When you choose to make a remake of a classic film the main
goal should always be to either bring something new to the table or to create
something so fresh that it makes viewers forget about the original.
Unfortunately all involved with the remake of CARRIE decided to do neither of
those things. Instead what we ended up with was a TV movie that stretched out
the story to an unbearable 3 hour length whose only hope of saving grace was
the performance of Angela Bettis in the lead. While she turns in a decent
performance it to adds nothing to the original and simply makes you long for
that film instead.
If you don’t know the story, based on the novel of the same
name by Stephen King, it tells the story of Carrie White, a pubescent young
woman whose mother is a control freak and religious fanatic to the extreme.
Carrie is an odd girl and the rest of the kids in her class fully make her
aware of that every chance they get. An incident involving her having her first
period in the girls shower after gym class leads the girls to torment her
rather than sympathize with her. That in turn results in several expulsions
from the prom for which the lead tormentor plans revenge.
What most aren’t aware of in the school, something Carrie
herself is only beginning to realize, is that Carrie has powers that make her
special. Carrie has telekinesis, the ability to move objects with her mind. Her
mother tells her it’s the devil in her, but Carrie knows it is just an ability
she was born with.
Chances are when the prom rolls around and the bad girl
seeks out her revenge the power that Carrie possesses will be unleashed in
heretofore unseen strength.
The problem is in making the movie into a two night event
(something they always feel the need to do with TV movies) the makers of this
film relied on people coming back for night 2 to see what happened. As slow
moving and boring as night 1 was I wouldn’t have come back. The movie has no
need to last this long and fills as if filler were the name of the game here.
Instead of a concise story we get a rehash of the original film with no
outstanding new effects, no additional plot involvement and some of the lamest
acting I’ve seen in a made for TV movie. Even Bettis who has a strong cult
following for her performances in other films doesn’t live up to expectations. When
all is said and done, this movie is one to pass by. The only thing added?
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!! Greedy TV movies producers leave an opening for a sequel.
Thank goodness it never really happened.
So what is THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 then? Well a completely
different movie with a one or two things carried over from the original film.
Emily Bergl plays Rachel Lang, an outsider in a world of stereotypical teens in
high school. Her best friend Lisa (Mena Suvari) commits suicide when she
becomes a notation in a game being played by the high school football team.
Each one attempts to bed down all girls in the school with a point system
attached to various girls. Lisa thought it was love but it was just part of the
game.
Rachel is filled with anger. Maybe rage is a better word
since that’s the name of the movie. Rachel also has ties to Carrie White
somehow and has that same telekinetic power that Carrie did. The only other tie
to the original is the inclusion of Amy Irving as Sue Snell, Carrie’s best
friend from the original film. She is now a counselor at the new high school,
built after Carrie burned down the old one. Recognizing possible problems with
Rachel, she tries to help her through the loss of her friend and potential
powers.
Eventually you know that the football team will do something
stupid to cause her powers to erupt. Only one member of the team isn’t like the
rest, Jesse (Jason London). In love with Rachel it becomes a question of
whether she’ll believe his infatuation with her or think of him as just another
part of the crowd. And when the final straw is broken by these jerk jocks
(unless it’s a tribute movie aren’t they always depicted this way?), it is
doubtful that any will survive Rachel’s rage. See how I worked that title in
again there?
The movie isn’t quite as bad as I might portray it here but
it’s not fantastic either. At least it makes an attempt at something different
as opposed to the other movie in this double feature disc from Shout/Scream
Factory. While they do their best to make movies available for fans out there I
wouldn’t suggest that anyone else rush out to buy this combo. Collectors of all
things Stephen King will want to add it as will fans of any and all horror
films and Shout/Scream Factory fans (they are indeed growing). Everyone else
might do better to just seek out the original for a more scare filled night.
Click here to order.
No comments:
Post a Comment