Poltergeist 2015

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Just as the original was one of the scariest PG movies ever, the reboot has about as much gruesomeness as you can possibly stuff into a PG-13. Read more

Andrew Barker, Variety: [A] professionally executed yet bloodless film ... an act of homage that hews reverently to its source material while missing the essential spirit and vitality that once powered it. Read more

Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: The original film was promoted with the tagline "It knows what scares you." If there was a truth-in-advertising law regarding films, this movie's ad copy would read: "Poltergeist: Meh." Read more

Drew Hunt, Chicago Reader: Director Gil Kenan ruins the pacing with too many half-baked, awkwardly staged horror set pieces, but the cast acquit themselves well enough. Read more

Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly: Poltergeist does benefit from briskness-it's actually 20 minutes shorter than Hooper's film-and there is a nice, Evil Dead 2-esque sequence involving a power drill. Read more

Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter: Leaving behind the youth-skewing perspectives of Monster House and City of Ember, director Gil Kenan not only delivers on the promise of Hooper's Poltergeist, but significantly raises the stakes for similar PG-13 fare. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: This remake is over 20 minutes shorter than the original "Poltergeist," and it saved most of that time by sacrificing the beginning and end. Read more

Eddie Goldberger, New York Daily News: It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but Poltergeist is a solid, surprisingly effective chiller that's respectful towards its 1982 predecessor while acquitting itself as a proficient update. Read more

Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: The new "Poltergeist" might well be the scariest movie 13-or-unders have yet seen, just as the original was for their parents back in 1982. Read more

Tirdad Derakhshani, Philadelphia Inquirer: It's not exactly a scary film, but it does provide an enjoyable ride. It's good fun. But it left me befuddled. A little sad. And a little angry. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: There's little doubt that nostalgia played a part in Fox's decision to remake Poltergeist, but that's a poor reason for any film's existence and no excuse for how uninspired Gil Kenan's re-imagining of this one turned out. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: There are some jumps but few legitimate scares, unlike director Tobe Hooper's original, which, although similarly bloodless, still stands as one of the scariest movies ever made. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: This new spooky-house chiller never escapes the shadow of its predecessor, but it also pales next to the scores of subsequent movies - "The Conjuring," "Insidious," and "Paranormal Activity" - that already stripped the original "Poltergeist" for parts. Read more

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: This has more in common with slick, audience-goosing modern spookers like 'Insidious' than with Hooper & Spielberg's imaginative original. Read more

Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice: Poltergeist 2015 is to Poltergeist '82 what today's shipped-frozen-to-the-store Pizza Hut dough is to the kneaded-on-site pies the chain's stoned cooks tossed in the Reagan era. Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: This new Poltergeist isn't anything special ... But it's not a travesty, and that feels like cause for brief celebration. Read more