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Really Surprised!

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

I am not sure why this film has an average below 9 and do not understand people who gave this film one or two stars...The film is entertaining and keeps your attention from the beginning to the end - and what an end! I loved the atmosphere of the film, which is kinda uncomfortable and eerie in a way... Don't know why but that was the main plus for this film, alonside really great roles of 2 leading men and the girl too ( who, I must say, looks so much like Jessica Simpson - that I though it was her in the 1st scene in the car).I read that this is a remake. I did not watch the original nor I read the book, but this one was really great for me, so I do not have a wish to spoil it with something else.I give it rating 9, though, precisely it would be 8.6.Do watch the film and do not pay too much attention to negative reviews in a way to keep you off. See for yourself, I am sure you will enjoy it.

Have you seen it? No? There is likely a very good reason for that...it stinks.Like nearly ALL the endless remakes and reboots that have been plaguing movie goers for the past decade or so....all this is, is a heartless version of the original.It has no heart.It has no soul.It is a retelling of a film that we all love and cherish...and it adds nothing to the story. It improves nothing but the special effects--which held up very well over time--and in some cases belittles the fans of the original...particularly in the fact that they remade the movie at all, without adding anything clever to it.Like so many other remakes it is a hallow shell of the original.

I really enjoyed the original not because it came out first, but the direction quality was 10 X better! First of all it was Dustin Hoffman, enough said. That it was set in an English country side vs the rural south. The plots for both were essentially the same but there were enough twists in the remake to contrast the two films. Unfortunately those factors all play in the lesser entertainment value of the remake. The characters lacked personification and just didn't stand out well enough. Actually they were all stereotypical, all the way down to the sheriff. Although James Woods certainly is a classic actor, his role seemed underplayed given his acting ability. There were some good parts to the remake, such as the scene prior to and after the football game. I suppose if the remake was the original, then it would be a better movie. If you only saw the remake, do yourself a favor and see classic Sam P. direction.

For the first time ever, I was completely unbiased to watch a remake! Usually Hollywood always has the god-awful and annoying habit of remaking personal favorite horror/cult movies of mine that are already impeccable and not really suitable for improvement, but regarding "Straw Dogs" I felt a lot less concerned since I never was a die-hard admirer of Sam Peckinpah's original from 1971. Surely I acknowledge its importance and influence for the genre, but still mainly consider it to be a deeply unpleasant movie that all too enthusiastically glorifies senseless violence and somehow spreads the message that every man needs to undergo a couple of rape and violence rituals in order to become a real man. "Straw Dogs" 2011 also isn't just any random remake from an aspiring young director who desperately needed an obvious jumping board to success, but by the intelligent writer/director Rod Lurie. He inserted a couple of relevant changes (like the geographical transfer from redneck Southern England to redneck Southern United States) and efficiently put the emphasis on in-depth character development. There's still a fair portion of harsh violence and misogynic brutality in this version, mind you, but at least it's depicted in a lot less gratuitous and joyous way. The infamous rape sequence, for example, still evokes debates regarding provocation but at least the script doesn't all too obviously endorse the so-called 'rape-myth' that all women secretly desire to be physically dominated. The rest of the plot remains the same as well (also because it's a book adaption, of course) and thus focuses on a successful couple temporarily moving to the girl's hometown in Southern Mississippi. The (re-)integration in this traditional and underdeveloped community leads to embarrassing situations for the husband and humiliating confrontations for the wife, as her former boyfriend Charlie and his gang of tough huntsmen penetrate themselves into their lives. Things come to a bloody climax when David and Amy want to prevent the locals from executing private justice. "Straw Dogs" effectively bathes in grim and unsettling atmosphere and hugely benefices from the performances. James Marsden and Kate Bosworth are excellent, but particularly the local hillbillies are portrayed in a disturbingly realistic matter. Amongst them also the always reliable James Woods as a hellish football coach. Also, respecting the rules of cinema, there's some fuzz about a bear claw rather early in the film, so you just know this particularly gruesome and inventive murder instrument will be back in the finale as well.PS: lovely soundtrack with, amongst others, the wondrous ballad "Summer Wine" by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood. I hadn't heard that song in years, but I now instantly added it to my play lists again.