These Hills Definitely Have More Than Eyes

Rating: 7/10 (2 April 2006)

I feel that a remake is only fairly judged in comparison to the original. If a bad remake is made, it should receive less respect for ruining a good idea. If a better remake is made, it should be praised for its improvement. But one thing we should never do is give credit to the new movie for things already established in the old movie (why give a writer or director credit for something they just copied?).
I ma pleased to say this remake was exactly the best it could have been. It kept all the best scenes, all the best dialogue and added to them. The gore was increased, a whole new extended scene was inserted. The opening credits added more to the feel of the movie than the entire 1970s version had at all. The only thing lacking is the experience of a 70s/80s film you can only get from the the original (or from "The Devil's Rejects"), but this is also a strength... allowing us to identify better with the new characters and add the new aspect of cellular technology.
The story, as you may know, is that of a family stranded in the desert by a nuclear testing site. They are soon attacked by a clan of radiation-affected mutants who also like the taste of human flesh.
There isn't much to say. If you like a good survival story or a gorefest, this is a fine film. If you liked the original, you'll probably like this better. I have heard that this director is "the new Wes Craven". Not true... he is much better than Craven can ever be (see "Cursed"). I will gladly see his next film.
Bottom line: horror movies should not be remade, and neither should most other movies. This film, however, is the one exception to that rule. See it.