Jacob's Ladder (2019) Reviews

• Unneeded Remake

  mikedegroot2019-08-24

  Let's get this out of the way first; the original Jacob's Ladder is a great and unique film that by no means needs an updated version. If you want to watch a great version of it, just go watch the original. Story: While it is a remake, it is not a shot for shot reiteration. Several key story elements have been changed up, but many of the scenes reappear in a different context. The problem with this is that some of them feel shoved in to pay fan service to the original. The changes to the story and characters are at times major, and it feels like they are trying to tell a similar story just with vastly different parameters and it doesn't quite fit right. Acting: The three main actors do a very serviceable job in their respected roles, however Michael Ealy really wasn't able to fully capture the same insane paranoia that Tim Robbins brought. Production: The cinematography, while not bad, was lacking creativity and polish. The sound design was solid throughout. The effects on the other hand were cheesy and repetitious. They drastically overused the sped up head and camera shaking effect, while the cgi would have looked like it was 10 years old, 10 years ago. Seriously, half-assed practical effects would have looked much better than this shoddy cgi. Entertainment: Well, there was little. It honestly felt like one of the most generic and predictable films that I have seen in a long time. I understand that it's difficult to make a remake unique, but this iteration has no heart, enjoyment, or identity to it at all and it just falls flat. Overall: It's not the worst movie that you could watch, but there's really no reason to watch it. It's bland, mediocre, and the only thing scary about it are the bad special effects. Like I said before, if you want to watch a great version of it, just go watch the original. A generous 4/10

• Terrible from the start

  cruise161742019-08-25

  Having watched the original movie of Jacobs Ladder I really didn't expect much from or even expected this movie was needed. How right I was. From the start your greeted with just confusing dialogue after confusing scenes. I just could not get into such a poor made movie that had no excitement like the original that was very well written and directed. I felt we the audience where being taken for idiots. Sometimes I would say give it a chance. But for this it wants flushing down the toilet. It gets 2 Stars only because it looks decent quality wise just not executed at all in a good manner. Big thumbs down

• Another Unnecessary Remake

  mike-grotton2019-08-24

  I feel sorry for the filmmakers here. The original is such a classic, and so we'll acted; it achieves very singular levels of story, atmosphere, and performance. The remake was always doomed to pale in comparison. That said, I was willing to give it a shot and judge it on its own merits. What I found was a story devoid of character enriching beats and a tired visual style that was at its best when it tried, however infrequently, to approximate the original. I never once felt drawn in to the muddied predicament of the characters and in fact became increasingly annoyed with the plots tendency to drift away from the core mystery in favor of tired paranoia driven conspiracy tropes where no one is who you thought they were and the protagonist's family, friends, and lovers are out to get them. The denounment is pure laziness. I had to rewatch the original the next day to cleanse my pallet.

• Appalling.

  herodotus20072019-08-25

  I love the original. It is definitely a niche horror film, but so well written, directed and cast. You felt the horror the character of Jacob (Tim Robbins) was going through. Supporting cast were great as well, maing it a well-rounded uniqe experience. So, what would happen in a remake...I was excited to find out. Well, with many plot changes and character changes as well it started on the wrong foot. Without spoiling the film, it went so off course from the original premise as to actually be another film entirely. They could have named this another title and it might have been received more forgivingly (though the story was rubbish). Avoid it at all costs and stick with the oiginal. The acting was appalling, the direction confused and the writing....well, I don't know what the writer was thinking.

• Don't remake it if you don't get it. Change the title and the ratings will go up.

  bradaviel2019-08-24

  I would actually have enjoyed watching this movie if it wasn't called that. I'm usually for the look-out for Jabob's Ladder/Silent HIll inspired movies, and I usually quite enjoy them. To name a few : The Dark, The Machinist, Fear X, Session 9... the list goes on and on and on. While there have indeed been movies with that theme even before 1990 (obviously Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls in 1962 or Alain Resnais' L'année dernière à Marienbad the year before come to mind, to name only a couple), Adrian Lyne's masterpiece seemed to create a genre of its own. So why, oh why, should you remake that seminal cornerstone of a psychological horror movie and make it a horror B movie with a twist ? The cast is great (Im a big fan of Michael Ealy since Sleeper Cell, Jesse Williams makes a great believable brother, and it's always a pleasure to see Karla Souza anywhere, especially in dark gothy roles like this one), there are some interesting ideas, but have the trauma and psychological implications of afterlife reduced to a bad drug trip is insulting, to say the least. Even more if you quote Danny Aiello's monstrous quote by just dropping it without meaning, and take the subway vision by stripping it of its essence. "If you're frightened to die, and you're holding on, you see devils tearing your life away. If you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth". In no way Jacob has to die or wants to, nor is he already dead. So this quote really makes no sense -and it seems really cheap as it comes without People want to make movies about the VA ? Fine, by all means, make a contribution. Pay tribute to all the people who give their lives to protect the innocent, their family and their country. Their courage and sacrifice deserve it. Go along the likes of American Sniper. Want to add psychological trauma by injecting horror themed visions ? My pleasure. But going the B movie way with a drug twist, already seems a bit disrespectful. So please don't call it Jacob's Ladder. Jacob's Ladder is a path that leads from earthly demons to heavenly peace. It's a real cheap shot to reduce all the mystical implications of this to just a rogue scientist in a dirty lab. No religious meaningful figures, no talk of the soul, not even cabalistic tricks that would explain how a drug would make a path to demonic vision that would explain what's happening here. Especially with a subject so deep and visceral as a soldier dying on the battlefield and seeing his soul ripped appart as he can't understand what's happening to him, with guts dropping and relationship shred to dust. Don't remove all this pain and heartbreaking shedding of the flesh by substituting it with a "oh, I'm sorry, it's all the drug's side effect" crap. Or if you do (and why not), please change the title. Pay homage if you want, but don't fall under the "removing all the deep meaning of classic movies with -for the show- licence to make a quick buck" folder. This could have been so much better by just changing the last 10/15 minutes.