MovieChat Forums > The Omen (2006) Discussion > for once a remake thats actually good!

for once a remake thats actually good!

posted 13 years ago by ricky-may1
35 replies | jump to latest

after years of seeing remakes that either strayed too far or failed to be entertaining (For me Psycho was by far the WORST) i got to see the remake of the Omen after it came out in theaters and was expecting to be disappointed. im glad i was not!

Although i still prefer the 1976 original the 2006 version is one remake that can actually stand right up with the original and be proud of it. Liev Schreiber was an amazing Robert Thorn never overplaying or underplaying the character. Julia Stiles was equally good, and makes you feel empathy for her. Mia Farrow perfect as always, and David Thewlis was also great. the standout actor for me however was Pete Postlethwaite who played the doomed Father Brennan; he conveys so much emotion in all his brief scenes.

the omen 2006 deserves a lot more recognition than it has been getting i think

[–] usapunk 13 years ago

I agree. This remake was done very well.

I liked everything about it, the acting, the direction, the music, the cinematography and the writing. I'm a huge fan of the original and consider it to be one of the best Movies of all time. I'm sure this movie would have more fans if there wasn't an original to compare it to.

[–] ubergoo 12 years ago

It is essentially a direct remake but with better acting and production values.

As a fan of the franchise from Day One, I had been skeptical but was very pleased with the result.

[–] TheSolarSailor 11 years ago

It is essentially a direct remake but with better acting and production values.

What's better about the acting here? I am not saying that the remake is bad or lesser in any way, but the original has a great cast as well and they deliver.

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] fiatlux-1 12 years ago

I liked it too! I hate remakes as a rule but this one was good. The only issue I have is the casting of Liev Shrieber as Robert Thorn. HE WAS TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!
He changes expression maybe 3 times, speaks every single word in the same flat monotone. He called in his acting here basically; he acted like he was reading right off a cue card!

The best casting (shockingly) was Mia Farrow! I simply love the acting of Billie Whitelaw as the Nanny in the original the best, but Mia Farrow rocked this role!
I was dismayed at first to learn she'd been cast, but she was chilling.
They made Kate's death, also shockingly, even more cold than the original!
Wow, did that ever freak me out.

Seamus did well as Damien too, he made the hair on your arms rise he was so creepy.

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

[–] hitchcock_blonde 12 years ago

Agreed. I put off watching this for years because I expected it to be awful, which it wasn't IMO. I like that it stayed true to the original.

No Louis, you're mistaken. It's not me.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] fallen_anakin 12 years ago

I'm guessing you wanted the happy ending. Where Thorn succeeds in killing Damien.

The scary clown doll is hiding under my bed.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] fiatlux-1 12 years ago

How does Thorn ending up rotting away in a mental hospital, knowing the Antichrist is loose, make a happier ending?
I agree that someone should have survived, as it seemed too depressing this way.
But I guess this was to set up a sequel.

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] fallen_anakin 12 years ago

Actually the idea of Thorn surviving and locked in a mental hospital with Damian still on the loose is in a way creepier than having him being shot down and killed with Damian surviving. Instead of the last shot showing damian looking at the camera you see Thorn locked away and he knows its hopeless. A living hell.

The scary clown doll is hiding under my bed.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] fiatlux-1 12 years ago

I agree, its a bit 'hasty' in these film times.
But I think (in the 2006 version anyway) its less eagerness to kill off the protagonist than it is trying to stay faithful to the original film circa 1976.

This way not only does it stay faithful to the original for its own sake, but it also leaves room for a remake of "Damien: Omen II", if they choose.

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] fiatlux-1 12 years ago

I disagree there, it was scary especially for 1976.

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] fallen_anakin 12 years ago

I believe it says somewhere in the trivia section that the kid who played Damian is contracted to come back if there was to be a remake of Omen II. It could have been assumed that they had not made a sequal soon after because they were waiting 6 or 7 years for him to be the right age. But he's been old enough for a couple years now and no news(at least that I know of) of there being a sequal. But I would think planning a sequal years away because you are waiting for a kid to get older is a little strange. Most of the time just get another actor.

The scary clown doll is hiding under my bed.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] neobliviscariscreations 11 years ago

The remake is fine to most of us here on this thread. The original ending is great. The original Omen is a classic and the creators of this remake attempt to remain as true to the original film as possible. This is an excellent remake in my opinion.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] neobliviscariscreations 11 years ago

Sure it is, if you have seen the original Omen. Are you impugning the original as well as the remake? I assume you are because the endings are essentually the same with Damien standing there at the gravesite, turning around with his evil and sinister half smile.

Your idea has merit and I give you credit for your imagination and creative thinking...but, this ending is epic and classic. Have you watched Damien: Omen II and given any thought to the cast as it relates to the cast in The Omen (1976)?

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] neobliviscariscreations 11 years ago

There's nothing "epic" about the endings to either of them!

Millions of fans (myself included) of the original "Omen" will disagree with you...as well as the writers and directors of the original and the remake will disagree with you.

Thorn goes through all the sh!t throughout the movie only to be shot by some random redshirt!

Yes, precisely! And, you write and dismiss this as predictable. Many of us fans who consider ourselves fans of "The Omen", as well as the writers, directors and producers of "The Omen" do not concur nor agree with your assessment.

That was nothing more than a giant middle finger to the audience

I could not disagree with you more. If you watch Damien: Omen II...you will understand how the caretakers of Damien in the sequel, relate to the cast and caretakers of Damien in the original, "The Omen (1976).

Thorn's intentions in "The Omen", as good, pure and noble as they were, failed. Call it destiny or fate, if you will...but the result was unfortunately Thorn's failure to stop Damien from achieving his unholy objective. This was truly brilliance by the creators and the filmmakers, in my opinion and in the opinion of many others.

Do you have an better alternative ending for "Night of The Living Dead" (1968) as well? Or do you feel George A. Romero gave the audience the "giant middle finger" at the ending of that film as well? (heroic Ben shot between the eyes by trigger happy rednecks in Pennsylvania after courageously and valiantly fighting ghouls for the previous two hours). Are you as outraged? Please be consistent.
Thanks.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] TheSolarSailor 11 years ago

You really don't know what you are talking about. The Omen is about the coming of the anti-christ and that will NOT be stopped by any man. It doesn't follow Christianity exactly, but it plays by the same general rules. In a movie about the anit-christ, it'd be ridiculous for Thorn to truly be able to stop it all from happening. THAT would be the generic Hollywood happy ending and predictable.

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] ave_roma2004 10 years ago

You're a *beep* *beep* troll. The original had a GOOD ending, and if a remake is faithful to that, I respect that remake.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] hiddenagenda1 11 years ago

I like the remake as well. I rate it 8/10. It's not as good as the first two, but at least it's better than the last two.

Volker Flenske: (While torturing David) I don't know why you're doing this to yourself!

[–] m-vaskes 11 years ago

I agree, it's a very good remake. The original is superior, and gets additional credit for the very fact that it uses an original script, but I actually like some scenes from the remake better, so I wouldn't say it is pointless, as is the case with most other remakes these days.

http://www.zazzle.com/straycatgraphics*

[–] tj_mower 10 years ago

This movie sucks from top to bottom. It's a shallow imitation of the original, that is far superior in every way. If you are going to remake a movie, at least make it your own and change the story a bit. What's the point in remaking the movie scene for scene? This thing sucks butt.

[–] TalesfromTheCryptfan 10 years ago

It's just a poor carbon copy that has the same script and same dialogue like that awful Psycho remake.

I don't like carbon copy remakes.

F *** the law, i want meat-Nightbreed

[–] SuCue 10 years ago

It's not a scene for scene remake, though. The beginning is completely different, and then there are all of those lame dream sequences, which weren't in the original film.

The opening scene ruins it. The original was suspenseful and kind of like a murder mystery, as you didn't know what was going on until far into the film. The opening scene lets you know immediately that Satan's on the loose and the Vatican's on it! There's no mystery, no suspense.

Plus it's just utterly ridiculous to have a priest giving a corporate-style slide presentation to the Pope and the College of Cardinals about Big Nick's final plans for world domination. I wondered if they had break-out sessions afterward, where they drilled down on the data with Venn diagrams and Pareto charts.

The remake was terrible on so many different levels, it's not funny. In addition to the ludicrous opening sequence, the Thorns were far too young for their roles, Mia Farrow was bland and boring (unlike Billie Whitelaw), the zoo scene wasn't nearly as scary as the original, and the dream sequences were shameless padding. Father Spilletto (the blind priest) looked like Lord Voldemort--I laughed when I saw him--and Michael Gambon as Bugenhagen was not anywhere near as compelling as Leo McKern. The only decent things about it were Pete Postelthwaite as Father Brennan and the beheading scene, which was indeed scarier than the original one. Otherwise the movie totally sucked.

[–] 10 years ago

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