There goes my good film streak.
Unlike a lot of other fans, I didn't grow up watching the original, and have only recently watched it for the first time. I actually didn't know there were other editions til I read these comments. That being said, I still felt heavily let down by this remake.
This film wasn't awful, don't get me wrong. Aesthetically speaking it was okay, some of the shots were quite beautiful and unique. Unfortunately I just think it's been absolutely overrun with modern media. From the basic Pinterest tattoos to the entire first half of the film feeling straight out of a 13 year olds fan fic, this film just felt like the writers were trying to appease to some made-up younger audience. As much as I appreciated Eric and Shelley being given a backstory, and a lot more background being put on their relationship, I couldn't help but find Shelleys character incredibly irritating. Maybe I'm overanalyzing it again, as I'm said to do, but I can't tell you how easy it is to tell that she's been written by a man. Every other line of hers was straight out of a cringe sticker pack. The type of thing I'd expect to be on the front of a cheap note pad, not in a multi-million dollar film. And if you're going to spend 50 mill on a film, at least try and get the crow animations look at least slightly realistic. I don't know, I try not to judge but it really was just shocking.
Plus, can we talk about how willing Eric is to give up his life for a girl who makes jokes like "what's the hardest tea to drink? Reali-tea"??! I mean they were together for, what, a month at most? And only properly together for half of that. Need I mention that if Shelley would have just moved her hand and inch upward she would have been able to poke a hole in the bag and breathe again?? A lot of the script and design elements just felt rushed and not properly thought through. I could say that it felt kind of like it was written by some AI angsty tween bot who's only source of intelligence was someone's Instagram feed. But that's just mean, so I won't. Instead I'll say it was good, but I don't think it could ever shine a light to the 1994 original.