Funny Games (2007)

Director: Michael Haneke

Writer: Michael Haneke

Composer: no score

Starring: Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt, Brady Corbet, Devon Gearhart, Boyd Gaines, Siobhan Fallon, Robert LuPone, Susi Haneke, Linda Moran

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Shall we begin?

Plot: Two psychopathic young men take a family hostage in their cabin.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

I'm a HUGE fan of Haneke's FUNNY GAMES (1997).   It was original, intense and in your face.  This pointless remake is practically shot for shot (as well as my memory serves, that is).  I've seen the original two or three times in the past fifteen years and it really sticks with me.  I love it.  I'll have to watch it again to get a better feel for exactly why it's better but this remake isn't as effective.  While it does retain a lot of the shocks the original is famous for, the family feels a lot more passive and unrealistic in this one, especially Tim Roth's character.  It's probably as simple as the actors taking it further than the 1997 film's cast.  It's ridiculous that money and time are spent just to make foreign films more accessible to American audiences.  Shit, people, we're not THAT bad over here.  Then again, it does make some sense.  Hopefully those who liked or disliked this remake will seek out the original and see what all the fuss is about and add to their cinematic education.  The Warner Bros. DVD comes with both the widescreen and fullscreen versions of the film on a double sided disc.  There are no extras.