Blatant. Omen 2006 is too up front with Damien Thorne's agenda. He too obviously appears to be controlling others. Both the trailer & 1976 film messed with my mind from beginning to end. Every time original Damien is on screen, could and did attribute his doings, interpret his thought processes in many ways, consistently overriding both were those persistent doubts of who he really is. What little kid unafraid of dogs would not wave at one? His mother shielded him from observing the suicide so it could be easily assumed he didn't know or was too young to grasp what had happened. Even in the famous freak out seeing church scene could and did also interpret as a full-blown tantrum; by going to church he forfeits a favorite dessert his nanny had promised he'd get immediately. What kid would not opt on loosing it failing to get his/her way? The original Damien is just as quiet but also looks innocuously cute, other than 2 scenes indiscriminately smiles. During the monkey's attack at his "mother" Katherine's car he acts as a normal child shifting between both scared & gleeful. 1976 "darling's" final smile at the end is sinister as it either indicates he knows what he is or has caught some kid with his parents at the burial behind him making faces.
The directors handling of 2006 Damien Thorne is a disaster. Devil's tool or blood-thirsty alien undercover, this boy is straight up scary hence no ambiguously messing with the mind. The seemingly normal child really a monster so essential to the story is yanked out this version also removes the story's essence. He's not happily biding his time for claiming the world as his dessert for a while, (double mean, too, the use of a while) nor hiding behind his cuteness, he's worked up into sulking as what he feels he deserves is not coming fast enough. Would it be too much to ask to make him appear normal child pleasant a little more? He never smiles; his one line bears foreboding as thick as a knife digging in a can of frosting. The original Omen's air of menace stemmed from my veering between can this cute mini-moppet smile-fest could or can't he be evil's embodiment—Forgot he was a foster child for a little bit before Brennan visits Ambassador Thorne. 1976 Damien also had some resemblance to leads Remick & Peck.
The 2006 Damien looks like neither parent nor does either "parent" show parental love towards him. Remick's shielding Damien over her shoulder when his nanny killed herself is near the top of the 1976 movie's indelible images. This is her son in her mind and we pity her cause we've been apprised earlier that he's not what he seems. The cuddle she gives him before his church tantrum is mother love typical, making his freak out all the more upsetting. Don't Schrieber or Stiles seem already afraid of this kid before the 5th b'day? Who wouldn't be, this kid continuously carries a chip on his shoulder.
This is a remake right; its psychological terrors, the double meaning of scenes involving the pivotal Damien character has been yanked out replaced by obsolete shock effects an amateur horror movie-maker would cringe at the notion of putting to use. The bulk of the scares are the reenactments of the 1976's Omen's deaths.
The directors handling of 2006 Damien Thorne is a disaster. Devil's tool or blood-thirsty alien undercover, this boy is straight up scary hence no ambiguously messing with the mind. The seemingly normal child really a monster so essential to the story is yanked out this version also removes the story's essence. He's not happily biding his time for claiming the world as his dessert for a while, (double mean, too, the use of a while) nor hiding behind his cuteness, he's worked up into sulking as what he feels he deserves is not coming fast enough. Would it be too much to ask to make him appear normal child pleasant a little more? He never smiles; his one line bears foreboding as thick as a knife digging in a can of frosting. The original Omen's air of menace stemmed from my veering between can this cute mini-moppet smile-fest could or can't he be evil's embodiment—Forgot he was a foster child for a little bit before Brennan visits Ambassador Thorne. 1976 Damien also had some resemblance to leads Remick & Peck.
The 2006 Damien looks like neither parent nor does either "parent" show parental love towards him. Remick's shielding Damien over her shoulder when his nanny killed herself is near the top of the 1976 movie's indelible images. This is her son in her mind and we pity her cause we've been apprised earlier that he's not what he seems. The cuddle she gives him before his church tantrum is mother love typical, making his freak out all the more upsetting. Don't Schrieber or Stiles seem already afraid of this kid before the 5th b'day? Who wouldn't be, this kid continuously carries a chip on his shoulder.
This is a remake right; its psychological terrors, the double meaning of scenes involving the pivotal Damien character has been yanked out replaced by obsolete shock effects an amateur horror movie-maker would cringe at the notion of putting to use. The bulk of the scares are the reenactments of the 1976's Omen's deaths.