Review of The Omen (2006) by Jeff B — 16 Jul 2010

Generations wiped out by a bird-flu pandemic. Torrential flooding caused by global warming. Genocide perpetrated by warring armies. Rosie O'Donnell returning to daytime television. While these seem to be telltale signs of an impending Apocalypse, they also prove to be the sub-textual brushstrokes behind John Moore's somewhat vexed update of Richard Donner's horror classic The Omen.

In this R-rated update: After a series of unfortunate events rivaling anything Final Destination ever put forth, a young couple (Stiles, Schreiber) begin to suspect that their young son (newcomer Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) may be the devil incarnate, beginning a search for his true roots and the salvation of mankind.

Having worked some of the bugs out of his re-imagining prowess on the poorly-received The Flight of the Phoenix, Moore smartly borrows from the original without bowing to a coloring-by-numbers scheme. What was yellow, he let mellow: Moore incorporates very little SFX, relying instead on a good old-fashioned first-rate make-up and visual effects crew. Plus, the casting proves a able, Schreiber and Stiles perfectly hitting their marks and the supporting cast (Mia Farrow, David Thewlis) stealing their thunder. What was brown, he flushed down: The couple proves to be younger than in the original and beset with inner turmoil (his and hers crosses, atheism and depression), qualities easily identifiable with modern pill-popping moviegoers. Perhaps, one double flush would have helped. At times, The Omen descends into camp, especially the dueling priests played by Pete Postlethwaite and Michael Gambon, who apparently find the scenery quite delicious.

Bottom Line: Oh God, bad Devil.