They say you should never remake a classic. The original Poltergeist from 1982 was written by Steven Spielberg who also seemed to have had a hand in how it was directed.

The 2015 remake is a soulless movie that brings nothing new to the table except a few jump cuts.

If it was an innovative reimagination whose reach could not exceed its grasp I might had been more forgiving.

Sam Rockwell is an out of work father, Eric Bowen who with his wife Amy Bowen and three young kids move into a new home. The house was built in an old cemetery and the bodies were supposed to have been moved but only the headstones were.

The youngest daughter Madison feels a presence, the spirits below the house need a guide and Madison is sucked in and disappears.

The Bowens call on paranormal psychics Dr Brooke Powell (Jane Adams) and Carrigan Burke (Jared Harris) to get her back.

The only thing to note is London born Jared doing an impression of his Irish father Richard Harris.

The Bowens move into the suburbs heavily hit by foreclosures. Eric (Sam Rockwell) lost his job and they have to downsize. His wife (Rosemarie DeWitt) and his kids try to adjust. They are utterly broke and discover the development was built on a former cemetery. The youngest Madison starts to play with an invisible presence. Griffin sees the weird happenings but his family is dismissive until the spirits grab Madison. They call on Dr. Brooke Powell (Jane Adams) and her team of students to help. Powell brings in psychic Carrigan Burke (Jared Harris).

This is a remake of the classic 82 original. They have essentially taken the plot and the big scenes from the original. It's a faded copy without adding anything great. Everything feels like it's hitting at a lower level. I love Rockwell and DeWitt. Jane Adams is a step down and Jared Harris fails completely by comparison. It's not his fault but he's not capable of being an icon of horror like Zelda Rubinstein. Making them exes only reduce the potency. It's trying to add humor without success. The only real improvement is Griffin's character. I like his guilt and thereby explains his need to rescue his sister. I don't buy that the parents not going after him but I generally like the Griffin switcharoo. This may stand on its own some day but is inferior to the original.

The unemployed Eric Bowen (Sam Rockwell) moves with his wife Amy (Rosemarie DeWitt) and their children Kendra (Saxon Sharbino),Griffin (Kyle Catlett) and Madison (Kennedi Clements) to a house in the suburb. Soon strange events happen in the house and when Eric and Amy go to a dinner party, they learn that the house was built on an old cemetery but the bodies were moved to another cemetery. Meanwhile Kendra, Griffin and Madison are haunted by ghosts and the little girl vanishes. Eric and Amy do not go to the police since there is no feasible explanation for what has happened, but Amy goes to the Paranormal Research Department of the university. The team goes to the house and their leader Dr. Brooke Powell (Jane Adams) summons the specialist Carrigan Burke (Jared Harris). Will they be capable to rescue Madison?

The 1982 "Poltergeist" is a classic in the horror genre and among the best of this genre. This remake is a typical example of how poor of good and creative writers Hollywood is; therefore the need of reusing successful story lines for the younger generations. The weak screenplay uses drone; the success of "Insidious" and the astral projection; a character, Carrigan Burke, who looks like an exorcist; an obnoxious character, the unemployed Eric Bowen. There are explosions, storm and a series of weird events and no neighbor goes to the street. The good point is the eight-year-old Kennedi Clements. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Poltergeist: O Fenômeno" ("Poltergeist: The Phenomenon")