Poltergeist (2015) Review

 "They're here!"
-Maddy Bowen



After moving into a new house, the Bowen family all notice odd quirks about their home, but ignore it unil the youngest, Maddy (Kennedi Clements), is taken by a supernatural force.  The Bowen's team up with a group of paranormal investigators to try and bring Maddy back.


What Works:

I am a huge fan of Sam Rockwell and I've loved every role I've ever seen him in.  Even in a pretty generic role that could be played by anyone, he brings heart to the character.  I really like the chemistry he and the actress who plays his wife, Rosemarie DeWitt, have.  Their interactions are the best parts of the film.

The family in the original Poltergeist didn't have much in the way of internal conflict.  They were a united front from beginning to end.  The 1st act of the remake actually incorporates some family drama.  They don't do a ton with it, but it actually made the 1st act more interesting.  I'd like to watch a family with issues forced to come together in a crisis.  It's something different from the origianl.

The original movie had Tangina as the psychic, played wonderfully by Zelda Rubinstein.  There was no way on earth anyone was going to be able to play that character in this remake, so the filmmakers significantly changed the character of the psychic.  He's more in line with a Zak Bagans/ghost hunter type and I appreciate this change.  Jared Harris is good in the role and brings something different to the remake.


What Sucks:

Apart from the stuff I mentioned above and the updated special effects, this is simply a remake of Poltergeist.  It doesn't really do anything new or interesting.  It's not bad by any means, but that's because the original Poltergeist is a great movie.  If you make the same movie again, it's going to be watchable.  It simply does nothing to justify its existence.  Why would I ever watch this movie when I could watch the original?  It may not be the least necessary remake of all time, but it's up there.


Verdict:

Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Jared Harris all do a good job and I like some of the family drama elements in the beginning of the film, but ultimately this is a pretty pointless remake.  It's not bad, but there was no need for it.

 5/10: Meh 

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