Illusions of Relevance in The Invisible Man (2020)
Whannell drenches the action of his remake in expository relevance to cover for a lack of basic thriller rationale in the screenplay.
Remake
Missing Morals in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio shimmers with excited physical energy but never coordinates its new story ideas with its old moral responsibilities.
Why Scrooge (1951) is the Best Version of A Christmas Carol
The 1951 version of Scrooge effortlessly recreates its candleglow world. This classic story has never been better.
The Munsters is a Candy Corn Car Crash
Rob Zombie makes a twisted costume contest nightmare out of an idea of The Munsters that never overcomes its lack of inspiration or its cast’s shortcomings.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) – Imposter Horror
Invasion of the Body Snatchers remakes a great B-movie with intellectual terror. It knows that irony makes it even scarier. This is pure horror joy.
Cyrano (2021) – Glossing Over a Classic
Peter Dinklage is a powerful force for good in an otherwise listless adaptation that misinterprets whatever it doesn’t omit entirely.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) – Schlock and Awe
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake is far more willing to recreate its original than to understand it. The result is vile. And not in a good way.
A Fistful of Dollars: Neo Bravo
A Fistful of Dollars is a samurai movie moved to the frontier. It loses nothing in the transition. And it gains the best staring in film history.
The Insignificance of Language in It (2017)
It is a movie with no individual voice and, appropriately enough, it treats language as an impediment to be renounced.