While this remake of the 1982 classic seems silly and doesn’t live up to the original, it still makes for an entertaining time at the movies, preferably enjoyed with plenty of buttery popcorn. The setup is essentially the same: A family of five moves into a home, only to discover the neighborhood was built over a graveyard that wasn’t ever moved and, oops, the spirits are angry. When the youngest daughter, Madison, is spirited away to another realm, the family bands together to save her, enlisting help from an eccentric reality TV star paranormal expert (Mad Men’s Jared Harris).
While Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt give passable performances as the parents, most of the fun here can be found in the jumps—and there are many. From creepy clowns to trees that attack in the night, there’s a lot of scare, but not much substance. The only thing this film adds to the original is the use of modern-day technology, like toy drone helicopters and body sensors, in getting Madison back. Poltergeist also can be viewed in 3-D, but the gimmick is not worth the ticket upcharge.
Should You See It? You won’t be talking about it years later, but it’s a fun, spooky treat on a hot summer night. —S.Z.
Viewed at Wehrenberg Ronnie’s 20 Cine