In 1982, the world cowered as Poltergeist hit their screens, in 2015, audiences laughed at the remake. Directed by Gil Kenan (Monster House), Poltergeist is a basic interpretation of a 1980’s classic which cuts and pastes from the original at random. Without attempting to be creative Kenan ‘borrows’ elements from the original in order to cash in for maximum profit. That’s all well and good but I expected better from Gil Kenan after seeing Monster House and know that Poltergeist was merely a ‘safe’ choice.
The story begins with Sam Rockwell and his family moving to a new neighborhood after he was sacked from his job and could no longer afford the mortgage. Before our own eyes, the house is possessed by thousands of dead souls, and Rockwell’s children must battle to save him from self-destruction at their hands. Weep in agony as the remake rips off the arguably more creative Insidious, through the use of children drawing pictures and a similar plot, where the son must journey into the world of the dead in order to rescue his impish sister.
Groan as familiar cliches such as clowns and dodgy accents are used obsessively throughout the film, designed to incite fear in all that watch Poltergeist. What follows is a lucid sequence of mediocre CGI battles between the dead and the living, as the children wade into a spiritual dimension that looks like it is in space (?). A laughable abomination, Poltergeist is a poor reinterpretation of a 1980’s classic and should never be allowed to enter daylight again.
Pros – are there any pros? If anything, the only thing was the comedy value of the film as it made me laugh because it was so shockingly bad. However I am not sure if comedy value should be considered a pro in a horror film… and as for the cons, where do I start, poor CGI, terrible story line, basic editing skills, plot loopholes, the list goes on. You get the picture, Poltergeist is an insult to the original and I would recommend skipping this film at the cinema.
#Peace.Love.Poltergeist
