Quarantine

If I wasn’t so fed up with remakes of new films, I would give Quarantine four stars because I had an almost surprisingly good time (considering that I’ve watched REC three times), but I don’t regret the slight underrating. Compared to the Spanish original, Quarantine is very sterile and lacks the dreadful atmosphere that REC was brimming with, which actually is no surprise at all… (01/26/2009)

There is one big paradox here that stands and falls on the audience’s knowledge of the Spanish original, which wins out in my case. This is because even a consistent copy can lose out in terms of the little things, which in this case are the not-so-long "steady-cam" shots, and the sparking of a cut-off group of people doesn't spark as much flame as in hot Barcelona. On the other hand, the less eloquent ending isn't entirely a bad thing, even if the film leaves you in the waters of science instead of religious rage, which I attribute to the fact that Dowdle is "only" a decent craftsman, whereas Balaugeró is a cynical provocateur. As for the main character, Jennifer Carpenter is just as likable as her blonde predecessor, so I vote for a tie there. Still, this should have taken its time for about two or three years, then I would have enjoyed it more. Assuming it was the original, it would have been a total hit, this way, it’s a useless film. Which is too bad. 3 ½. (01/27/2009)