Here we go again, another remake. I have to say, Hollywood seems stuck in an originally rut. Granted, Adrian Lyne's 1990 thriller did not do well upon its release and was by no means a box office smash (according to Wikipedia it had a 26 million dollar draw on a 25 million dollar budget) however, it has fallen into cult status among film lovers. With its unique, nightmarish cinematography and editing, ingenious story line and awesome casting (the Danny Aiello scene in which he explains his thoughts on angels and demons to Tim Robbins, was classic), it kept you on the edge of your seat. I remember watching this movie and leaving the theater thinking, now that was a psychological thriller. I thought Fatal Attraction, Lyne's Academy nominated box office hit was good, but somewhat predictable, and Jacob's Latter was the better film. The original Jacob's Latter was not predictable and seemed more, engrossing. David Rosenthal's version seems as if it wants to be a unique film in the narrative, with a similar plot to the original but with some key factors changed. However, in doing this, he pulls elements from the first film, such as the flashes of horrific and grotesque imagery, among other things into the story, as if to remind us, for some reason, it's a remake. Along with the plot changes, which fail to elevate or heighten the new version really in any way, it lacks the suspense or dread its predecessor delivered so masterfully. Although I do think Michael Ealy is a great actor and his efforts are worth mentioning, in comparison to Lyne's film, it misses the mark. Remaking original movies has become the norm these days in Hollywood and it has become a sad affair. I know there has to be fresh young writers out there with great material of their own. Unfortunately they seem to be at the mercy of the executives who would rather go with a re-hash than take a chance on an original idea. The bottom line is: stop doing remakes Hollywood! These may be good ideas in some cases, i.e. the big budget hits of yester-year (mainly Disney), but hit and miss, at best, for underrated gems like the original. Pass this one up and watch the classic.
Review of Jacob's Ladder
