The Omen (2006)

Director:

John Moore

Writer (WGA):

David Seltzer (written by)

Release Date:

6 June 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

His Day Will Come

Plot:

A remake of the 1976 horror classic The Omen (1976), an American official realizes that his young son may literally be the devil incarnate.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Antichrist | Omen | Remake | Photographer

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Predrag Bjelac	...	Vatican Observatory Priest (as Pedja Bjelac)
Carlo Sabatini	...	Cardinal Fabretti
Bohumil Svarc	...	Pope
Liev Schreiber	...	Robert Thorn
Giovanni Lombardo Radice	...	Father Spiletto
Baby Zikova	...	Damien - Newborn
Baby Morvas	...	Damien - Newborn
Baby Muller	...	Damien - Newborn
Baby Litera	...	Damien - Newborn
Julia Stiles	...	Katherine Thorn
Tomas Wooler	...	Damien - 2 Years Old (as Tomas Wooller)
Rafael Sallas	...	Rome Embassy Marine
Marshall Cupp	...	Ambassador Steven Haines
Martin Hindy	...	Haines' Limo Driver (as Martin 'Mako' Hindy)
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick	...	Damien

Also Known As:

The Omen 666 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for disturbing violent content, graphic images and some language.

Runtime:

110 min | Philippines:105 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Finland:K-15 | Ireland:15A | Germany:16 | Malaysia:18PL | Philippines:R-13 | Norway:15 | Australia:MA | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:16 | Hungary:18 | Italy:VM14 | Denmark:15 | South Korea:18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:PG (cut version) | USA:R (certificate #42658) | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:M18 | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Brazil:16 | Japan:R-15 | South Korea:15 (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

Congress Center, Prague 4, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The day after they filmed the scene where Robert cuts his son hair to reveal the birthmark, the entire scene was completely destroyed.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the final chase scene, Robert is seen holding Damien down with his left hand while Damien kicks and screams. However, when he is shown driving, he is using both of his hands to steer the car. With each cut back to Damien, he is being held down again.

Quotes:

Keith Jennings: No atheists in foxholes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Omen: Prophecy Fulfilled (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

A DOCTOR, PLEASE

Quality spooky story, better production values - a worthy remake

Sure, we often find it sad that Hollywood can't find something original to produce... but what-the-hey, how many new productions of Shakespeare's works come out every year? ...Maybe David Seltzer is not quite the same as Shakespeare (History will decide!!!) but you get my drift. It's nice that the kiddies can be brought a classic spooky-tale that they are otherwise unlikely to dig up on video, much less see on a big screen.

The special effects are more convincing, the sets are less set-like, and the acting is more natural and less mannered (though I detect a bit of a Greg Peck voice/intonation imitation from Shreiber) and it's these sort of weaknesses that can distance today's audiences.

This is really the best sort of remake - keeping all the best elements from the original without over-reaching to take the material in some other direction for the sake of being different, or without over-flexing today's FX muscles. There's a slight updating of the premise amid current world events but it's brief, welcome and not over-labored.

The cast is first-rate. How great to see the best of British (David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, Pete Postlethwaite) and American (Julia Stiles is always good, though sometimes chooses poor material) young hot things and older, stately actors having a ball (Mia Farrow is very effective - playing very much against type).

The creepy kid does good creepy too.

I liked it. It's not horror so much as spooky, and that's no bad thing.