Good 'Omen'

Just got back from seeing The Omen. Spoilery stuff below, so don't read if you're still planning to see it.

The movie itself was good. The atmosphere... not so much. The audience had a lot of teenagers, and chilling moments lost some impact when there was laughter.

Okay. The concept the flick tries to sell is an uncertainty that Damien could really be the spawn of Satan. Despite his sullen mood, his laconic nature, and the oppressive creepy vibe one gets just by looking at him, he could just be a weird kid. Couldn't he?

No. Going into the theater, everyone knows Damien is the Antichrist. There's no suspense there. None. We know his whole family is essentially f*cked. Despite all the horrific seemingly-coincidental tragedies that passively eliminate the obstacles in Damien's path to Armageddon; the movie still closes with a single knowing smile from the little devil, staring straight at the audience.

Confirming, once and for all, what we already know. It's a remake, for Pete's sake. Everybody knows.

Even if folks aren't aware of how the movie ends, the one thing they do know, thanks to an absolutely notorious horror movie decades ago; is that Damien is the spawn of the devil.

"Oh yeah. The Omen. That flick about the antichrist." Not, "Oh yeah. The Omen. That flick about a kid that might be the antichrist."

The rest of the movie is well done. Some thrilling moments, wonderfully chilling. Julia Stiles and Liev Schriber were great. And yes, the kid playing Damien was very creepy. Very, very creepy.

Enjoy, if you go in for a horror flick. Just don't expect too much in the way of surprises.