Decent horror remake with a strong cast, atmospheric direction and some genuinely scary scenes - you'll never log on to your computer again. Probably.
3 Comments
09/23/06
Pulse (2006)
12
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:67
Fresh:8
Rotten:59
Average Rating:3.5/10
Consensus: Another stale American remake of a successful Japanese horror film, Pulse bypasses the emotional substance of the original and overcompensates with pumped-up visuals and every known horror cliche.
Theatrical Release:08-09-2006
Synopsis: Jim Sonzero's remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Japanese horror hit KAIRO (2001) is a techno-thriller cowritten by Wes Craven (SCREAM, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET). Kristen Bell (VERONICA MARS) stars as... [More]
Starring: Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder, Rick Gonzalez, Samm Levine
Director: Jim Sonzero
Reviews for Pulse
Click to read the article
12/30/06
Top CriticA remake that ain't an upgrade.
09/05/06
Top CriticAs the ghosts suck the life out of their victims, the audience suffers the same fate.
09/23/06
Top CriticClick to read the article
09/23/06
Top CriticIt's not about blood, gore and oozing innards but unsettling creepiness that gets under a moviegoer's skin and makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.
09/23/06
What really separates it from the pack is its thematically rich exploration of how communications technology can unwittingly bring about a sort of cultural death.
11/16/05
The film frames its horror as if the ghosts are so many Pinocchios, yearning for what seems inherently valuable to humans.
08/18/06
Even at its worst, it's entertaining, but the missed opportunity of the truly great horror film it might have been gnaws at you.
08/16/06
This domestic redo of Kurosawa's ghost story is a reasonably sinister scary movie that faithfully taps into its predecessor's existential dread and distrust of technology.
08/11/06
For all those defects, Pulse is entertaining enough, providing one wants nothing more than an undemanding diversion.
08/16/06
Pulse is most cunning in its overarching theme: What Americans have to fear most are hidden dangers in their midst.
08/14/06
Captures almost none of the original's ambience, piling on the rote, head-banging shocks in lieu of clammy ambiguity.
08/11/06
... in the ranks of J-horror remakes, [Pulse] can't compete with The Ring and The Grudge.
08/19/06
Riddled with obtuse plotting and a noticeable lack of continuity, Pulse steams forward with such unabashed inanity, you really have to give your brain a rest to even make it to the end.
08/11/06
The unanswered questions in the original added to the mood, but by trying to answer even just a few of them, this Pulse just gets more confusing and less scary.
03/24/07
It's intended as an indictment of our overdependence on communications devices, but the premise is out-of-this-world unbelievable.
08/12/06
...the requisite happy ending smacks of studio interference...
01/02/07
It was hard to find the pulse in this tame remake.
08/11/06
Fails to find the relevancy it desires and the momentum it needs, all the while unleashing a series of hoary teen thriller clichés and cheap throwaway jump scares.
08/12/06
Latest News for Pulse
October 22, 2008:
Dimension Plots Batch of DTV Sequels, Spinoffs 
Dimension Films' Extreme division is prepping a slew of direct-to-DVD titles, many of them offshoots of theatrical releases -- including sequels for "Pulse," "Children of the... More...
August 09, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Chan and Tucker Back in Action
Another wide assortment of summer offerings will hit the multiplexes across North America this weekend. The action-comedy sequel Rush Hour 3 leads the way as the main course and... More...
July 30, 2007:
Frank Miller Faults Weinsteins for Sin City 2 Delay
While sitting on a Comic Con panel, Frank Miller was asked about the hold-up on Sin City 2. (Numerous times, probably.) And it looks like the celebrated author / artist /... More...
August 20, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: Snakes Opens at #1, But Lacks Bite
Samuel L. Jackson's much-talked-about thriller Snakes on a Plane landed in first place at the North American box office this weekend, but lacked the kind of bite that was... More...
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