April Fool's Day (2008)

"A year after an April Fool's Day prank which resulted in the death of one of their set, a group of friends find themselves targeted by someone who is out for revenge."

Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that this isn't just a scene by scene remake of the original. The bad news is that, for a new story, it just sort of sucks.

There are lots of overly pretty people to look at, but, as usual, none of them can act and their characters are those hateful "spoilt rich kids" that you just won't identify with in the first place unless, of course, you are a spoilt rich kid yourself. Think in terms of James Spader multiplied by six and you'll get the idea.

Although some people might enjoy the ludicrous death scenes, it just has the feel of a bland 80s soap opera about it and a PG-rated one at that. Don't expect the buckets of gore and interesting deaths of over-sexed teenagers that the real slashers have to offer.

There are no scares, no tension, and nothing really gritty to set this apart from all the other trendy teen horrors such as the "Scream", "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Urban Legend" clones and wannabees.

The twist at the end doesn't make up for anything either. This second feature from "The Butcher Brothers" (who also made the similarly lacklustre "The Hamiltons") really only deserves a 1 out of 10.

If you find it the bargain bins, do yourself a big favour and leave it there. Watch the original instead.