A faithful-unto-slavish remake of the 1960 Hitchcock classic, pic contains nothing to outrage or offend partisans of the original, yet neither does it stand to add much to their appreciation.
50
Film ThreatRon Wells
Film ThreatRon Wells
The movie doesn't stink. The performances are good, potentially great, especially Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates.
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
In the shock department, the ante has been upped, way up, and a mere kitchen knife through a shower curtain just doesn't cut it any more.
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Van Sant's film feels as dated as Hitchcock's, and Hitchcock's has the better excuse.
38
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The movie is an invaluable experiment in the theory of cinema, because it demonstrates that a shot-by-shot remake is pointless; genius apparently resides between or beneath the shots, or in chemistry that cannot be timed or counted.