Robert Thorn is a senior American diplomat whose wife, Katherine, endures a difficult delivery where their newborn child has died. Thorn knows the news will devastate Katherine, who had suffered two previous miscarriages. The hospital priest presents Thorn with another child born that night, whose mother died in childbirth. The priest compels Thorn to take the infant boy as his own; Katherine will never know the truth, and their son, which they name Damien, will be raised as their flesh and blood. As the child turns five, unsettling events begin to occur. Whether you have seen the original or not, see this movie. It is a very good movie, a well-done remake that stays true to the original while adding some more scare to it. The idea of the anti-christ being born on this earth is very scary and this movie brings that possible reality to life once again.
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Nicely Done Remake of a Horror Classic Still Manages to Induce Fear But the Original Remains Superior
Added 12/7/2009
An American Diplomat living in the UK, Robert Thorn (Liev Schreiber) and his wife Katherine, (Julia Stiles) have their lives turned upside down when strange occurrences begin to plague their lives and all seem to be connected to their son, Damien Thorn, who may be the antichrist as foretold in the book of Revelations. The evil forces that are protecting this spawn of Lucifer will do anything to protect his identity and death befalls anyone who dares to investigate this secret.
This better than expected remake of the 1976 horror film is technically well done with good performances from the ensemble cast and offers some unnerving imagery and tone. Since this is almost a by the numbers remake of the original, there is very little suspense. Those who have seen the original already know what is going to happen to these characters and to keep them interested, they updated the material (linking the return of the antichrist to today's current events) and inserted a couple of nifty dream sequences which are brief but effective and in one instance, incredibly hair-raising (Robert Thorn's brief dream in Italy- Gotta Love that smiling Priest). I also noticed there is an emphasis on the color red throughout- red flowers, red fruits, characters draped in red cloaks, red night gowns and in one genuinely scary scene, a person draped in red, runs across the screen in the distance just as one of the characters is about to meet their end. Some may find this in your face symbolism a bit too heavy handed but I found it effective.
Although the performances were good, I did find the cast a little too young to be truly believable in their roles. There was a maturity and a certain air of sophistication the 2 original leads conveyed that is missing here. However both lead actors still managed to turn in solid performances. I especially liked Julia Stiles. Her take on Kate Thorn differs from Lee Remick's. Stiles gives us a more distant Katherine. One who comes under suspicion of her offspring quite early on and never manages to let go. She seems extremely annoyed by him and once convinced of his malice, she is consumed by fear and paranoia. Despite of what some detractors say, I found her performance the most believable of the bunch and her character, although a lot more rougher around the edges than Lee Remick's portrayal, managed to induce real sympathy. She is after all a victim. Another stand out was Mia Farrow who plays Mrs. Baylock minus the accent. Billie Whitelaw who played the original was sinister enough and resembled a brutally demented Mary Poppins. Farrow's take on this character is still charming but her wickedness is less obvious. Although I do love her sinister smile as she feeds Damien his strawberries just before the vicious little demon gets on his scooter of doom and rides it towards his unsuspecting mother.
My only disappointment in the casting was with the choice of Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick as Damien. Admittedly, he is a creepy kid but he fails to convey that innocence that Harvey Stephens, the original Damien had. What I loved about the original, was that Damien, at times, looked angelic and seemed unaware of the chaos that was taking place around him. It was as if he wasn't fully conscious of who he was yet the creepy characters around him made it clear to us that he was the devils offspring. Evil is at its most scary when it comes wrapped in childish innocence. Davey-Fitzpatrick is creepy from the get-go. Another major disappointment was with Marco Beltrami's score. It is good enough but when you are competing with Jerry Goldsmith's original, you better out-do yourself and in this case, the score fails to deliver the chilling magic of the original. The death sequences are pretty standard. They are carbon copies of the original (with the exception of Kate's grisly demise and the photographers decapitation is executed differently) so not much to report here.
Overall, the movie is good but when compared to Donner's original, it is inferior. You can say the same about the cast. They do their best but comparing them to Gregory Peck and Lee Remick is not exactly fair (although I did like Stiles) and despite some new elements added- the dream sequences, the hooded demon dog cameos etc and higher, glossier production values, "The Omen" (2006) will forever remain inferior, at least in my eyes, to the greater original visualization of hell on earth.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Blu-ray edition - not bad, considering the expectations
Added 11/1/2009
A somewhat subdued 'end of days' thriller, following in the footsteps of the terribly acted 1976 original, the 6/6/06 Omen is equally badly acted but that's okay because good acting would have spoiled its almost Greek tragedy texture. Actors wearing masks would have been more proper.
Sometimes crossing the line into 'exploitation' territory - suggesting that 9/11 and the last Space Shuttle crash were events described in the Book of Revelation - the Omen is someone one may want to watch on Halloween night after making sure that small children aren't present. There are no significant additions or innovations when compared to its 1976 predecessor other than a few CGI touches that make some of the more gruesome scenes look a little more 'real'. Other than that, Damien walks the exact same path and the movie ends with him exactly where we expected him to be, having watched the original release.
The Blu-ray treatment does enhance the viewing experience and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound is as good as it gets. Other Blu-ray enhancements include the "Devil's Notes" option which splashes little trivia notes on the screen, sometimes but not always related to what is being shown. We get to learn, for example, that the movie's first day earnings were a dollar figure that ended in 666, that Mia Farrow has several relatives named Damien, about the 6 classes of demons and their characteristics and a lot about various Satan-worshiping or admiring cults and movements.
Additional features include an alternate commentary sound track, a feature on the composing and performing of the lugubrious sound track music and a surprisingly long and generally boring 22-minute discussion where various authorities on the subject such as author Tim LaHaye, someone who was born on 12/6/66 and other people in the know tell us that 666 is a very mysterious and troubling number.
Overall, it's not a bad movie and it more or less met my expectations. The crisp Blu presentation and the modernized recreation of an old almost-classic earn it its 3 stars meaning "It's OK".
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Got a few spare brain cells you don't mind losing?
Added 9/30/2009
The year was 2006. They had already disrespected revered horror classics such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Dawn of the Dead with inferior remakes, but when they remade The Omen it was officially safe to say that the remake onslaught would know no limits.
Surprisingly of all these exercises in futility, this is one that follows the story line of the original the most closely. Almost exactly in fact. So what's wrong with this movie? Well just take everything you loved about the original Omen: The great acting, the dark ominous tone, the creative death scenes, Jerry Goldsmith's amazing msic score to name a few. Now toss all that out, and this movie would be pretty much what you'd get. Only it gets better because they also give it a modern day horror makeover: Loud noises, things jumping out at you, random "disturbing" images being flashed on the screen sporadically...
I really don't think I need to go on a tirade about how terrible this remake is as there are already 26 other one star reviews that have covered it quite well. But just to put things in perspective, lets just say that this is so bad that almost makes the original Omen look bad simply through association.
Don't waste your time and money on this worthless junk. Stick with the original classic.
2 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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The Omen - a decent thriller with religious overtones
Added 9/14/2009
I remember seeing the original films back in the 90's while I was a teen, and they were good films indeed. That being said, I haven't really understood this antipathy that a lot of people seem to harbour when it comes to "re-makes". What is the problem, if they are true to the original story and spirit, yet update it with modern technology to make it visually more impressive? This film at times comes quite close to "blasphemy", in a way I can't really describe, might be the very "Jewish" feel to it (the cast and the creators) but not sure that it is. That being said, I think it is a quite well made film (judged on its own) that contains some very chilling scenes and ideas, as well as a relatively believable plot. I mean, would YOU have the guts to do what the main character is supposed to do to save the world? I think most of us would hesitate when the moment of truth dawned upon us!
As for the cast, Schreiber is a very good actor, and I positively detest Julia Stiles (probably due to her not exactly moral previous roles in various sickening movies which need no further description), but that will vary from person to person. The child does a wonderful role, and father Brennan likewise, along with the journalist. When it comes to the plot, I love the dark theme throughout the film, and the battle between occult forces of good and evil being waged, obviously unknown to most people, just as in "reality" (whatever that means, in these days of universal deception). Some scenes are absolutely brilliant; their visit to Italy, the birthday party and the priest's flight, among others. Worth seeing the film just for those scenes, if one is a horror-buff.
4,5 stars and basically a great movie, although Stiles really shouldn't have been in it.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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Robert Thorn is a senior American diplomat whose wife, Katherine, endures a difficult delivery where their newborn child has died. Thorn knows the news will devastate Katherine, who had suffered two previous miscarriages. The hospital priest presents Thorn with another child born that night, whose mother died in childbirth. The priest compels Thorn to take the infant boy as his own; Katherine will never know the truth, and their son, which they name Damien, will be raised as their flesh and blood. As the child turns five, unsettling events begin to occur. Whether you have seen the original or not, see this movie. It is a very good movie, a well-done remake that stays true to the original while adding some more scare to it. The idea of the anti-christ being born on this earth is very scary and this movie brings that possible reality to life once again.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Nicely Done Remake of a Horror Classic Still Manages to Induce Fear But the Original Remains Superior
Added 12/7/2009
An American Diplomat living in the UK, Robert Thorn (Liev Schreiber) and his wife Katherine, (Julia Stiles) have their lives turned upside down when strange occurrences begin to plague their lives and all seem to be connected to their son, Damien Thorn, who may be the antichrist as foretold in the book of Revelations. The evil forces that are protecting this spawn of Lucifer will do anything to protect his identity and death befalls anyone who dares to investigate this secret.
This better than expected remake of the 1976 horror film is technically well done with good performances from the ensemble cast and offers some unnerving imagery and tone. Since this is almost a by the numbers remake of the original, there is very little suspense. Those who have seen the original already know what is going to happen to these characters and to keep them interested, they updated the material (linking the return of the antichrist to today's current events) and inserted a couple of nifty dream sequences which are brief but effective and in one instance, incredibly hair-raising (Robert Thorn's brief dream in Italy- Gotta Love that smiling Priest). I also noticed there is an emphasis on the color red throughout- red flowers, red fruits, characters draped in red cloaks, red night gowns and in one genuinely scary scene, a person draped in red, runs across the screen in the distance just as one of the characters is about to meet their end. Some may find this in your face symbolism a bit too heavy handed but I found it effective.
Although the performances were good, I did find the cast a little too young to be truly believable in their roles. There was a maturity and a certain air of sophistication the 2 original leads conveyed that is missing here. However both lead actors still managed to turn in solid performances. I especially liked Julia Stiles. Her take on Kate Thorn differs from Lee Remick's. Stiles gives us a more distant Katherine. One who comes under suspicion of her offspring quite early on and never manages to let go. She seems extremely annoyed by him and once convinced of his malice, she is consumed by fear and paranoia. Despite of what some detractors say, I found her performance the most believable of the bunch and her character, although a lot more rougher around the edges than Lee Remick's portrayal, managed to induce real sympathy. She is after all a victim. Another stand out was Mia Farrow who plays Mrs. Baylock minus the accent. Billie Whitelaw who played the original was sinister enough and resembled a brutally demented Mary Poppins. Farrow's take on this character is still charming but her wickedness is less obvious. Although I do love her sinister smile as she feeds Damien his strawberries just before the vicious little demon gets on his scooter of doom and rides it towards his unsuspecting mother.
My only disappointment in the casting was with the choice of Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick as Damien. Admittedly, he is a creepy kid but he fails to convey that innocence that Harvey Stephens, the original Damien had. What I loved about the original, was that Damien, at times, looked angelic and seemed unaware of the chaos that was taking place around him. It was as if he wasn't fully conscious of who he was yet the creepy characters around him made it clear to us that he was the devils offspring. Evil is at its most scary when it comes wrapped in childish innocence. Davey-Fitzpatrick is creepy from the get-go. Another major disappointment was with Marco Beltrami's score. It is good enough but when you are competing with Jerry Goldsmith's original, you better out-do yourself and in this case, the score fails to deliver the chilling magic of the original. The death sequences are pretty standard. They are carbon copies of the original (with the exception of Kate's grisly demise and the photographers decapitation is executed differently) so not much to report here.
Overall, the movie is good but when compared to Donner's original, it is inferior. You can say the same about the cast. They do their best but comparing them to Gregory Peck and Lee Remick is not exactly fair (although I did like Stiles) and despite some new elements added- the dream sequences, the hooded demon dog cameos etc and higher, glossier production values, "The Omen" (2006) will forever remain inferior, at least in my eyes, to the greater original visualization of hell on earth.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Blu-ray edition - not bad, considering the expectations
Added 11/1/2009
A somewhat subdued 'end of days' thriller, following in the footsteps of the terribly acted 1976 original, the 6/6/06 Omen is equally badly acted but that's okay because good acting would have spoiled its almost Greek tragedy texture. Actors wearing masks would have been more proper.
Sometimes crossing the line into 'exploitation' territory - suggesting that 9/11 and the last Space Shuttle crash were events described in the Book of Revelation - the Omen is someone one may want to watch on Halloween night after making sure that small children aren't present. There are no significant additions or innovations when compared to its 1976 predecessor other than a few CGI touches that make some of the more gruesome scenes look a little more 'real'. Other than that, Damien walks the exact same path and the movie ends with him exactly where we expected him to be, having watched the original release.
The Blu-ray treatment does enhance the viewing experience and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound is as good as it gets. Other Blu-ray enhancements include the "Devil's Notes" option which splashes little trivia notes on the screen, sometimes but not always related to what is being shown. We get to learn, for example, that the movie's first day earnings were a dollar figure that ended in 666, that Mia Farrow has several relatives named Damien, about the 6 classes of demons and their characteristics and a lot about various Satan-worshiping or admiring cults and movements.
Additional features include an alternate commentary sound track, a feature on the composing and performing of the lugubrious sound track music and a surprisingly long and generally boring 22-minute discussion where various authorities on the subject such as author Tim LaHaye, someone who was born on 12/6/66 and other people in the know tell us that 666 is a very mysterious and troubling number.
Overall, it's not a bad movie and it more or less met my expectations. The crisp Blu presentation and the modernized recreation of an old almost-classic earn it its 3 stars meaning "It's OK".
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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