A
reboot
of
the
iconic
1982
released
Tobe
Hooper's
"Poltergeist",
this
film
with
the
same
name
is
a
far
cry
from
the
original,
a
classic
that
was
created
by
Steven
Speilberg,
Michael
Grais
and
Mark
Victor.
The
original
was
a
cleverly
crafted
scary
film.
It
indulgently
messed
with
the
Freeling
family's
personal
comforts
--
their
TV,
their
toys,
the
big
tree
in
their
backyard
and
in
the
process
drove
a
sardonic
skewer
into
the
heart
of
the
audience
of
that
time.
Don't
look
under
your
soft,
warm
bed,
the
movie
told
us,
because
that
toy,
which
you
were
wary
of,
may
just
wake
up
and
turn
murderous.
Similarly,
you
expect
this
edition
to
be
brilliant
to
drive
home
a
point.
Gil
Kenan's
"Poltergeist" begins
with
a
promise
as
its
first
frame
rolls
from
an
obscure
angle
and
then
settles
on
a
steady
footing.
The
camera
lingers
as
the
Newtons;
Eric,
a
recently
laid
off
from
his
job
and
Amy,
"a
homemaker
and
a
frustrated
writer",
along
with
their
three
children;
Kendra,
Griffin,
and
Madison
inspect
their
new
home
at
Willow
Point,
apparently
built
on
a
cemetery,
which
they
were
initially
unaware
of.
Once
they
settle
in
their
new
surrounding,
what
starts
off
as
innocuous
fun
moments
of
whispering
sweet
nothings
to
"the
presence
in
the
room" for
young
Madison,
gradually
turns
into
a
nightmare
for
brother
Griffin.
After
a
vicious
attack
on
the
children
in
the
house,
the
spirits
pull
Madison
into
their
world
and
she
is
held
hostage
in
the
netherworld.
Worried
and
desperate,
they
call
on
paranormal
experts
to
help
them
find
their
daughter
and
bring
her
back.
This
forms
the
crux
of
the
tale.
The
writing
is
frivolous
and
shallow.
It
does
not
match
the
depth
and
expertise
displayed
by
the
original
team.
The
characters
designed
by
screenwriter
David
Lindsay-Abaire
are
paper-thin
and
one-dimensional
with
illogical
character
traits.
The
Bowens
are
far
too
passive
for
people
who
have
just
lost
a
member
of
their
family
to
malevolent
forces.
Their
interaction
lacks
chemistry
and
hence
you
don't
get
connected
to
them
emotionally.
Carrigan
Burke,
an
experienced
paranormal
investigator
who
helps
the
family
in
finding
and
retrieving
Madison
is
perhaps
one
of
the
three
characters
the
director
has
invested
in.
The
other
two
being
Griffin
and
Madison.
The
rest
of
cast
delivers
a
perfunctory
performance.
The
tempo
of
the
narration
too,
is
slow
and
casual.
It
takes
nearly
one
third
the
screen
time
to
see
some
paranormal
activities,
by
which
time
you
lose
interest
in
the
subject.
There
is
no
graph
in
the
design
element
of
the
plot
and
the
scares
are
lacklustre.
This
"Poltergeist" is
not
terrifying
enough
so
you
can
safely
give
it
a
miss.