Name Discs
Funny Games
18 Feature

Blu-ray Information

Run time: 1 hour 47 minutes
Rental release: 28 Jul 2008
Main languages: English
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LOVEFiLM Review Funny Games

  • 3 stars out of 5  

    By Tom Charity from LOVEFiLM

    Michael Haneke does his own English language remake of his 1997 film, Funny Games. Does it live up to the original?

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Most helpful review Funny Games

  • Funny Games US

    Rated - 2.0 stars  
    By SAI81 (360 reviews) from Tonbridge , 04 May 2008

    [Highly rated reviewer]

    In 1997 Michael Haneke made a controversial and confrontational film about the nature of cinematic violence. As well as being a polemic, and an attack on the way violence is exploited in much horror and thriller cinema, Funny Games also worked as a hard hitting, disturbing and riveting thriller.

    11 years on Haneke has taken the odd step of remaking the film, entirely faithfully, but this time in English. He has said that he did this because the film was always meant to be for the audience which usually attended mainstream horror films, but that the fact that Funny Games was in German had meant that they had not seen it.

    In a way it’s hard to grade Funny Games US any differently than I did the original version, it is, after all, the same film, but that, in the end, is exactly why I have ended up giving this version a different grade than the first one.

    I’ve seen many remakes in the last few years, they have ranged from the excellent likes of Dawn of the Dead to the mediocrity of The Ring and the out and out miserable awfulness of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but none has made me feel that I’ve wasted my two hours the way Funny Games US did.

    I own Funny Games on DVD, thus I could have sat at home and watched this film, only then I might have felt the experience had purpose and indeed a soul. All Haneke has achieved with Funny Games US is the worlds most expensive and elaborate dubbing job.

    One has to be fair; the cast are good, but it is hard to credit them with their performances. If Naomi Watts had given this brutalised, exhausted, emotionally naked performance in any other film I’d have been suggesting her for awards, but I can’t do it, because this is not her performance, it is Susanne Lothar’s, to the last detail. So slavishly has Haneke copied his earlier film that the actors are not really acting, they are reduced to the level of children, mindlessly repeating what they have been fed, down to almost the very last inflection of a line. It’s not merely the script and performances though, no, every camera angle, set, prop… dear Jesus even the jumper Watts puts on for the third act is the exact duplicate of the German film.

    I really don’t know who this film is for. It is still disturbing and claustrophobic enough to be denied a major release and so Haneke is still not going to get through to the mainstream gorno audience he clearly wants. Most of the people who will be at all inclined to see Funny Games US will either have seen the original, or be the type of audience that has no problem with subtitles, rendering the entire endeavour as purposeless as it is puzzling. If you haven’t seen the original then you’ll likely get some value out of this version, it’s technically unimpeachable, and extremely well acted, but it has been so for 11 years and the original film is the one you ought to see, rather than this colour photocopy.
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All reviews

(282)
  • If you have time to waste...

    Rated - 1.0 star  
    By a customer , 17 Jun 2013
    Not sure why I sat through the whole of this, feel like the director owes me some of my time back!
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  • Definitely worth watching

    Rated - 4.5 stars  
    By Jardin76 (1 review) , 16 Jun 2013
    I haven't seen the original so can only judge this film for what it is. I realise there has been some significant comparison made with the original as well as some criticism about this remake. However, I thought it was brilliant. The acting is superb, the pace is beautifully held, the dialogue is clever. It is good to see a film which isn't afraid to play games with the viewer - some scenes are so uncomfortable, I was left feeling the guilt of the voyeur, Very interesting and thought-provoking film. I did feel the ending was somewhat predictable though.
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  • Incredible film.

    Rated - 5.0 stars  
    By a customer , 14 Jun 2013
    Found the film disturbing and extremely harrowing. However, if you look beyond the films face value of violence and torture, it is a play on today's modern horror films. Haneke takes away the glamour and Hollywood aspect of horror and shows the audience how violence and torture has become entertainment. Hugely impactful.
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  • finally a reason to tolerate naomi watts

    Rated - 4.0 stars  
    By bggooner (6 reviews) , 14 Apr 2013
    watched the original and was impressed if a little disturbed. Watched this after becoming a parent and it affected me in all the right places and despite already knowing the outcome I still rooted for the family while cursing them for making mistakes that seem obvious to the viewer. One thing is for certain the tone made when turning a mobile phone has never sounded so desperate...almost forgiven for king kong
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  • Very odd film

    Rated - 2.0 stars  
    By a customer , 31 Mar 2013
    A very sinister, yet very odd film. I kept watching hoping that there would be some point to the film and it would have some sort of decent end. It didn't. Don't waste your time watching this!
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