Poltergeist

Gil Kenan – 2015 – USA
 

Toothless and instantly forgettable remake of the 1982 Steven Spielberg/Tobe Hooper steroid-injected ghost story set in suburbia.  I never thought much of the original in the first place, so it seems a remake had plenty of room to be an improvement.  Instead, it just takes some of the memorable details of the first one and re-works them into a modern setting but without adding anyting new or interesting to the mix.  There are a few (mainly condescending) references to the original, but they produce eye-rolls more often than smiles.  Sam Rockwell takes an easy paycheck by phoning in a stock “beleagured dad” performance.  Only Jared Harris as a famed TV ghost-hunter seems capable of injecting some life into things, but even he is ultimately a mortal actor, not a miracle-worker.  He can’t be expected to care more than the filmmakers do, and it’s clear they didn’t care about much except for making things as easy on themselves as possible.