First, like most people who might take an interest in this film, I am a huge fan of the 1920 original, so I'll take a chance with anything related to it. I was hooked right from the beginning with the opening scene where Francis begins to relate his story to the old man. Listening to the dialog between the two and then seeing the new Jane walk down the path, pushing aside the tree branches, was amazing. At first I felt the acting was overwrought and stilted, but this is actually more true to the original than more restrained acting would be. I have just watched the new Blu-ray of the original and the 2005 remake back to back. I thoroughly enjoyed them both.

How can a film with Doug Jones be bad? Well, easily, but not due to Doug Jones. Though filling the shoes of Conrad Veidt is a tough thing to do! There is nothing wrong with remaking a film if it is done right, but there are some flaws to this that just make it a weak reinterpretation. First, they seem to have the film set in the original time (1920s), but the actors are clearing modern men with their language and mannerisms.The biggest problem is the attempt at German expressionism. They have the contrast, they have the odd shapes... but they just do not have the heart or soul of the movement. It is like painting a Van Gosh with paint-by-numbers. Sure, you can make it look similar, but you do not have the technique or passion behind it. The film would have been better off adapting the story to a modern setting than to pay homage to the original if they did not have the ability to pull it off.

Ah, what film could possibly surpass the wonders of the original Cabinet of Dr. Caligari? Not many, I can tell you that. The haunting Conrad Veidt, dazzling Lil Dagover, and just plain creepy Werner Krauss, brought life to this classic horror.It's a shame to see such beauty tarnished by a downright terrible remake.The dialogue seemed to be forced at the best of times, and the actors had no connection with the set, mainly because it wasn't there when they filmed. On top of all that the cast of this abomination lacked in both charm and appeal. They used awkward, jerky movements in a vain attempt to seem 'spooky'.When a film is remade it should at least express the same concept in a different way. This film failed to do that in anyway.

The remake of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" has all the poles holding it up. We have plenty of shadows, plenty of new camera angles, and more tension than the original masterpiece. Of course you are going to see some scenes which mirror the original. This just proves the love which went into the making of this soon to be classic. The most remarkable parts of this film are the reprisals of the original flick's backgrounds, and a fantastic series of performances, especially the new Caligari who is even more bad tempered and crazier than ever. The new film focuses even more on the sanity of the tortured Francis, who seems to be losing his grip with his own world as the film progresses. The actor who portrays the killer Caesare is eerily similar to the first film's sleepwalking stabber. The black and white flavoring really gives you the impression that this film might have been made in the late 30's than the new millennium. All in all, a terrific remake and a film no horror purist can resist.