ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

Almost everyone comes to a sticky end in The Omen, just as they did in the 1976 original. From the moment that Liev Schreiber's ambitious young diplomat secretly adopts a child from a shifty-looking priest, the accidents start to pile up: burnings, hangings, beheadings... The source of all these horrors is, of course, Damien: the toddler antichrist, and much of the enjoyment in John Moore's glossy remake comes from predicting who will make it to the final reel alive.

After a very silly opening sequence at the Vatican, where the arrival of Satan's little darling is predicted by real-life disasters like the 9/11 attacks and the Asian tsunami, we settle in with our heroes, hotshot diplomat Liev Schreiber and his wife Julia Stiles. Before long, they've moved into their sprawling English mansion with young Damien (played with an unwavering stare by Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) and the fun begins.

Since Damien is too young to really get involved, the film relies heavily on suspense to keep your interest, and it succeeds thanks to classy performances. Mia Farrow is funny and creepy as Damien's nutty nanny, Pete Postlethwaite's priest is hammier than a pig farm, and David Thewlis does a thrilling job as the photographer who discovers Damien's true identity.

"POSTLETHWAITE'S HAMMIER THAN A PIG FARM"

Back in 76, The Omen struck a chord with audiences still shaken by . These days, spooky children are as integral to movies as popcorn, so John Moore's remake - while arguably better than its source - can't help but feel a bit stale. Still, it treats the hokum with enough seriousness to create a few chills between the giggles.