Juego de niños

We knew that already didn't we? Seriously though: The movie tries to not pull any punches but does fall back on some horror movie clichés where the viewer will not be able to stop shaking his head. Now I haven't seen the original movie, but the concept itself is not completely original anymore anyway.

You don't have a big cast (if you don't count the many kids that are in this) so therefor it is very important to stay/stick with the few you have on board (no pun intended). But unfortunately they never really strike you or have you root for them. It's unfortunate because the journey they take and the allegories they try to play out never really fulfill their goal

Come Out and Play is basically a carbon copy of the original 1976 film Who Can Kill A Child? It was a lazy remake that didn't even try to attempt something different with the concept or reinterpret it. The film is a retread and a missed opportunity to breath new life into the killer kids subgenre. The film still manages to capture the unsettling dread, suspense, mysterious and creepy atmosphere and terrifying helplessness that made the original effective. The musical score was intense and heart pounding and made you feel like you were watching a living nightmare captured on celluloid. The elements that made it watch able is that the premise is still creepy and disturbing and the story is still effective and shocking. Come Out and Play is in the end though just another pointless remake with nothing remotely new to show or say.

The performances were solid for the most part but I thought the script was pretty weak with underdeveloped characters. The two leads were likable and did their best with little that they were given, but they just played the typical, token stranded tourists that waited too long to get the hell out of there. Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Vinessa Shaw play parents to be Francis and Beth, who take one last vacation before Beth is due to give birth to their child. They make a trip to a secluded island and realize too late that all of the adults are missing and the children left behind. The doomed couple soon discovers that the children are homicidal maniacs, with no explanation of how they got that way. We as viewers are just as baffled as the couple and there wasn't even a hint to how the children got that way. I think the main stars are talented performers, but are wasted here as the lackluster script raises more questions than answers.

Director, Makinov pretty much cut and paste here with no inspiration behind the proceeding. He knows the basics of a horror movie but weren't inventive with the elements; as a result there wasn't any moments of surprise because if you've seen the original you know the outcome. The director brought nothing new to the story.

Overall, it's an uninspired remake that's too faithful to the original and you might as well just rent the original because it's exactly the same right down to the ending. Both give effective chills, but there is no good reason for this remake to exist. Still there are far worse out there.

When I saw that "Who Can Kill a Child?" was re filmed, I was optimistic. Despite its flaws, the 1976 movie was a chilling tale full of opportunity for a well made remake in the hands of a good director. Well, Makinov instead of trying to add something new, repeat the movie almost frame by frame. While he seems to be a good director, the kids in this movie are way less spooky than the older one, and the violence is way more edited, you barely see something. While the lead actor does a good job, the end is less meaningful because the kids are not that cool and the kills are way too boring. You don't see a damn thing. A great opportunity to do something new was wasted, but I hope that Makinov (a creepy guy with a red mask) does better movies in the future. He does have good hand, he just need risk a little more.

This film had the right idea but the execution did not work. Kids getting shot in the head is a little disturbing. Maybe is something in the film was actually scary more people would have like it.

Well, I neither read the book, nor saw the old film. But I find this theme is very interesting and at the end of the watch I kind of disappointed. Of course it is a low budget film, which involves little kids in a bad light, but that does not mean they should completely censor the violence. I'm disappointed with those serious avoidance which very essential for a film like this. I agree the children performing such act should not be shown, but the theme was promised something and delivered nothing. On that perspective anyone would be frustrated if they came here to see a good thriller.

So you can call it a horror-thriller for the families, that's how it looks. It is the story of an American couple with the seven months pregnant visits a tourist island destination in Mexico and soon finds the town is deserted. While looking for other souls, they are targeted by those who were the reason for the scenario of the island. Then begins the run and chasing game, and how it all ends revealed with a tiny twist.

As I feared the film failed to impress me, but there might be a few who would enjoy it better than me. So all I'm saying is just skip it if you're seeking 'Hatchet' kind of film, this is no way near to that. For a 30-35 years ago film, it might have worked better, but this is an outdated story to take place in the present world. The theme was fantastic, but I just wanted a different story and upgraded with the new stuffs. Though I must appreciate the director who has done multiple task for this film to happen. Finally, I want to clear that it is not a bad film of the year or decade or ever, but just too soft for its genre, that's all.

5/10