience. It used the same story and instead of the 70's it places itself in modern times and explores many new perspectives on religion and even at times touches on politics to.
The Story as mentioned above is nearly turn for turn a carbon copy of the original. Liev Screiber plays an ambassador who leaves to go to London with his Wife and son Damien. However after a series of terrible events and some weird photos it becomes clear that Damien could be the Devil incarnate.
The cast is certainly a lot stronger than most horror films can boast and it does become apparent when characters interact. Instead of getting cardboard conversations and paper thin personality's here we get offered that bit more, and it really does improve the quality of the film. Liev Screiber and Julia Stiles both play well as Damiens parents, and in scenes of peril, particularly Stiles they both come up trumps in conveying their terror. Support is really good in this movie with David Thewlis, Mia Farrow and Pete Postletwaite all delivering spooky and hammy turns in abundance, and in fact rivalling the original films cast, particularly Farrow who is great value in the form of Mrs Baylock Damiens Nanny. As for Damien himself little Seamus Davey Fitzpatrick is clearly not a brilliant actor but his eyes and stare are so malevolent you get a chill whenever he appears, and that is fine for the role.
Moore has injected plenty of menace and boo moments into the film, so as to keep the audience alert. There are some genuinely scary set pieces and all the deaths are fun and gruesome in equal measure. Fun is an important word, and a film like this needs to have plenty of it, and thats maybe why it succeeds like it does. The end suggests that Moore and co definitely gave the politics of today a thought as the presidents head, are rather the back of his head looks a lot like George Bush. The beginning of the film is my only criticism. I understand why it is there, the sequence at the vatican involving all the disasters to try and add something new, but this was well enough made to stand on its own two feet and thus doesn't need the ill judged opening as an excuse for its existence.
My final verdict is The Omen is a well made film and well worth seeing for a new look at religion are politics. Or if you want fun and a guys head getting chopped of it works well to.