Solid remake

Rating: 7/10 (27 March 2007)

Alexandre Aja's remake of the Wes Craven classic about a family besieged in the desert by cannibals. This film was a lot better than I thought it would be. While sticking closely to the original's plot, there are a few new twists added to the concept. The monsters aren't really fleshed out, but their past is given more of an explanation. The film is also gorier than the original. Again, this is more of an update tactic. Dan Byrd turns in another fine performance as does Emilie De Ravin. Ted Levine is appropriately gruff as the father. The monsters seem very interchangeable. Its obvious that there are several of them, but they have no personalities like they did in the original. I also don't remember the head of the clan being in a wheelchair with a bulbous head before either. Gone is the brute leader, in is a crippled brain. Some changes work. Some don't. Still, it could have been a lot worse.