Lord of the Flies

Nearly three decades after filmmaker Peter Brook's acclaimed 1963 adaptation of William Golding's allegorical 1954 novel, director Harry Hook helmed this updated 1990 version. The original story of a group of British schoolboys stranded on an uninhabited island is changed to American boys from a military school, the sinking ship in the novel is now a plane crash, and the harsh, primitive black-and-white landscape gives way to a lush tropical jungle island in vivid color. The rest of the story elements remain the same, with Balthazar Getty as sensible Ralph, who is trying to think about the group's survival, and Chris Furrh as the wild-eyed Jack, who throws off all constraints of civilization (along with his shirt), streaks his face with war paint, and goes off to hunt the wild boar of the island, with most of the boys following him and eventually declaring war on the others. Golding's novel, once a staple of high school literature classes, served up a powerful parable about the savagery lying under the thin veneer of civilization, with children standing in for adults, which added to the shock value. But apart from Piggy (Danuel Pipoly), whose distinctive, out-of-step personality stands out from the group, the kids here have little dimension. The 1963 film, which boasted a primitive intensity that matched the novel, is still the better choice. Optional. (S. Axmaker)