THE original Omen film had two things going for it: great actors and a compelling story line.
Gregory Peck in the lead role brought authority, and Lee Remick as the foster mum of the devil had a suitably crazed look in her eyes.
It had the tricks of a psychological thriller embedded in its plot.
US ambassador Robert
Thorn has a secret he must hide from his distraught young wife: their child has been stillborn in a hospital in Rome, but when he is offered another child, supposedly an orphan, by a mysterious priest, he makes a snap decision to protect his loved one from the grief of losing a child.
Fast forward a few years, and we discover Damien is not just an unwanted baby in need of a loving home.
And we know the rest, because there is nothing different in this flick than that of the one that was so popular 30 years ago.
The saving graces are the formidable cast assembled. Mia Farrow appears as the nanny from hell (literally) and she is chilling. Her fixed grin and seemingly gentle persona is a front, one that is only dismantled when she flashes the occasional glare.
Pete Posthelwaite is well-cast as the priest who uncovers the truth and has the uncomfortable task of warning the family. His attempts to make Thorn realise the truth fail, despite a series of supposedly coincidental tragedies that dog those who come into contact with the youngster.
The downfall is how faithful this film is to the original. Even the hide-behind-the-sofa moments are taken off the 1976 template.
It leaves you wondering what’s the point. It’s not that the new version was badly made – in fact it has some excellent performances, still resonates with a chill factor modern horrors rarely reach and is polished. It’s just this film was made 30 years ago and was as good as it was likely to get back then.