Not too Bad...

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2006)

Along with many other fans of the original, I was pretty annoyed when I learnt that it was getting the remake treatment. However, that was before a mate of mine pointed out that Alexander "switchblad Romance" Aja was at the helm. Although i haden't seen Switchblad Romance, i had read the reviews, seen clips from the film, and was able to deduce that the man has a considerable amount of talent. Indeed, the script for this film, which mercifully does not rely too much on old clichés, sets the tone and pace very well. the story is pretty basic, so could have turned out badly in the wrong hands, but it proves to not only follow the original closely, but also to add some interesting twists. You see, i find that many remakes, although good films, do not follow the original closely enough (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, House of Wax), which makes us wonder if the makers have actually SEEN the original, or too closely (psycho, the Omen), which leaves us wondering what the point is, but this is a very well done adaptation that Wes Craven should surely be proud of. It features nice character development, unusually good acting, great special FX, and enough blood to keep all gorehounds well chuffed. fans will love it.