Depending on the circumstances, a remake of a film can go in one of two directions: up or down.
For a lover of horror flicks, “The Fog” was a big disappointment. Where to start? This remake of the 1980 John Carpenter film of the same title was predictable and filled with a few too many conveniently-placed “coincidences.” Although the new version contains better special effects, they fail to make up for what the movie lacks-quality.
The movie centers upon the inhabitants of Antonio Bay, a small island community off the coast of Oregon hiding a ghastly history. They begin suffering the effects of the curse that was placed upon the town after a boatload of lepers in search of a new place to live were murdered for fear of spreading the disease.
Upon the 100th anniversary of their deaths, the island becomes enveloped with a cloud of ominous fog, bringing with it the ghostly crew of the ill-fated ship looking to exact their revenge on the descendants of their killers and the rest of the locals.
For a movie that is supposed to leave you wondering what is going to happen next, it lacks the key factor of the element of suspense. It fails to leave things to one’s imagination, instead leaving the viewer with a sense of “I knew that was going to happen” – a comment I heard a few times throughout the theater.
Despite the creative special effects, this movie deserves to get lost in “the fog.” Computer graphics cannot replace good old-fashioned quality acting and storylines. Apparently, it can’t replace common sense or double-checking either. For example, in one scene, the window of a truck is smashed and broken, and in the next scene it is intact. There are several other instances such as this occurring throughout the film.There are better uses for $7.50. In other words, wait until it comes on cable tv. Genre: Horror Rating: PG-13 (violence, disturbing images, brief sexuality)Cast: Tom Welling, Selma Blair, Maggie Grace, DeRay Davis, Kenneth WelshDirected by: Debra Hill, John Carpenter, Rupert WainwrightProduced by: Debra Hill, David Foster, John Carpenter