Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Poltergeist


(2015) *** / *

A family moves into a home in a new neighborhood, and it turns out the house is haunted or something. 

I apologize for being inconsistent with the star rating, but there are two different ways to look at this movie.  If I had never seen the original Poltergeist before, this is easily a three-star movie.  The story moves quickly, the family and characters are all likeable – you’re genuinely rooting for everyone to make it through okay, and the effects are all uniquely creepy. 


But, I have seen the original Poltergeist, and this remake actually hews too closely to the original, and it ends up being kind of boring.  Some things in the new movie are better, some aren’t.  I won’t bore with which parts are better or worse, but in the end, the movie is only worth one star, because there’s nothing original here.  It’s like when they remade psycho, shot for shot, just like the original, and it was weird.  Kind of the same thing here.  

4 comments:

Johnny Sweatpants said...

I had the same beef with the Omen remake. It was serviceable but completely pointless. I will avoid!

Catfreeek said...

We watched this a while ago and I completely agree with you on all points. I have such issue with these remakes. I don't have an issue with them remaking something from an older time that had terrible effects and such and now they can make it better. I do however have an issue with them remaking something that was good in the first place stands the test of time and is still good, there's just no reason for it other than the film makers wanting to cash in on something they already know works.

AC said...

As a rule I have little nterest in remakes of decent films. Seems like a lazy attempt to grab a buck.

Octopunk said...

I'm always rooting for the Dawn of the Dead level of successful remake, and over the years I've been let down again and again. The problem you describe here reminds me of the prequel to The Thing that was foolishly titled The Thing, and that was they spent too much time attaching the elements from their movie to the beginning of the original.

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