Poltergeist
Dir:
Gil Kenan
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Saxon Sharbino, Kyle Catlett, Kennedi
Clements, Jane Adams, and Jared Harris
93
Minutes
PG-13
“They’re here”.
The 1982 horror classic “Poltergeist”, directed by Toby Hooper of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" fame and
highly influenced by Steven Spielberg, has been an influence for many horror
films since its release. It's no surprise, especially for a horror film, that a
remake would be inevitable. How does one fill the shoes of the original “Poltergeist”?
You don’t.
It’s impossible. Director Gil Kenan, who directed
2006’s animated “Monster House”, takes on the unenvied task of updating “Poltergeist”. And, aside
from a few accomplished scenes and set pieces, this updated product hits all
the highlights but looses all the substance that made the original a portrait
of quaint suburban life turned into a nightmare.
The Bowen family moves into
a suburban
community and strange occurrences begin happening in their new home. Eric (Sam
Rockwell) is looking for a fresh start after being recently laid off from his
job and his wife Amy (Rosemarie DeWitt), a stay at home mom, is struggling to
accomplish her dream of writing a book. They have three kids, a moody teenage
daughter named Kendra (Saxon Sharbino), a timid younger son named Griffin (Kyle
Catlett), and an inquisitive younger daughter named Madison (Kennedi Clements).
The strange events heighten in severity and young Madison is taken captive by
the entity. The Bowen’s, with the assistance of a group of paranormal
researchers, must come together to take back their family.
The pacing for this new
update is noticeable faster. It’s only a matter of minutes
before the first jump scare is employed. The scares are reproductions from the
original, the clown doll makes an appearance as does the spooky tree, but their
scary effect is diminished because of their familiarity. The best setup is one
of the only originally composed scares in the film, one that involves a drill
and a hole in the wall. It’s an effective and welcome scare. Where the
original film slowly and meticulously built the terror, playing on perceived
apprehensions with blindsiding imagery accomplished primarily through practical
special effects, this updated film utilizes a more contemporary style with the usual digital approach that has
come to define many theatrical horror releases today. Still, amidst the
familiar beats are glimpses of originality. Like the portal to the other
dimension which is now investigated by a flying drone and envisioned with
pulsing strobes peering into the darkness. Or the promising introduction that
hints at underlying strains for this family due to a damaged economy. It’s unfortunate that the narrative doesn’t try to incorporate more imaginative or creative ideas. Instead of
building on the established concepts and turning this film into something
freshly modernized, a quality that all the best remakes have, it feels content
with being basically a carbon copy of highlights from the original.
Sam Rockwell is good here,
composing a character that smiles brightly to mask the stress and anger that
creeps through when his family isn’t looking. The children in
the film do a decent job as well, especially young Kyle Catlett whose fear and
worry are conveyed nicely with movement and expression. Jared Harris has the
most difficult job, filling the shoes of Zelda Rubinstein. It's an awkward and
subdued attempt that functions as a movement into the final act of the film.
The problem with the remake
for “Poltergeist” is the past it has to live up too. If it weren’t
called “Poltergeist” the film would be less harshly judged. There is an expectation that
exists with remakes; to what extent does the creative team remain dedicated to
the source verse being original. The balance for remakes lies somewhere in
between, look no further than the 1978 “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, “The Thing” in 1982, or recently the
2013 version of “Evil Dead” for successful examples. The
2015 version of “Poltergeist” isn’t
the worst update but it is far from the best, an example of another misguided
remake attempt.
Monte’s Rating
1.50 out of 5.00
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