The HIlls Have Eyes (2006)

"The Hills Have Eyes" stars Aaron Stanford, Kathleen Quinlan, Vinessa Shaw, Emilie de Ravin, and Dan Byrd. Alexandre Aja (High Tension) directed this remake of the 1967 low budget Wes Craven film of the same name.

The film starts off showing nuclear testing sites and the effects that they cause on nearby citizens. The government commanded that everyone evacuate the area, but many miners refused to evacuate their homes and were exposed to the radiation caused by the testing. Those who survived became deformed monsters who survive in the mountains of the desert on tourists who pass by. The Carter family seemed to be their next victims in "The Hills Have Eyes".

I was very excited to see this remake of one of my favorite horror movies of the 60's. One of the main reasons why I was gravely disappointed. Alexandre Aja's directorial debut, "High Tension", was a masterpiece. Remakes just don't fit Aja's style of work. Executive producer Wes Craven, puts forth a remake of a film he knows won't be topped, just making his original version all the better. I really thought that Alexandre, a director who has actually made my heart stop, could pull this one off.

Acting was somewhat impressive and the scenery is appealing. Putting more money into the film for more "realistic" makeup effects just didn't seem to work. It actually made the movie feel more idealistic. I am far from hating the film, I just thought that it could've been a lot better. There are some really intense moments and some gruesome effects that adequately makes up for the main flaw of most remakes, it's not better than the original.

I wouldn't recommend this for fans of the original because they will be sorely disappointed. If you haven't seen the original, I suggest it over this needless remake. I warn everyone who saw the original, that you might predict scene for scene what will happen next. Lacking the creepiness of the original that I was highly anticipated for. Skip this one and rent the original. 2/5 stars