'Pet Sematary' Review: Sandy Kenyon calls take on Stephen King classic 'better than average'
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The brain teaser called "Us" remains in theaters, and I put aside my dislike of horror films to enjoy it -- so when I saw how many critics liked "Pet Sematary," I was optimistic. In fact, I can urge all of you to go see it.
Rachel and Louis and their two kids move to rural Maine to escape the pressures of life in Boston, but their serenity doesn't last long. A huge tanker truck blows by with a roar and gives one a sense that much worse will soon befall this family!
Their neighbor is a widower played by John Lithgow, who warns them about their land, saying, "Those woods belong to something else."
Turns out a "Pet Sematary" (the name has been misspelled by local children) is located on the property. As weird as that place seems, what's beyond is even stranger: an ancient burial ground where creatures can be brought back to life.
They are reincarnated, but they are not the same. Those brought back from the dead come back different, so the cuddly cat is now a miniature cougar, and Daddy's little girl becomes really quite dangerous!
The movie was inspired by the Stephen King story that is now more than 35 years old, but "Pet Sematary" is timeless because it deals with unseen forces made manifest and helpless humans powerless to cope with that in which they cannot understand.
"Sometimes dead is better," says Lithgow's character, explaining the perils of bringing folks back from the dead.
I call this movie "better than average"-- and I don't even like horror films that much! "Pet Sematary" is spooky, thanks to terrific performances by various actors, including five cats who came together to play one feline character named Church.
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