Director: Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer
Writers: Screen Story, Matt Greenberg; Screenplay, Jeff Buhler from the Stephen King Novel
Stars: Jason Clarke; Amy Seimetz; John Lithgow; Jete Laurence
TRAILER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XakmsXltPkA
THE BMAF REVIEW:
The Creed family have decided to move from their home in the busy city to a house in a quieter, less populated rural town of Maine.
Upon arrival, the Creeds find that the road that runs past their house is used frequently as a shortcut for a haulage firm. It is upon the first passing of one of these loud vehicles roaring past that we get an idea of what could happen.
The family see a group in animal masks carrying out a parade, which we learn is for a dead pet, presumably hit by one of these passing vehicles and they are burying the poor animal in the nearby Pet Sematary.
Louis Creed, who since his move to Maine, now works as the school doctor at a nearby university has to deal with the passing of a child hit by a lorry, on one of his first days.
Dr. Creed will soon get nightmares of the child and deal with his own loss, when on Halloween, the family cat, Church is discovered by their neighbour, Jud. It is clear he may have been hit by one of the passing vehicles.
Jud shows Louis a way that can help his family deal with the loss by showing him a sacred burial ground. After burying the deceased cat, Louis tells his daughter that Church has run away.
When the family wake in the morning, Church has returned, seemingly as good as new, but for a foul smell. We soon learn that the sacred burial ground has the power to bring the dead back to life, albeit not the same, Church is now a lot more aggressive and not the loving cat he once was.
Whilst horrified, when tragedy strikes again, killing their eldest daughter, Louis has a decision to make, does he let the dead rest in peace or take her to the Pet Sematary
THE BMAF RATING
This film is the dilemma that no pet owner would want to have to face. You can have more time with your beloved pet, but they will not be the same, and certainly not the loving family member.
The loss of a pet is the most horrible feeling in the world and it is certainly why, in part, why we where willing to give this remake a try as the original featured a lookalike of our beloved Hooch the cat.
The new Church is a different breed and he is certainly a highlight in this new film but in all honestly we found this film bitterly disappointing, the original had so much more character to it, this new version seems to just want to rely on jump scares.
John Lithgow does well with what little screen time he gets, he certainly doesn’t have the presence that Fred Gwynne had in the original, in fact the real highlight is the young actress playing the daughter Ellie and should prove to be one to watch.
Overall this isn’t the worse Stephen King adaptation but its by no means the best.
3 Popcorns
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