The Omen (2006)

It’s quite possible that “The Omen” was chosen to be remade just so it could be released on June 6^th 2006, or 666. It’s a fine enough of a film but it is practically an exact replica of the original film. But it has a cast of actors that grew up with it and had parts that they were probably excited to play and the movie made a decent amount in the box office so there really isn’t any harm. The biggest surprise in the movie was the casting of Mia Farrow as Mrs. Baylock, the nanny who knows exactly who Damien is and what he is capable of; it was exciting to see Mia and a role that was the exact opposite of her more famous role in “Rosemary’s Baby”. The only poor casting choice was the child who played Damien. He didn’t come across as detached in an evil spooky way like the child in the original film did. Even when he knocked his mother off the chair and over the railing, his expression was as creepy.

I do want to give kudos to this film for resisting the “need” to fill the movie with unnecessary special effects or CGI enhancements. The movie has a strong enough storyline to keep things interesting as it is.

Trying to have a creepy stare in 2006

All happy that he knocked his mommy to the floor in 1976

Author's Note - Remakes

Remakes are a touchy subject for many people. There are several that feel like they are nothing more than an excuse to cash in on a recognizable title without even trying to make a decent movie. Michael Bay is guilty of this with his attempts to reboot both the “Friday the 13^th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchises.

Some remakes feel like the cast actually respect the original and just want to have fun making their version; these are fine because they feel more like plays whereas nothing new is usually added but some characters are fleshed out more or are played out with a different style. Some of these films actually use the original novel as source material more so than the original film production.

Then there are the very few where the cast, director and actors, are taking the original idea and are adapting their own interpretations. This approach works at times but can easily backfire as well. Just because your passion for the film and your ideas in how to fix it or make it better might not actually be the best for the project or the legacy of the original film.

While preparing for this theme, I’ve noticed that the opinions of people who saw the original versions versus those who are now just old enough see the remakes makes a large difference. Younger viewers are more accustomed to seeing CGI in almost everything, expect more violence and realistic gore than films from the 1970’s and 1980’s, and want to see cast members that they are familiar with. Keeping these notes in mind, I will try to write my reviews as neutral as possible.