Village of the Damned (1995)

Director: John Carpenter
Starring: Christopher Reeves, Kirstie Alley, Linda Kozlowski

Synopsis:
A small town doctor has to deal with the aftermath of mass blackout event that results in a number of inexplicable pregnancies that produce uncanny children who do not appear entirely human.

Impressions:
I've been sitting on my review of the original for years now and with its turn having come up in my October backlog, I wanted to hunt down the remake to compare and contrast. I know it doesn't have the best reputation, both in general and as part of John Carpenter's filmography, but I wanted to give it a fair shot. I really loved how atmospheric the first act was. The blackout event in particular was quite well done. In the second act, as the kids start manifesting their abilities, it becomes more of a blunt instrument and this continues into the third act, though I did enjoy the carnage leading up to the climax. I would've liked it if Dr. Chaffee had spent more time working with the children like his counterpart in the original and if there was a more gradual escalation of the children's malevolence. It was a neat element having David be the odd man out, though. All told, it's a bit of a mess but still worth giving it a watch.

Rating:
Watch It