Tanya’s Score: Okay*
Rated: 14A
Starring: a couple you’ve seen before but probably don’t know their names; John Lithgow
Plot: A family has no idea of the dangers that lurk when they relocate to enjoy a quieter life in Maine.
Tanya’s Verdict: Stephen King’s book Pet Sematary – is one of my all-time favourite books . . . ever. I re-read it every couple of years and it just gets better. When you read the story, it is believable. It’s about a father’s unbearable loss, and anguish and his clouded belief that he can repair the damage done to his family. But in movie form, this anguish doesn’t come through. And so the story becomes ridiculous.
The movie by the same name in 1989 was a laughable train wreck – making the name Gage synonymous with any creepy toddler wearing a suit. Nevertheless, I thought this remake would be better. For one, they swapped out the dead child this time around – rather than making it toddler Gage, it’s older daughter, Ellie. A wise move considering turning an 18-month-old into a frightening and lethal zombie-esque monster is probably best saved for comedies. But once again, the movie fell short. Way short.
I have to say, it started off okay. But when there was a procession of masked children making their way into the family’s backyard for a ritualistic pet burial – and no one batted an eye – I should have taken this for the omen that it was: a lazy and oft-used way to instil unsettling unease in viewers rather than doing it the way it should be done.
About half-way through, the movie suddenly sped up, ticking off quick, easy and expected horror movie cliches one by one – and becoming sillier and sillier.
Pet Sematary as a movie can still be made – and be made well. I’m certain of this. It’s a complex and many-layered book – but many good books have been turned into equally good (if not better movies) such as The Shining, Ordinary People and Gone Girl – to name only a few. But it requires someone who can take King’s character of Louis Creed – a grief-stricken father – and bring him to cinematic life. Once this is done, the rest will fall into place. But until that time, this movie needs to die. And stay dead.
*Four score descriptions: Sh**; Okay; Good; Great
Great review. Stephen King’s books are just so hard to transfer over to a visual medium. A long time ago, I decided to not look at movies based off a book as being the book. Way too painful. Dune, by Frank Herbert was the turning point for me. I felt Pet Sematary was a decent scary movie, but not King’s Pet Sematary. A heck of a lot scarier then Us…….
One of my favorite books – I saw the preview with the masked children and said nope to the movie. I actually may watch though because I bet John Lithgow would be a great Judd.