An enjoyable film

Rating: Null/10 (2 April 2006)

*spoilers included* I watched this film last night and was highly impressed. Having not seen the remake, I got to go into it with an unbiased view (Usually I hate remakes) The plot involves the Carter family, on their way to California. Big Bob (Ted Levine) likes to take the long way round, and when they stop at a gas station in the middle if the desert, they get more than they bargained for. The attendant, who seems to have something going with whomever or whatever is out there in the hills, becomes suspicious of them and sends them into the lion's den. Their tires are blown out by whomever is out there, and they are forced into an accident. Then the horror begins.
The film is well cast. Veteran character actor Ted Levine makes for a great Big Bob Carter. He has the look and feel of a retired detective, and I enjoyed every moment he was on screen. Kathleen Quinlan is also excellent as Bob's wife and mother of the kids. Aaron Stanford is great as the fish-out-of-water husband of Bob's daughter Lynn (Vinessa Shaw) both have tender moments and are quite convincing as a married couple. It's fun to watch Stanford's Doug become more and more heroic as the film progresses (Think Brody in "Jaws") Dan Byrd and Emilie De Raven are also standouts as the younger generation of Big Bob's clan. They have that brother-sister "I hate you" relationship down pat, and it's great to watch them bond together as the horrors continue.
Not too many of the mutants are huge standouts, as they don't get a lot of screen time, but Billy Drago is nicely diabolical as Jupiter, as is Robert Joy as Lizard. You're rooting for them to get their comeupance.
There were a few moments of "Why is that character doing that?!" I had the row in front of me in hysterics when I muttered aloud at one point in the film (You'll know which one when you see it) to Ted Levine's character, "Stop wasting your bullets!" They agreed.
Thankfully, they're not frequent, and they don't ruin the film. Every horror film has these moments, there's just no getting away from it. And I figured that Ted Levine would not make it to the final credits when he was given special billing at the beginning of the film. Usually when a name actor gets special billing in a horror film, no good can come of it.
I knew when I watched the opening credits roll and saw that the make-up effects were done by Greg Nicotero that I was in for a special treat. I wasn't disappointed. The mutant make up is extremely well-done, as are the gore effects. (Including chopped fingers, and a life-sized burning mock-up of one of the stars.) A great work by Director Alexandre Aja. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of his work in the future. I was impressed and entertained.