Remake This: Prom Night (2008)

 Is it time for another Prom?  Already?  I need to get a new dress!

This is the 2008 Remake of Prom Night...although that's not really fair.  There were a TON of Remakes starting in the 2000s (and continuing to this day).  Many were legit Remakes that tried to either improve on the Story/Setting (My Bloody Valentine) or just copy it (Texas Chainsaw Massacre).

This is a Remake in-name only.  The Plot is different.  Everything is different, save for a killer on Prom Night.

The irony, of course, is that doing a 1-to-1 Remake in 2008 would make people think that they were ripping off I Know What you Did Last Summer- despite doing it first.

The Plot here involves a killer- whose backstory is simply TOLD TO US- coming back for another go on, say it with me, Prom Night!

A new Cast of young people are here and we aren't yet at the Legacy Sequel phase yet, so no Jamie Lee Cameo here.  I'm sad too.

Is it good though?  To find out, read on...

A deranged killer takes out the whole family (rare to see the kid killed in an American Horror Film- even off-camera) to get at our Heroine (Brittany Snow).

She escapes out the front door, but is wounded.

We cut to 3 years later (sure!) and it s the day of the Prom.  Hey, it is Prom NIGHT, not Day.  Get it straight!

She goes to her super-fancy prom (they rented out a Hotel Ballroom in L.A.!).

...unaware of the danger!  The killer is back and now he's not wearing the obviously fake wig and beard.

A Deleted Scene explains how he managed to fool them for 3 days, giving him this head start.

In the Theatrical Cut, they just don't tell the Cops for 3 days.  Whoops.

The Police eventually help out...by doing nothing, save for the Lead Cop watching.

When they finally find the bodies left behind, Idris Elba here finally acts.

Of course, they clear the whole building out and DO NOT WATCH the one person they are supposed to.

The killer finds her.
Oops.

She escapes and the Killer somehow escapes, despite every exit being watched.  Huh?

The killer has his one last hurrah as he follows her home.  How does he know her address?
Good question.

He manages to kill a Cop and a boyfriend, but is taken out by Elba.  No Sequel for you!

A decent Film, even if there's not much new here.  Actually, is there anything new here?

The setup is played differently (beginning with her being in danger) and it curiously skips right to the titular Night.  That pacing is a bit interesting.

Other than that, there's nothing that exciting here.  A pretty basic Setup, a pretty basic execution and the kills are muted.

This one is infamously a PG-13 Horror Film, which makes some people hate it without even seeing it.
Is there no blood?  Mostly, yes.  Does that make the Film bad on its own?  No.

Less than week out from seeing it, however, I couldn't tell you any of the Characters' names and barely recall their motivations.  It's just alright, but quite forgettable.
That's not a knock on the Actors- they do fine.  The material is just so ho-hum, that's all.

Ooh, you should realize an Unrated Version.  It will be...one minute longer?!?!?!?

Next time, I cover a cheesy 'Classic' from the 1960s.  Is it really all gimmick and won't work for home viewing?  See you then...