Movie Review: Carrie
Stars: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Judy Greer, Gabriella Wilde
Rated R for bloody violence, disturbing images, language and some sexual content, Running time 100 minutes, Drama/Horror
Compare to: The Craft (1996), Psycho, (1998), Let Me In (2010)
Interesting question to pose, the “What do you get for the man who has everything?” In Carrie‘s case, “What do you say about the 2013 movie that’s been out since 1976?”
Aside from decent performances and special effects that are on par, everything you see here will only feel new to those it must be geared toward- younger audiences that don’t have to see the original when they can just wait for the inevitable remake. Other than that, don’t bother watching a film that’s nearly a carbon copy of it’s predecessor.
Between Kick-Ass and all the Horror movies, we conclude that Chloe Grace Moretz doesn’t mind getting bloody.
As you know…
High school is hard enough when you’ve got things going for you, much less being timid and awkward like Carrie White is. Bullied by girls at school, abused by her zealot of a mother at home, Carrie begins experimenting with new found telekinetic abilities. So when a pissed-off popular girl decides to exact vengeance on Carrie for a recent prank, Carrie’s new powers are put into use like she never planned.
I don’t want to be “that guy” or play up to the role of movie snob. I know that there are always younger generations coming up in the world that don’t go on classic movie hunts. And even with how accessible the internet and Netflix has made older films, it isn’t always every fifteen year old’s mission to search out these films, so newer, updated versions are only sensible. The idea is there, a lot of people aren’t familiar with it, and you can bring a few new tricks to a story that previously lacked effects that could have told said story with a longer lasting effect.
An effect even longer lasting than Carrie’s prom.
But when you’re watching a movie that in no way improves on the original even with CGI effects, you may feel like your time was wasted. Isn’t that what The Rage: Carrie 2 was for?
When a film is really great to begin with, you forgive the lesser moments because the majority is so enjoyable. Evil Dead II has been on my Top 5 of all time since I was thirteen and look at that movie. Look at it.
Rubber puppet monsters, overacting galore, and more cheese than a Packers game. Yet I love it because it was made by people that really wanted to be a part of the film, doing something that was fun no matter how many times we’ve seen zombies and haunted cabins.
I mean look at that face! No special effects required.
But Carrie isn’t entirely devoid of entertainment. It’s still fun to see Carrie learning how to use her new abilities and 16 year-old Chloe Grace Moretz seems to give whatever film she’s in her all. Even the mediocre Kick-Ass 2 and Movie 43, both of which feature scenes strangely reminiscent of moments in Carrie, new and old. Moretz’s ability to waver between dangerous and sorrowful is something it seems is sorely missing in so many actresses, either hired for their ability to pose or cry on command and not much else.
Julianne Moore’s performance as Carrie’s crazy mama is stirring as well. Just as likely to hug her daughter as she is slap her and spout a made-up Bible verse. Moore plays the role as if the mother spirit in January’s Mama were still living, though the ghost may have actually been a better mother. At least she didn’t lock her kids in the closet, blaming them for things they’d never done. But Moore is generally very good to begin with anyway, really having you believe there’s no help for Carrie under her household and having you hope something will be done about it all.
And we all know something will be done about it.
“When we get home- more wire hangers.”
In the 1998 shot-by-shot remake of Psycho, director Gus Van Sant remarked to critics that since it’s a remake, you don’t diverge into a new movie because that defeats the purpose of a remake. This makes sense to a point, but surely there’s got to be something else to add or a new twist on an older story. To be fair, I was eleven when Van Sant’s Psycho was released and I liked it for all the reasons I mentioned above on why you would make a replica of a film. Just to note, Julianne Moore stars in both of these movies.
If you were interested to begin with from the Carrie trailers, go for it. But if you’re looking for anything remotely new in this movie, might as well stick with the original.
Grade: C
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