Review of The Bad Seed

I love and have seen the original version multiple times but I do understand that this is an updated version so of course it's going to be different. McKenna was great as the creepy little murderer this time around. She was spot on at being emotionless and then trying to show some emotion when she had to as to not be found out what she has all done. The nanny now being the adult to be a shady character that recognizes Emma's evil ways and tries to play mind games with her was a good adversary. And of course Patty McCormack had the best lines in the movie! So glad she was able to cameo in it. My problems with the movie was I thought Rob Lowe's portrayal of the dad was so emotionless most of the time. Yes he was a good doting father (and it didn't bother me that it was a father instead of a mother like the original) but just in how he would talk in everyday situations with any of the characters he had no inflection in his voice. He was very monotone. He did an excellent job with the directing but I didn't care for the dad being so bland. Also when Emma turns on the gas in the house and then leaves and he wakes up and smells it, turns it off and realizes what she was trying to do he confronts her outside and then a couple minutes later they are going back inside...to the house filled with gas smell. But my biggest problem was at the end where he was going to give her the spiked drink and when she asks for whipped topping he sets them down next to her and leaves the room!! Of course she's going to switch them! He should have understood by that time how smart and conniving his daughter is and should never have left them unattended with her right there. She already tried to kill him. That was a dumb move on his part. The different ending from the original with her living and the parent dying didn't bother me but I hope that the aunt who's now going to be the guardian of Emma will not just be blind to what her brother was trying to tell her and why he was all of a sudden trying to kill his daughter with no signs of him being "sick" prior. That could be a good sequel to this version. But all in all it was a good suspense movie especially being from Lifetime.