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Pulse (2006)

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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.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for some violent images.

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

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... 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 Mattie, a student whose ex-boyfriend, Josh (Jonathan Tucker), goes through a strange transformation, then hangs himself. His depression seems to have emanated from a computer program he was working on--which continues running even when it's not plugged in. As they delve deeper into what happened to Josh, Mattie and her best friends, Isabell (Christina Milian), Stone (Rick Gonzalez), and Tim (FREAKS AND GEEKS veteran Samm Levine), start seeing bizarre images that none of them can explain as more and more people around them are dying unexplainable deaths. With the help of Dexter (LOST's Ian Somerhalder), Mattie begins putting the details together, leading to a frightening and surprising conclusion. Sonzero's feature-film directorial debut is a claustrophobic examination of where technology such as computers and cell phones might lead, and loosely falls into the same genre as films like Takashi Miike's ONE MISSED CALL (2003) and Gore Verbinski's THE RING (2002). Elia Cmiral's creepy score adds to the tension. [More]

Starring: Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder, Rick Gonzalez, Samm Levine

Starring: Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder, Rick Gonzalez, Samm Levine, Kel O'Neill, Ron Rifkin, Christina Milian, Brad Dourif

Director: Jim Sonzero

Director: Jim Sonzero
Screenwriter: Wes Craven, Ray Wright
Producer: Anant Singh, Brian Cox, Michael Leahy, Joel Soisson
Composer: Elia Cmiral
Studio: Dimension Films

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Pulse

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1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
09/23/06
Xan Brooks
Xan Brooks
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A remake that ain't an upgrade.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
09/05/06
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

As the ghosts suck the life out of their victims, the audience suffers the same fate.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
09/23/06
Nigel Floyd
Nigel Floyd
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Decent horror remake with a strong cast, atmospheric direction and some genuinely scary scenes - you'll never log on to your computer again. Probably.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment 3 Comments
09/23/06
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
10/18/08
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
12/30/06
Los Angeles Daily News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
01/19/07
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
09/01/07
Jeff Shannon
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times

Captures almost none of the original's ambience, piling on the rote, head-banging shocks in lieu of clammy ambiguity.

Full Review Source: The Stranger (Seattle, WA) | comment Comment
08/11/06
Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

... in the ranks of J-horror remakes, [Pulse] can't compete with The Ring and The Grudge.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
08/19/06
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

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.

Full Review Source: FilmJerk.com | comment Comment
08/11/06
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
FilmJerk.com

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.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO

It's intended as an indictment of our overdependence on communications devices, but the premise is out-of-this-world unbelievable.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment Comment
08/12/06
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Associated Press

...the requisite happy ending smacks of studio interference...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
01/02/07
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

It was hard to find the pulse in this tame remake.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
08/11/06
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

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.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
08/12/06
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

A creepy, clever thriller is re-envisioned into the type of cliché-filled teen horror movie that Wes Craven spoofed in the Scream movies.

Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | comment Comment
08/11/06
Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net

As usual, this cheaply made PG-13 horror flick is all atmosphere and no horror.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
08/14/06
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Don't get me wrong. This isn't a BAD film, just not particularly good.

Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
08/21/06
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by rotten rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
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Latest News for Pulse

October 22, 2008: Dimension Plots Batch of DTV Sequels, Spinoffs Opens in new window
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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