Film Review: POLTERGEIST (2015)

Remakes are always a tricky beast and it is even made more difficult when it is a remake of a beloved classic as the recent remake of Poltergeist (2015).  Met with a lot of derision this new remake seemed (from the trailers) to follow the same trajectory of the original film.  The new screenplay is by David Lindsay-Abaire and the film is directed by Gil Kenan but it is a film that follows much of the original film. 

Eric and Amy Bowen (Sam Rockwell and Rosemary DeWitt, respectfully) have been forced to move their family in a more affordable home after Eric is fired from his job.   Now Eric is trying to give the most convincing image of a normal life to his three children – the oldest daughter Kendra (Saxon Sharbino), his son Griffin (Kyle Catlett) and his youngest daughter Madison (Kennedi Clements).  It is not long before Madison is drawn to the strange paranormal presence in the house.  Griffin’s experience in the house is more malevolent as he also suffers from his own anxiety.  Once the paranormal presence shows itself to the entire family it’s too late and Madison becomes trapped in the world between the living and the dead.  Eric and Amy then seek the help of a group of college paranormal investigators who when faced with a real poltergeist haunting bring in a reality star expert in the form of Carrigan Burke (Jared Harris) who must help the Bowen family come together in order to rescue Madison from the Other Side.

The film for the most part follows the original film beat for beat.  Even though some of the actual character’s motivations and incidents are switched it is still the original Poltergeist.  The real problem with the film is not the actors as they do a serviceable job with the material although Rockwell’s talents are completely underused in this film.  The real problem is just that the film itself isn’t all that interesting or innovative.  Carrigan Burke as a reality show star mimics the effects of Peter Vincent as an illusionist in the remake of Fright Night (2011), only less effective.  The idea of bad economics causing Eric to be out of work is an interesting prospect that is not explored more than the simple first act setup and then quickly forgotten.  The film just doesn’t just is too mediocre and timid for its own good.

The film just doesn’t improve on the original and it relies too much of CGI effects to show the paranormal entities whereas this is definitely a film where the practice of “less is more” should have been…well, practiced.  Unfortunately, this is yet another remake that will be easily forgotten as if it had never been in the first place.

Film Review: POLTERGEIST (2015)

It’s hard to look at a remake and not compare it to the original film.  For those of you who love the original it will be really hard to not compare the remake of Poltergeist (2015) with its predecessor.  The story is for the most part the same as the original.  Eric and Amy Bowen (Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt) move their three children into a new home after he is laid off from his job.  Before the first day is even done the youngest of the Bowen brood daughter Madison (Kennedi Clements) starts experiencing the haunting as a force in the house is immediately drawn to her innocence.  Her brother Griffin (Kyle Catlett) is scared of just about anything while the oldest daughter Kendra (Saxon Sharbino) is more concerned about the fact that she’s been uprooted and moved to the middle of nowhere. 

When little Madison is abducted by the spirits inhabiting the house the family realizes that they need help and turn to a trio of paranormal investigators lead by Dr. Brooke Powell (Jane Adams).  When she realizes that the situation is unlike anything she’s ever encountered she calls in special favor to Carrigan Burke (Jared Harris), a reality TV host known for being able to exorcise ghosts.

The film has no shortage of CGI manifestations as for the first time audiences get a look into the other side of which the spirits inhabit and little Madison finds herself trapped.  The ghosts are also more violent in this film but the reliance on CGI downplays the suspense for the most part.  There are several really effective scenes that happen early in the film especially Griffin’s encounter with the clown dolls (an homage to the original film) but the family dynamic which grounded the original film is lost in this film especially when it relies on Griffin to save Madison.  Rockwell as the patriarch of the family does a fine job as does DeWitt but it is Harris who steals the show (as Zelda Rubinstein did in the original).  Harris’ Burke is not nearly as interesting as Rubinstein as a character but Burke has his war stories to tell from his various ghostly encounters and he’s not afraid to tell the stories.  Anyone expecting Rockwell to be his usual scene stealing self (because he’s such an accomplished actor) will be sadly disappointed as he really does disappear into the father figure just trying to find a way to support his family.

For many audience members who have never seen the original film this film plays fast with the material and plays up the jump scares which most audiences expect but for those of you who know and love the original film this pales in comparison.  It’s a well-produced film for modern audiences that don’t have the history of the original film to fall back on.  The only problem is that there are hundreds of ghost and haunted house films being produced every day and it’s hard for this one to be distinguished from the rest.