5.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.1 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
In this chilling remake of The Omen — that is even more terrifying than the original — man's darkest fears are manifested as an unspeakable terror is unleashed on the world! U.S. diplomat Robert Thorn (Liev Schreiber) substitutes an orphan for his own stillborn baby in order to spare his unknowing wife (Julia Stiles). But after a series of grotesque murders and dire warnings, the Thorns come to the horrifying realization that their child is the son of Satan!
Starring: Julia Stiles, Liev Schreiber, Mia Farrow, David Thewlis, Pete PostlethwaiteHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 51% |
Supernatural | 21% |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 1.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
We stand now, on the eve of armageddon.
2006's The Omen (666), a remake of the classic film of the same name that starred the
legendary
Gregory Peck, is
another so-called
"horror" movie that relies on anything but genuine tension and fear to scare audiences. Instead, it
brings us more of the same generic scares meant to make you jump out of your seat thanks to
split-second flashes of something out of the norm, accompanied by obnoxiously loud thuds,
screams, or any instantly-loud here-one-moment-and-gone-the-next noises. The best of horror
relies on tension, psychological fear, and atmosphere to make your skin crawl while you unwittingly
look nervously around you in fear of your life, all the while you are transported squarely into the
realm of fear as presented on-screen, coming face-to-face with terror itself. The 2006 remake of
The Omen is not the best of horror. It's a worthless movie that proves itself
as one of the most pointless remakes, horror or not, in cinema history.
Katherine, Damien, and Robert react to the Blu-ray.com review of 'The Omen (666).'
The Omen (666) makes its mark on Blu-ray with an above-average 1080p, 1.85:1 transfer. The image looks fairly good in its bright outdoor locales, best demonstrated by those scenes taking place in Jerusalem near the end of the film. The image is crystal-clear and highly detailed, not only in clothing and in faces, but in the surroundings as well, especially the earth-toned colors of the buildings and the ground itself. The goriest scene of the movie is set here, and it is a somewhat disturbing image that shows quite a bit of gruesome detail that can be seen in all its gory glory. Other fine details scattered throughout the film appear equally impressive, notably those seen immediately proceeding the ambassador's death in Italy early in the film. We are privy to the individual bricks on the street, the grime on a tire well, the grooves in the tire itself, and all of it looks as real as if you were sitting a foot away from it in person. Detail in close-ups of faces is also fine, as every line, pit, blemish and strand of facial hair is clearly visible. Much of the color palette seen in The Omen (666) is slightly dulled. Many whites seem to have a slightly gray and blue tint to them, a fact seemingly due to directorial decisions for setting the lighting and mood of the film. Nevertheless, black levels are nearly perfect. Flesh tones appear to be a bit off, and some close-up shots appear soft and lack a defined sharpness. Film grain is retained throughout the picture, and it adds a depth and sense of dread to some scenes, as do some of the deliberately hazy-in-appearance shots scattered throughout the film. The Omen (666) isn't the pinnacle of Blu-ray high definition imagery, but it is solid enough, and one that shouldn't disappoint viewers.
The Omen (666) presents listeners with a devilishly good DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack. This is a solid, well-rounded soundtrack where dialogue is crisp and natural and the action and atmospherics of the film are let loose and sometimes stretch the limits of your sound system. There are several instances of loud, devastating explosions, each one enough to scatter your pets and leave your ears ringing. There are other pounding moments, such as when a gorilla attempts to escape from a cage in the zoo. Every beat of its hand against the glass causes a rumbling tremor throughout your listening area and its repeated thumps emanate from the subwoofer. Bass rumbles in chapter 12 with a low, tight, powerful effect. Nevertheless, those less-than-exciting moments of the film present listeners with a sometimes flat soundtrack. There isn't much in the way of rear channel presence (save for the blending of the score into the rear) or ambience outside of the louder, more raucous scenes. In chapter 13, a rainstorm (one of my favorite things to listen to in high-definition) offers a nice and complete rear-channel presence, and the thunder in the scene booms and the wind ravages your listening area, as well as the locale on-screen, with effective realism. Add to that some of those generic, "scary" howls, screams, moans, chants, and the like that sound good here but don't really add anything to the movie, and the soundtrack that accompanies The Omen (666) just might be the only reason to watch the movie.
The Omen (666) arrives on Blu-ray with a handful of take-'em-or-leave-'em extras. First up is a commentary track with director John Moore, producer Glenn Williamson, and editor Dan Zimmerman. The trio discuss their sole purpose for remaking the movie, the performances of the actors (plenty of back-patting), and a barrage of generic information that even fans will probably consider less-than-pertinent. Abbey Road Sessions (1080p, 10:14) takes a behind-the-scenes look into the making of a film score, in this case composer Marco Beltrami taking us into the writing of the various themes heard throughout The Omen (666). Revelation 666 (1080p, 22:17) is a History Channel wannabe feature that looks into the secrets of the number 666. Next up are two extended scenes: Impaling (1080p, 2:07) and Beheading (1080p, 2:05). Finally, The Devil's Footnotes is a pop-up trivia track that runs for the length of the film, covering topics such as the fear of the number 666, some Biblical history, and the role of the color red in the film.
The Omen (666) drags on, and on, and on, and on, a pointless exercise in futility that left me yearning to be watching the original film rather than another Hollywood money-grabbing remake. This isn't even a re-imaging, it's nearly a straight remake where the biggest changes are simple, everyday things, such as updating the setting and the times but keeping the story similar to the original, so similar, in fact, that the entire point in remaking the movie is obviously a scam to reel in audiences who find One Missed Call, The Reaping, and other modern-day horror tripe "scary," and those who never saw the original The Omen (despite what the filmmakers say in their commentary). I hope audiences ignore this film and instead indulge themselves in the classic original, a film vastly superior in every regard to this one. Technically, the disc is sound, with solid video and audio and a handful of extra materials. Watch at your own peril.
1976
1981
1978
1991
2002
Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride
1973
2007
1985
Collector's Edition
1987
2007
2008
2013
2012
2007
Director's Cut
2007
Collector's Edition
1982
1995
Unrated | includes Into the Mirror (2003 on DVD
2010
Unrated Collector's Edition
2007
2015