Compared to Al Gore's new global-warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, The Omen makes the Apocalypse look comforting and child-friendly.
The Omen (2006)
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Reviews Counted:158
Fresh:41
Rotten:117
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: Even with the force of a "classic" behind it, remake fever can't hold up the hollowness of this style-drenched Omen.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for disturbing violent content, graphic images and some language
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:06-06-2006
Synopsis: Many believe the prophecy from the Book of Revelation provides a map to a terrifying future…or it presents fragments of history that have come to life in our time. The signs, they claim, are all... Many believe the prophecy from the Book of Revelation provides a map to a terrifying future…or it presents fragments of history that have come to life in our time. The signs, they claim, are all around us: terrorist attacks, extreme weather… the list goes on. The passage specifically points to the arrival of the Anti-Christ, who is branded with the numerical sequence “666”: the mark of the Beast. The Anti-Christ will receive his power directly from Satan to establish a counterfeit kingdom on earth, signaling the beginning of Armageddon… Robert Thorn is unaware of such dark prophecies. Thorn, a senior American diplomat, has other things on his mind. His wife, Katherine, has endured a difficult delivery and she’s as yet unaware their newborn child has died. Devastated by the loss, Thorn’s concern turns to Katherine, who had suffered two previous miscarriages. The news will surely devastate her. The hospital priest, Father Spiletto, presents Thorn with another child born that night, whose mother died in childbirth. The priest compels Thorn to take the infant boy as his own; Katherine will never know the truth, and their son, which they name Damien, will be raised as their flesh and blood. Katherine embraces the child as her own, blossoming in motherhood; Thorn, it would seem, has made the right choice. Thorn’s career ascends – he becomes the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain – and the family settles into an estate outside London. But certain events, all seeming to revolve around the now five-year-old Damien, are deeply disturbing: Damien’s nanny hangs herself at the youngster’s birthday party; a strange priest brings dire warnings to Thorn; a children’s trip to the zoo results in a panicked frenzy; Damien becomes hysterical during a drive to church; and blurred movements in a series of photographs portend shocking deaths. The troubling incidents multiply, pointing to something wrong – terribly wrong – with Damien. Enter Mrs. Baylock, Damien’s new nanny, who seems to have a preordained devotion to the child. Then tragedy strikes closer to home. But only later does Thorn comprehend the truth: Damien is no ordinary child; he is the long-prophesized Anti-Christ. Now, Thorn must make the ultimate sacrifice to prevent the unspeakable terror that awaits the world. The prophecy is clear, the signs unmistakable: Armageddon is upon us. On 6 / 6 / 06, the omen is revealed...and our darkest fears are realized. -- © 20th Century Fox [More]
Starring: Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, Mia Farrow
Starring: Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, Mia Farrow, Josh Hutcherson, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite
Director: John Moore
Director: John Moore
Screenwriter: Dan McDermott
Composer: Marco Beltrami
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for The Omen
It's still an involving story. And the film's well-acted, particularly by Ms. Farrow and Mr. Postlethwaite. Plus, there are two really good scares that'll make you jump out of your seat. That alone was entertaining.
You can file the remake of The Omen under 'Unnecessary.' With a cross-reference to 'Uninspired.'
You'd think they could have delivered the end of the world with a bang instead of a yawn.
It's so similar to the original that we already know what's coming. And because it adheres so closely, it only serves as a reminder of the superiority of Richard Donner's original.
Aside from a couple of brief, jolting dream sequences, The Omen plods along.
The last Damien is young actor Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick. He lowers his head, hardens his face and glares. Big woo. The movie's dogs do a better job of looking sinister.
The Omen is a faithful remake of the 1976 film, and that's a relief; it depends on characters and situations and doesn't go berserk with visuals.
This film is for people who've never seen the original, and who are easily scared by mediocre horror films. You know who you are.
John Moore has ultimately succeeded in creating an adequate xerox of the first film but failed to keep us from asking why it was worth doing in the first place.
nothing can top the awkward, unintentionally hilarious and career ending performance of Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick ... kid pouts as if he was told he can't have some ice cream, instead of raging like the Anti-Christ.
Here's Damien, the future Satan, just starting his reign of gloom, and Moore encourages the little actor to uproariously scowl as if a teamster was presenting a plate of steamed vegetables to him from behind the camera.
I am not sure if John Moore is in on the joke he's telling in his remake of The Omen, but he tells it very well.
...this new rendition is aimed at a new audience and provides solid entertainment on the big screen.
Having been art directed to within an inch of its life, it has an oppressive gloss that substitutes for the original film's energy.
In this case, 6-6-6 adds up to 18 reasons why you should wait for the DVD.
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