movieswithgreg
This isn't nearly as bad as reviewers say. I see far worse movies get far better reviews and ratings here. I've seen the original film a few times since it was released. This one was inferior, fwiw, but not egregiously so. Sure, creative decisions led to some of the acting being needlessly vague and frustrating more than disturbing or suspenseful. The bees motif could have been chosen or used better. The writing was looser than it should have been. Cage, who CAN act, seemed to be taking no risks here, but he didn't have much script to work with, and who knows what kind of direction he was getting.As for the accusations that this is unintentionally hilarious -- I know what they're referring to, but I don't see it, other than the bear scene. I chalk it up to mob mentality of "we hate Cage."
TheNameBrand
The unintentional humor was definitely beyond my expectations. Worth a watch with a good group of people that can all make fun of Nic Cage. There's almost no value to the rest of the film. But so long as you can watch ol Nicky, and make fun of his role, the overall film, and his incredibly bad acting, you're in for a good time.
soulexpress
I have Pagan friends who despise this film with a savage intensity. Given its mean-spirited portrayal of them, I can certainly understand why. As if that weren't bad enough, the film has numerous plot points that were either abandoned or simply didn't make sense:In an early scene, Office Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) pulls over a car occupied by a mother and her young daughter. Out of nowhere, an 18-wheeler barrels into the car, setting it ablaze. As Malus attempts to rescue them, the mother and daughter seemingly vanish into thin air. First, why was the truck on the wrong side of the road, much less in the breakdown lane? Second, just who were that mother and daughter? And for that matter, why was their car unregistered?How did Willow's letter get to Malus without a stamp?If outsiders aren't allowed on Summersisle, why does it have an inn?At the inn, Malus mentions that the cassette tapes he brought with him had disappeared from his luggage. The tapes are never mentioned again.What's the deal with the bird trapped in the old school desk?Why don't the men on the island speak? Are they unable to? It's never explained.While Malus is searching an underwater crypt for the missing child, somebody closes and locks the lid to the opening through which he entered it. Why do that and risk his drowning when they need him alive for their ritual?After spending all night underwater (except for his head), Malus immediately bounces back and continues his search for the missing child. Naturally, his clothes are bone-dry not two minutes later.Why was that little girl hiding in the closet?You inject an Epi-Pen into the outer thigh, not the damned neck!Lastly, my DVD copy (which I found in a $2.00 bin) features what it calls a "shocking alternate ending not seen in theaters." All it does is leave out the epilogue. This version ends with the chants of, "The drone must die." So not only was the theatrical release garbage, the DVD was a scam!
loveagoodstory
A painful attitude of many big studios is that tried material is trusted material and prime for turning into a revenue stream...sorry, an exciting new take on a story the director/write/lead just loved as a kid.Part of the reason the original worked was because the story isn't a horror story, it's a suspense story. Unfortunately, this film tries to use the modern horror style and it falls flat. Nicolas Cage delivers a Nicolas Cage performance but it's not suited to the pace of the story. The cast do their best with what they're given but the fault lies in the tone. Avoid, watch the original.
AD
