‘The Omen’ is a bad seed

By now we all know the elements that make up the Hollywood version of the Christian Apocalypse. Satanic forces manifest themselves on earth. The Catholic hierarchy goes ballistic as predictions in the Book of Revelations seem to unfold on CNN. Current events and political realities foreshadow the dreaded End Times. And the Antichrist is only one election away from a position of world power that will instigate the Battle of Armageddon.

The whole idea of a demonic child being born into an unsuspecting family was a shocking premise when “Rosemary’s Baby” was made in 1968. But “The Exorcist” and the “Poltergeist” series, and the original “Omen” and its many sequels have made this premise into a totally predictable genre of its own.

In “The Omen,” Damien is still the devil child with scary blue eyes in a remake that greatly upgrades the cheesy special effects of the first version. Mia Farrow is cast as the nanny caring for the unholy terror. Julia Stiles is Damien’s unwitting mom. Liev Schreiber is his unfortunate step-dad.

Director John Moore provides top notch production values, music and locales. But in the end it plays out as a slow, tedious affair with very few real thrills and little redeeming social value. It’s a remake better left unmade.