The idea of cult director John Carpenter doing a remake of the Sixties British sci-fi chiller of the same name, starring George Sanders, in which 10 strange children, born at the same time, attempt to take over a small community, is intriguing. But, though the special effects are an improvement on the original, the script (which moves the action from England to America's West Coast) is surprisingly poor (and less scary), leaving stars Christopher Reeve and Kirstie Alley struggling to flesh out their two-dimensional characters. Carpenter relies heavily on flashy editing and loud music in his attempt to create tension, but it's just not there on screen.

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