SYNOPSIS
Parents give birth to a mutant monster with a hunger for flesh.
CRITIQUE
When Lenore (Bijou Phillips) learns that she is pregnant, she leaves her graduate school and moves in with her boyfriend Frank (James Murray) and his young brother (Raphael Coleman.) However, from the moment that the baby is born, strange things begin to happen. First, the delivery room in which Lenore brings her child into the world is the stage of a horrific bloodbath. Then animals begin to turn up around Lenore’s home – half-eaten. Soon after, anyone who comes to Lenore’s home winds up disappearing – just snack food for a starving baby.
I really enjoy the original It’s Alive film. It’s a silly little monster film, nothing that would ever be considered a classic, but completely enjoyable in that it’s-so-bad-it’s-good sort of way. However, this version of It’s Alive attempts to be more of a serious horror film rather than a silly little B-grade monster flick. And this doesn’t serve the story in any way. What made the original fun was the fact that all the characters acted completely nonchalant about the fact that there is a killer mutant baby on the loose eating people, as if things like this happen all the time. This is not present in the remake. The remake grounds itself in a firm reality, making the premise very hard to swallow.
Now, if the horror film was just Lenore trying to cover up her baby’s unusual feeding habits, that’d be one thing (although her not batting an eye after her baby chews up her best friend does kinda push it a bit.) However, she is living with her boyfriend and his young wheelchair bound brother. At some point I would think that they would notice that the baby is not completely human. There is busy and thus inattentive, and then there is fake horror movie obliviousness and both Frank and his brother both seem to fall into the second category.
It’s Alive is a movie that never needed a remake, two horrible sequels were all we really needed, and we got those already. Maybe if this version of It’s Alive was a sequel/remake like the Friday the 13th redo in which the events of the original film have happened and this is nothing more than a “new generation” thing, It’s Alive might have been passable as a more straight forward horror film. Sadly, this is not the case.
THE VIDEO
It’s Alive is presented in 2.35:1 Widescreen and looks decent. There is a little bit of grain, but overall the film isn’t harmed by it.
THE AUDIO
The film is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround but never really gets an opportunity to show off. There is some good ambient work, but overall the mix is just okay.
THE EXTRAS
None.
FINAL THOUGHT
If it’s a choice between the original and the remake, go with the original. If it’s between the remake and the sequels, I’d go with the remake.
