The Omen

While not a shot-for-shot copy of Richard Donner’s far superior 1976 original "Omen," David Seltzer --the screenwriter of both films—barely updates his original script for this gratuitous remake. The effect is a somnambulistic horror movie by John Moore ("The Flight of The Phoenix") a director oblivious to the importance of tone and location. Filmed primarily in Prague, the movie carries no visual anchor to contextualize its events. For all of Liev Schreiber’s sincere efforts at playing the adoptive father to Satan’s son, he doesn’t hold a candle to Gregory Peck’s incarnation in the original. Most glaring is the distance between Lee Remick’s piercing blue eyes and Julia Stiles’ blank stare. Nonetheless, there is an obligatory decapitation scene that Moore executes with particular glee. If you haven’t seen the original; rent it, but if you must see the latest inferior Hollywood remake on the big screen, know that you will be dissapointed.

Rated R. 110 mins. (C-) (Two Stars)