The Hills Have Eyes (Disappointing)

Rating: 4/10 (1 August 2006)

Oh, hark! It's another remake. Will Hollywood ever have an original thought? Well, simply put, if you're into horror movies, you'll enjoy it. However, if you're a fan of good movies, you won't. Overall, I found it disappointing from both perspectives. This movie was highly anticipated by aficionados of the horror genre and the trailer for it looked very impressive.....as trailers usually do. The movie was chopped up a bit to gain a more marketable rating. So, I declined to see it in a theater and instead viewed the unrated version on DVD. Now, let's delve into the GUTS of the movie, so to speak. The special affects were excellent and the creative make-up on the mutants was excellent. They put together a decent cast whose performances were both professional and believable. Actress Emilie de Ravin, currently on the hit TV show "Lost", plays Brenda Carter and screams VERY WELL. There was enough blood, gore and gruesome mayhem to satisfy even the heartiest of horror fans. So, the question is, with all of this going for it, why did it come and go in theaters so quickly? Blame this one on the director. It was presented very badly. He wasted the first 45 minutes of the movie following this dysfunctional bickering family lumber along and become stranded in the desert after wrecking their trailer. I sat there watching and wondering, when is something going to happen? He should have utilized this time to build up the suspense and to create some sympathy for the potential victims. Unfortunately, he didn't. When the first attack came, I was just glad that something finally happened. At that point, I couldn't care less about the family. In fact, if I felt any sympathy at all, it was for the mutants, victims themselves of 1950's nuclear testing. Then, from the moment of that first attack, right through to the end of the movie, it was non-stop blood and gore. That's why this movie failed. There were no breaks in the action. There was no suspenseful buildup to any of the scenes. Hence, you felt no terror and you felt no fear. A viewer needs to get into the movie and feel for the characters. I felt nothing. Having seen more than my share of horror movies over the years, I viewed it as nothing more than blood and gore. It's a shame too. This movie could have been done really well.