Early ‘Omen’ reviews

Reviews are popping up for tomorrow’s release of The Omen. Most confirm the film is adequately suspenseful with moments of both fright and gore (which is what makes me opt for the small-screen fast-forward option versus the big-screen hands-over-the-eyes-and-ears option), thus earning its R rating.

So, what are the critics saying? MSNBC calls it “an effective thriller.” Though current leads Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles are missing the “star chemistry [Gregory] Peck and [Lee] Remick brought to the original,” the supporting cast (which includes Mia Farrow, Pete Postlethwaite, David Thewlis and Michael Gambon) “is unusually classy.” Here’s an interesting tidbit nestled in the review:

As a religious thriller, this new Omen has it all over The Da Vinci Code. The tension level is consistent, the discussions of faith and belief never drag on unnecessarily, and Seltzer and Moore know how to make the Biblical references resonate. The finale, which carries unmistakable echoes of Abraham’s attempted sacrifice of Isaac, still has unexpected power.

Via Rotten Tomatoes comes a Variety review:

Remaking the original with only modest updates and augmentation, The Omen poses an intriguing question: Will a movie that scared the bejezus out of moviegoers 30 years ago pack the necessary wallop and carnage to satisfy fans of blood-soaked modern horror? The answer is a qualified yes, if only because the premise of the Devil's child loosed upon the Earth remains so inherently spooky, feeding the modern fascination with conspiracies and apocalyptic threats.

For more of an arm-chair-movie-critic take, read this review by Harvey Stephens (who played Damien in the original 1976 film), who ends his review by giving the film “6.66 out of 10.” There’s bound to be more reviews later today and tomorrow, and you'll be able to catch most of what's out there at Rotten Tomatoes' site.

Also, if you're interested, Christianity Today has an interview up with Omen director John Moore.