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Robert Thorn (Liev Schreiber) is an assistant to the American ambassador to Rome, soon to be the ambassador to London. When his boss is killed in a freak accident, Thorn takes his place.
Fast-forward five years. Thorn and his wife, Katherine (Julia Stiles), are busy raising their son, Damien (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick), who happened to be born in Rome when strange – and sometimes gruesome – things started to occur.
Out of the 17 Oscar nominations composer Jerry Goldsmith received for his work, the only win came for the 1976 version of "The Omen." Resembling medieval choral music, the score helped make the original a creepy (and somewhat campy) semi-classic. In fact, it was probably the best thing about the movie.
Although this remake is better than expected, it should have used the original score note-for-note, instead of having Marco Beltrami expand on Goldsmith’s "theme," as the credits indicate. It was very much imitated, with the chorus satanically chan-ting, which was what gave the original both its power and corniness.
That aside, the new version is very much like its predecessor. Much of David Seltzer’s original screenplay remains, with some tweaking by Dan McDermott.
The cast is talented, especially Stiles, who is completely believable as the wife of an ambassador. Schreiber also is very good in the role originally played by Gregory Peck, although he is slightly miscast. But, it’s a small matter. The second half is mostly about Thorn and Schreiber comes through. The supporting players are decent, with Mia Farrow, David Thewlis and Pete Postlethwaite as the standouts.
Director John Moore does a fine job creating a suitably scary atmosphere and it’s very patchable. The location filming helps in giving just the right feel.
The movie’s problem is it’s a little too subdued. Part of the original’s fun (if you can call it that) was its outrageousness. People on the side of God mostly perished in particularly grisly ways. Much of that remains, but it’s been toned down.
In an age where horror seems to be enjoying a revival, it’s good to see a "classic" make an appearance.
The Omen
R
Three-and-a-half reels out of four
In area theaters now
Recommended Rental
The World’s Fastest Indian
PG-13
Available Tuesday
In the 1960s, retired New Zealand native Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins) set the land speed record at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats using a 1920 Indian motorcycle he spent years rebuilding. Although under-funded and lacking a support team, Munro succeeds against heavy odds. Hopkins plays Munro under Roger Donaldson’s direction.
