Decent remake, not much more...

Rating: 6/10 (9 September 2006)

Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes is a horror classic. Extremely disturbing and intense. This remake is pretty much the same apart from a few minor tweaks. Usually I am against horror remakes, I see them as pointless, money-grubbing affairs that never top the original. Although this isn't as good as the 1977 version, it's still an intense and well made horror movie.
The movie opens with images from nuclear testing. There are some disturbing images of mutations and explosions. We then enter present day, the Carter family are travelling through New Mexico to California. They stop off at a gas station and get directions from the crazy attendant. Of course, this shortcut causes them to crash. Big Bob (Ted Levine) and Doug (Aaron Standford) split up to find help while the rest of the family stay behind. At night, the mutants raid the trailer.....
Alexandre Aja has done a decent job with this remake. High Tension, his other film, was very well made. It was scary and suspenseful and it packed a punch in the gore department. THHE doesn't either. This movie is extremely gory and quite disturbing. But by the end, the gore doesn't become anything at all, since there is so much being thrown at you.
The special effects are brilliant as is the brooding score. The hills aren't as haunting this time but are still quite creepy. The acting was fairly good from all, nothing outstanding.
I'd recommend this for gorehounds or fans of the original.
3/5.