Good movie but suffers from the same minor problems as the original.

Rating: 7/10 (21 October 2005)

The original "Abre los ojos" was a great but not perfect movie. It had a bit of a dragging beginning and especially middle-part. Unfortunately this remake suffers from the same problem and is even a bit worse with its dragging parts. In the first hour and an halve it's still mainly unclear where the movie is heading to and makes perhaps a bit of a pointless impression. Just like in the original, the ending compensates for this even though the ending for this movie isn't build up as a good and executed as in the original was the case.
Yes, it's a pointless remake. "Abre los ojos" is perfectly watchable for everyone. You don't have to be a fan of European cinema to enjoy that movie. The original is also just a tiny bit better but that doesn't mean that "Vanilla Sky" itself is a bad movie on its own. It has some great acting performances from Tom Cruise and especially Cameron Diaz in it. Quite honestly, I have never seen Diaz acting better in any other movie. Other well know actors in this movie are Penélope Cruz (who reprises her role from the original but she isn't halve as good in this movie as she was in the original.), Kurt Russell, Noah Taylor, Jason Lee and Timothy Spall with who Cruise later teamed up again for "The Last Samurai".
The atmosphere is good. New York is the perfect background for the movie its story. The story is good and surprising enough for everyone to enjoy even though at times it tries too hard to be confusing.
It's a good movie but you're still better of watching the original. Are the many difference between this movie its story and that of the original? Hardly, both movies are very similar with the story, sequences and even dialog. Still "Abre los ojos" is a better movie because it builds up the story and characters better and has a better, more powerful and surprising executed ending.
7/10
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