April Fools' Day is a remake of the original, which is one of my all-time favorite movies. I have to admit I was a bit reticent to watch it for this reason, yet I was pleasantly surprised. It is not the same movie though it is just as convoluted and, like the original, not without its flaws.
This version complicates matters with a whole murder plot amongst a group of overprivileged, amoral rich kids which is more than just the setup for the rest of the flick but adds little to the original concept. I suppose it could be argued that it's a decent angle for an "updated" version meant to appeal to younger viewers, and I may just be such a fan of the original that I'm being obtuse, but it takes April Fools' Day out of the realm of true horror and into something more akin to a procedural.
There is, in fact, very little "horror" to this horror flick - which is enough of an update in this day and age. It's a soft-R filled with beautiful people and little more. They sanitized the entire thing so that I wouldn't have the slightest problem watching this with my parents. Why have such awesome-looking people if they never get naked or have sex? Why so little gore?
Overall though, the story is very strong, as is the production. Good acting, dialogue, direction, cinematography, lighting - right down the line. It just isn't fit to call April Fools' Day a horror movie. Which actually makes it more faithful a version, according to the creator of the original film, who insists that it was never meant to be a horror movie in the first place.
I recommend April Fools' Day with the caveat that true horror aficionados not expect much from it in the way of gore, SFX, or scares.
© C Harris Lynn, 2012
A rambling melange of pop-culture.
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