As far as thoughtless Hollywood remakes of classic horror films go, The Omen is a dud...and considering how many horror movies have been massacred in the past five years by a corporate empire more concerned with profit than integrity (natch), that's saying something.
Unlike, say, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Halloween or Amityville Horror remake, the problem with The Omen is not that it's mindless drivel, but that it's simply a chore to sit through. (Give me a choice, and I'll take mindless drivel over boredom anytime.) The Wagnerian chants and slow-motion death scenes that gave the original such energy and intensity are here completely forsaken for tedious exposition and lackluster plot twists. How could a film as thrilling and tense as The Omen be rendered into nothing more than a two-hour barbiturate? On the "pro" side of things, a fairly good cast has been assembled, even if they don't get much to do. David Thewlis is uncannily perfect for the role originated by David Warner--if I didn't know any better, I'd almost believe they were the same person. Mia Farrow is a highlight, trading in her normally gentle persona for a flat-out insane banshee. Everybody else is adequate, except the kid who plays Damien, whose performance closer resembles a bratty kid being given a time-out than the son of the devil. The production value is quite good. At least it looks like a horror film, if it can't act like one.
Here's to hoping the studios spare us a set of sleepy sequels.
Unlike, say, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Halloween or Amityville Horror remake, the problem with The Omen is not that it's mindless drivel, but that it's simply a chore to sit through. (Give me a choice, and I'll take mindless drivel over boredom anytime.) The Wagnerian chants and slow-motion death scenes that gave the original such energy and intensity are here completely forsaken for tedious exposition and lackluster plot twists. How could a film as thrilling and tense as The Omen be rendered into nothing more than a two-hour barbiturate? On the "pro" side of things, a fairly good cast has been assembled, even if they don't get much to do. David Thewlis is uncannily perfect for the role originated by David Warner--if I didn't know any better, I'd almost believe they were the same person. Mia Farrow is a highlight, trading in her normally gentle persona for a flat-out insane banshee. Everybody else is adequate, except the kid who plays Damien, whose performance closer resembles a bratty kid being given a time-out than the son of the devil. The production value is quite good. At least it looks like a horror film, if it can't act like one.
Here's to hoping the studios spare us a set of sleepy sequels.