While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

In the made-for-TV movie "Carrie," our young naive outcast (Angela Bettis) is tormented by her fellow high-school students. She learns of her telekinesis and begins using it as a tool for vengeance.The 2002 version of Stephen King's "Carrie" is a lot better than it could've been. It was already fighting an uphill battle trying to recapture the same tense and gloriously haunting magic the 1976 movie did. Weak performances and cheesy dialogue by many of the actors doesn't help the situation. However, Angela Bettis's incredible performance as the title character virtually redeems any weakness shown by the other cast members. The one thing that hinders this update is the TV-quality production and cinematography. That being said, the special effects are a lot better than they should've been for a TV-movie made in the early 2000s.Although 2002's "Carrie" is rated TV-14 and includes some questionable content for younger viewers. There's brief nudity, although nothing graphic is shown. The scenes are from the back or a profile of Carrie lying in the fetal position in the shower. There are adult situations, violence and gore, mild profanity, alcohol and smoking, and frightening and intense scenes.If you give the update a chance, you'll find that it really isn't as bad as history remembers it.

This TV version seemed to showcase the extent of Carrie's powers more, and having her kill people then not even remember doing it was REALLY scary, when you think about it. Bad enough to have an extremely powerful psychokinetic on a killing spree, but worse when that person suddenly snaps out of it and claim complete ignorance of anything he/she did...The unique twist ending with Sue Snell helping Carrie and Carrie getting a chance to live and start over again was a highly original take.Patricia Clarkson TOTALLY nails the role of the crazy, religious zealot mother. Angela Bettis - not to be unkind, but she has a weird bug-eyed look about her that makes her VERY convincing as an outcast.

2 points before I start.Firstly I would like to start this review by saying I really love the 1976 version of Carrie. I think it is one of the the best horror movies ever made. It is also one of the saddest horrors ever made.Secondly I don't see why people are bad mouthing this TV version from 2002. It may not be a classic but it is a very good remake that is more faithful to the source novel than the original film.In My opinion the 2002 version of Carrie is one of the best TV adaptations of a Stephen King novel, up there with IT and the 1979 version of Salems Lot. All the actors play there parts very well. Plus anyone who has read Carrie will realise how close to the novel this version is, well apart from the ending. This was changed due to the fact that this version was originally intended as a pilot for a series.The film starts with the survivors of prom giving evidence to the police. This comes directly from the novel and the story is told in flash back. Angela Bettis makes for an interesting Carrie White. Unlike Sissy Spacek Carrie who comes a cross as a deer in headlights, Bettis Carrie isn't as naive or scared of her tormentors and in a couple of scenes she actually verbally fights back,(Reminding Sue Schell that the only reason she speaking to her in a shop is that none of her friends are around to see). Carrie in this version is fully aware that Tommy was asked to take her to the prom by Sue.This In-fact this is the major difference between the two films. In many ways Carrie is more street wise than her 1976 counterpart. The original Carrie is purposely slick and overplayed, where as this version is subtler and more realistic.This really shows in the the way Carrie is bullied by the other girls and there general reactions to Carrie in general its very realistically played out, making they're nastiness all the more shocking.Patricia Clarkson interpretation of Margret White is one of quiet insanity. It actually makes her performance all the more unnerving.Rena Sofers ,Miss Desjarden is actually a lot better than the original Betty Buckleys, Miss Collins (the gym teacher). This mainly to do with the fact that the role is actually better written than in the original 1976 version. The scene at the prom where she reminds Carrie that High Schools isn't the be all and end all is brilliantly played out.She also shares a great scene where she and the headmaster are confronted by Chris Hargensen father.(This comes directly from Stephen Kings book). The rest of the cast are very good and many have gone on to bigger things. Emilie de Ravin went on to appear in LOST and Kandyse McClure became part of the cast of the New Battlestar Galactica not to mention the always excellent Katharine Isabelle (a real bitch in this version) who has become a cult star of indie horror movies. This adaptation of Carrie only really fails on 2 points. The first is that some of its digital Special Effects don't always work. This was mainly to do with budget restraints. The second is its look. It just looks too made for TV, Its flatly directed and has no real grandeur. This probably why some the reviews have been bad. Also i would like to point out that many of the negative reviews come from people who have never read the book. I really liked this adaptation of Carrie and have watched almost as many times as the original. I'm aware that I've compared the two films in this review but I hope people reading this will not be put off especially as a new version of Carrie is on its way. I hope this version will not be forgotten as its only real flaw was that it was a TV movie.

I know that others has complained about this film, and thinking of the circumstances, it's not that weird. Of course, compared to the original (you saw this coming, right?), this one is more of an "easy come, easy go". It's like Hellraiser without Doug Bradley, or Elm Street without Robert Englund. Even if the movie itself doesn't suck, we have the original, with its own trademarks, to compare it with.However! If you decide to watch this, please make sure to forget everything you remembered from the original movie. If you've read the book, you know that Carrie isn't as cute as in the 70's version, her mother is way more crazy ... The characters doesn't have the substance from the characters in the book. This one does. When I read the book, I pictured Carrie as a shy, somewhat ... I wouldn't say ugly, but not a real beauty, or cute. A bit odd girl, sneaking around in the corridors trying not to be seen and always on edge, never quite dry in her eyes. The actress delivers the character of Carrie superb, and sometimes better than Sissy Spacek (I am going to get so much sh*t from "real" horror fans for saying that). The only thing I have to complain about is the choreography of the picture. The picture is a bit corny on occasions, has got too many closeups and almost always filmed with a shaky hand camera. Makes me wounder - why? It really brings down the over all grade of the movie, and gives a feeling to the movie as a "high school project" rather than a remake/interpretation of the book.On the whole, an excellent movie with excellent acting. I give it 7 out of 10