POLTERGEIST

With Jenise Jacquin

This film tells the story of the Bowen family, led by Eric (Sam Rockwell) with wife Amy (Rosemarie DeWitt) they move into their new home. Immediately, Griffin (Kyle Catlett) knows something is wrong but he doesn’t know what. Going into sister Maddie’s room (Kennedi Clements), he sees her talking to nothing.

Griffin goes into his room where there is a huge willow tree outside the window frightens him. The parents are worried thinking he might need help with his problems. They discover that the house is built on an old cemetery and right away Griffin’s fears come alive.

At the same time, older sister Kendra (Saxon Sharbino) has an incident of her own. Now Maddie is becoming afraid of what she is hearing but still is taken by the house. Eric and Amy bring in Carrigan Burke (Jared Harris), a television psychic who wants to help the family.

Now they must all face their fears to save their family!

Rockwell as Eric played the fun loving, goofy dad here. The film is moving so fast that there isn’t much room for drama. He does cry one time and it’s pretty convincing but that’s about it. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, it just what it is. DeWitt as Amy played a Mom and I have to say that her character really didn’t do a lot for me.

Clements as Maddie is a nice creepy kid and does it very well, a little scarier than the original character of Carole Ann. Catlett as Griffin plays a frightened kid pretty well too. Sharbino as Kendra plays a bratty teenager fairly well too. Harris as Burke probably gets my hero-of-the-movie award.

Other cast include: Jane Adams as Dr. Brooke Powell, Susan Heyward as Sophie, Nicholas Braun as Boyd, Karen Ivany as Mrs. Stoller and Patrick Garrow as Mr. Stoller.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give POLTERGEIST three tubs of popcorn out of five. I will say that it did keep me watching but I also have to say that nothing will replace the original.

I’m not a huge fan of remakes and I have absolutely have no problem sticking by that point. They really are a waste of time and money especially when the films being remake just don’t cut it. The 1982 Spielberg film is a classic and I can watch it over and over again.

That being said this isn’t worst remake I’ve seen and I’m sure it will do fine. There were plenty references to the original but they were just that - references. Personally I thought the CGI was horrible and if you’re going to do a remake and have better CGI technology then perhaps it should really reflect in the film - which it doesn’t.

In the end - they know what scares you.