First of all, I'd like to state, that I'm a huge fan of the original movie 'Let the right one in', thus I was very skeptical about this remake. In the end, however, this film turned out to be really good. I'm pleasantly surprised! On the other hand, the first one is still better, in my opinion. Though it shows the story from an entirely different angle, comparing the two is inevitable.
The American version is much more concentrated, and compact than the Swedish original. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, it only depends on the personal taste. This means 'Let me in' operates with a seemingly smaller cast, which means it is more focused on our heroes, Owen and Abby. Or at least it should mean, because I don't get the feeling that we get to know them much better than in 'Let the right one in' (but more on them later). We see most of the supporting cast from a greater distance also, which makes the bullying a more pivotal point of the story, but also makes other story lines weightless (for example, the neighbor who got bitten by Abby, is quite an unnecessary part in this remake, while in the original movie, we get to know the neighborhood a lot better). Also, the bound between Abby and her "feeder" is much more in focus, which is a good thing, but leads to some gimmicky (though well made) scenes, which distracts from the story.
Another difference is that this version shoves everything in your face. It takes place in the 80's, so they go to an arcade, listen to 80's music all the time, and such. It's a coming of age movie, so Owen spies on the couple next door, and watches people kissing at the store. It's a horror movie, so turning into a vampire results in some over-the-top effects, and we get to see a lot of blood everywhere. The same goes to the main dilemma of the story, which in the Swedish version came together in the head of the viewer, but here, it is shown in the form of a photograph.
But the biggest problem I had with this version is on casting choice. Namingly: Chloe Moretz. Owen and Oskar are almost entirely the same, but the character of Abby and Ely couldn't be more different. Don't get me wrong, I really like Ms Moretz (she was probably the best thing about 'Kick Ass' in the first place), but this is really not her role, in my opinion. While Eli at least seemed to be innocent, and a victim of her nature (again, what goes on behind that doe-eyed face is entirely up to the viewer in the original), Abby is openly manipulative, aggressive, and very intimidating. I think I can see what they were going for with this change, but unfortunately, this kills the chemistry between them. Moretz, though a year younger than Smit-McPhee, seems way older and stronger than him, making this 'romance' unlikely, and unpleasant to see.
In the end, this version might be more focused on them, and their fate, eliminating other plot lines, but their relationship is just not as subtle, as it was in the Swedish film, making this remake just a tiny bit more weightless than the original.
Still, highly recommended. I agree, that the story is good enough to deserve a worldwide recognition, and for those of you who have problems reading subtitles, this is a must see.
The American version is much more concentrated, and compact than the Swedish original. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, it only depends on the personal taste. This means 'Let me in' operates with a seemingly smaller cast, which means it is more focused on our heroes, Owen and Abby. Or at least it should mean, because I don't get the feeling that we get to know them much better than in 'Let the right one in' (but more on them later). We see most of the supporting cast from a greater distance also, which makes the bullying a more pivotal point of the story, but also makes other story lines weightless (for example, the neighbor who got bitten by Abby, is quite an unnecessary part in this remake, while in the original movie, we get to know the neighborhood a lot better). Also, the bound between Abby and her "feeder" is much more in focus, which is a good thing, but leads to some gimmicky (though well made) scenes, which distracts from the story.
Another difference is that this version shoves everything in your face. It takes place in the 80's, so they go to an arcade, listen to 80's music all the time, and such. It's a coming of age movie, so Owen spies on the couple next door, and watches people kissing at the store. It's a horror movie, so turning into a vampire results in some over-the-top effects, and we get to see a lot of blood everywhere. The same goes to the main dilemma of the story, which in the Swedish version came together in the head of the viewer, but here, it is shown in the form of a photograph.
But the biggest problem I had with this version is on casting choice. Namingly: Chloe Moretz. Owen and Oskar are almost entirely the same, but the character of Abby and Ely couldn't be more different. Don't get me wrong, I really like Ms Moretz (she was probably the best thing about 'Kick Ass' in the first place), but this is really not her role, in my opinion. While Eli at least seemed to be innocent, and a victim of her nature (again, what goes on behind that doe-eyed face is entirely up to the viewer in the original), Abby is openly manipulative, aggressive, and very intimidating. I think I can see what they were going for with this change, but unfortunately, this kills the chemistry between them. Moretz, though a year younger than Smit-McPhee, seems way older and stronger than him, making this 'romance' unlikely, and unpleasant to see.
In the end, this version might be more focused on them, and their fate, eliminating other plot lines, but their relationship is just not as subtle, as it was in the Swedish film, making this remake just a tiny bit more weightless than the original.
Still, highly recommended. I agree, that the story is good enough to deserve a worldwide recognition, and for those of you who have problems reading subtitles, this is a must see.