Carrie (2013) - Starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, Ansel Elgort, Portia Doubleday, Alex Russell, Judy Greer. Written by Lawrence D. Cohen and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Based on the novel by Stephen King. Directed by Kimberly Pierce. Rated R. Now in Theaters.
Remakes are always a tricky business. On one end, it's smart, because it's a title, brand, and story that audiences already know, but on the other hand, it will be unfairly compared to the original. People hold fondness for things in the past, which sometimes affects their perceptions of the remake. And I feel like this is the case for Carrie. I've seen lots of reviews, some of them negative, and they all compare it to the original that was directed by Brian De Palma and released in the seventies. But this is a different film and should be viewed as such.
First of all, this incarnation of Carrie is a lot more similar to the original novel by Stephen King. It includes several plot lines that weren't present in the De Palma version, and it plays a lot less of a horror film than the first film. That is similar to the book. Carrie seems more like a misunderstood, unstable superhero than a demonic entity. This version also finds a better balance with the bullying by fellow students and the crazy, religious mother aspects of the story.
This film is good, just don't make the mistake of thinking that you are going to be scared during this film. Creeped out, maybe. Disturbed, maybe. But it's not a horror film in the traditional thinking of the term. I recommend this film, but it might be better to wait until it's out on DVD.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment