Movie Spotlight: Shutter

American remakes of Asian horror almost never make it in my book, but let's take a look at this remake of the Thai horror movie, "Shutter"
Directed by: Masayuki Ochiai
Produced by: Takashige Ichise, Roy Lee, Doug Davidson
Written by: Luke Dawson
Starring: Joshua Jackson, Rachael Taylor
Music by: Nathan Barr
Cinematography: Katsumi Yanajijima
Editing by: Tim Alverson, Michael Knue
Studio: Regency Enterprises, New Regency, Vertigo Entertainment
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release date(s): March 21 2008 (USA), May 15, 2008 (Australia)
Runtime: 1 hr 25 mins
Country: United States/Japan
Language: English
Budget: 8 million
Gross Revenue: 43.7 million


Story: [7 points]
I can't really give Shutter a full score being that it is one of millions of remakes, thus making it totally un-original. If you've seen the Thai version of Shutter, you've pretty much seen the remake. The only difference being that it takes place in Japan, and with two Americans. Most parts are even copied scene for scene from the original.

Acting: [3 points]
Which is exactly what you'd expect from a horry, and moreover a remake. The leading man and lady, much like any horror bumble through the lines, because of course, the bread and butter of this movie is suppose to be the scare. So the script gets neglected entirely and the result is two people talking at each other rather than to each other.

Scare Factor: [1 point]
The original movie was just about the creepiest movie I had ever seen in my life. Can the same be said for the original? No. The remake is painfully unfrightening. Probably because in the original the ghost that haunts the starts actually looks like a ghost rather than a living person, which is what the ghost in the remake looks like, taking away the scare factor entirely.

Score/Soundtrack: [2 points]
It wasn't a terrible score but it wasn't haunting either. Supernatural movies should have a score that compliment's the emotion that it brings: Which is fear. The score did nothing to compliment the movie and if it wasn't the ghost that didn't make it scary, the lack of a scary score took the fear factor away.

Overall Movie Enjoyment: [7 points]
Despite the terrible script, and of course the unoriginal plot, I give it a 7 because it was still a pretty fun movie to watch. It's not scary but it's amusing to watch it attempt to scare. :)

Rent Worthy: Yes
Buy Worthy: No

total score: 20 out of 50