Remakes are not a thing of the past, while this year sees only one real remake, Point Blank, hitting movie screens remakes still do keep getting turned out. With Poltergeist, the producers behind The Grudge and Evil Dead remakes brought back Spielberg and Hooper's ghost house classic into present day, adding more visual flare and giving the new film a different twist.
Gil Kenan, the director of the animated monster feature Monster House, directs this remake of a family who are haunted by unhappy spirits. The cast is peppered throughout with excellent talent, from Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt to Jared Harris and Jane Adams, the cast is perfect and effective. They convey their characters with perfect conviction, including new comer Kennedi Clements, who plays Madison just like Carol Anne in the original, constantly conveying that sense of innocence. Actor Kyle Catlett is a great addition but I cant help but feel he has barely aged since I saw him on television in The Following two years prior. The visuals are eye-popping in 3D and the design of purgatory is done with such a high creep factor, had me cringing the whole way through.
One flaw with the film, and sadly this is a major one, is it is hardly scary. The film really is portrayed as more of a creepy thriller than an actual horror movie. Their are moments where certain characters are put in jeopardy, one such great moment is when one of the ghost hunters tries installing a heat detector in the primary closet, bad idea as he almost gets drilled through the head.
No one was really seemingly at risk, it seemed like the ghosts were kind of tame. The film is well made and deserves a watch. Some may want to see the original though as this remake pretty much follows the original to a T, though there is a better ending that has less of a cliffhanger like most horror films and concludes that story better. A short, creepy, well crafted thriller, the new Poltergeist is tame in comparison to the original, in parts, but as far as a viewing pleasure goes it was a pretty good time at the movies.
Rating: B
