Children of the Corn

Original ideas in Hollywood must be in short supply, as we’re getting treated to movies like this, Children of the Corn 2009. Ok, the 2009 bit isn’t officially part of the title, but since the original film adaptation had six sequels, something will have to differentiate this iteration from the rest of the herd.

At any rate, this update features David Anders (Heroes) and Kandyse McClure (Battlestar Galactica) in the lead roles as the married couple who make the mistake of driving through Gatlin, Nebraska. The fans of those two shows should enjoy seeing these two in action. For what it’s worth, they do a pretty job with the material that they’re given here. Unfortunately, what they’re given is a lot of hackneyed dialogue of a couple in distress. Basically she resents him for his service in Vietnam and he’s too emotionally closed off from her to properly communicate. So you’ve got that fun cliché to deal with throughout the movie.

Beyond that, the film is moderately creepy. The kids of the town are fairly solid in their roles. However something here just seems lacking. I can’t quite put my finger on it. The production is nicely retro, the acting is good…but this just didn’t land with me. I love Stephen King, so I’m tempted to guess that it’s not the fault of his original story. Maybe the adaptation of the material in the screenplay? Who knows. Check this out if you want, but keep your expectations at bay.