I have to say, this whole hysteria of America ruining foreign films is laughable. Yes, there are some really bad remakes, but that does not effect the original film. You cannot ruin a film by remaking it as the original film is still the same. If you are angry, you are angry because you feel that people who really deserve the fame and recognition are not getting it. This is a justified reason to be angry, but don't go saying the film has been ruined because that defies all logic of possibility.
I must say it's hard for me to review this film without thinking about the original, mainly because it is nearly a shot for shot remake. Obviously this takes away from the suspense and overall fear factor of the film. If you have seen the original, don't expect to experience the same level of terror that you had the first go round. You're going to know what's coming for the most part. If you haven't seen REC, this movie will probably scare you. If you actually have the option of seeing REC first, I would do it because I feel that it is still the superior movie. Of course, if you live in America your local video store won't have it and you'll have to download it illegally, so I guess you're stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I actually thought the acting was quite good for the most part. Jennifer Carpenter does a great job playing hysterical women. She did a good job being hysterical in the Emily Rose abomination and she did a good job being hysterical in Dexter. She does a good job being hysterical in this movie as well, so kudos to the producers/directors for making a logical choice to cast her. Her dialogue outside of being chased down by rabid tenants is laughable, but this actually makes sense when you consider the fact she's a reporter for a show no one would watch anyways.
The main difference between REC and this movie is the cause of the deranged building tenants. Surprisingly, I thought they made the story work and it played more on "American" fears such as government distrust, terrorism, and viral warfare. The only thing I think they failed on was the choice to use higher quality production. Part of what made REC really scary was the grittiness which gave you the feeling that what was happening was real. Although the camera work is choreographed well, the Hollywood quality takes away the grit and leaves you feeling like you've had a few too many before watching.
Overall, I think this is actually a decent remake. The producers and director realized that the story was already awesome and they didn't try to change it. I think if people would calm down and put aside their national pride and cultural elitism, they would realize that these kinds of remakes only help foreign films. How many people knew about REC before this movie, outside of a small demographic of people (imdb is not the 'norm')? How many people know about that great movie now? Lots of people visit these websites looking for reviews, and seeing "REC" pop up everywhere is only good exposure. Hell, if this movie does well you might actually find copies of REC in your local video store, and believe me, I'd be the first in line to buy a copy.
I must say it's hard for me to review this film without thinking about the original, mainly because it is nearly a shot for shot remake. Obviously this takes away from the suspense and overall fear factor of the film. If you have seen the original, don't expect to experience the same level of terror that you had the first go round. You're going to know what's coming for the most part. If you haven't seen REC, this movie will probably scare you. If you actually have the option of seeing REC first, I would do it because I feel that it is still the superior movie. Of course, if you live in America your local video store won't have it and you'll have to download it illegally, so I guess you're stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I actually thought the acting was quite good for the most part. Jennifer Carpenter does a great job playing hysterical women. She did a good job being hysterical in the Emily Rose abomination and she did a good job being hysterical in Dexter. She does a good job being hysterical in this movie as well, so kudos to the producers/directors for making a logical choice to cast her. Her dialogue outside of being chased down by rabid tenants is laughable, but this actually makes sense when you consider the fact she's a reporter for a show no one would watch anyways.
The main difference between REC and this movie is the cause of the deranged building tenants. Surprisingly, I thought they made the story work and it played more on "American" fears such as government distrust, terrorism, and viral warfare. The only thing I think they failed on was the choice to use higher quality production. Part of what made REC really scary was the grittiness which gave you the feeling that what was happening was real. Although the camera work is choreographed well, the Hollywood quality takes away the grit and leaves you feeling like you've had a few too many before watching.
Overall, I think this is actually a decent remake. The producers and director realized that the story was already awesome and they didn't try to change it. I think if people would calm down and put aside their national pride and cultural elitism, they would realize that these kinds of remakes only help foreign films. How many people knew about REC before this movie, outside of a small demographic of people (imdb is not the 'norm')? How many people know about that great movie now? Lots of people visit these websites looking for reviews, and seeing "REC" pop up everywhere is only good exposure. Hell, if this movie does well you might actually find copies of REC in your local video store, and believe me, I'd be the first in line to buy a copy.