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One of the surest examples of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory, but also by no means a complete wash, Gus Van Sant's valiant attempt to recreate one of the most influential horror films of all time fails to make magic happen twice. The details are virtually intact (save for a few modern touches that don't work) and the performers are game, but the idea to colorize the events in the film give the affair a too-ordinary feel, and lacks the haunting mise-en-scène of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic. Furthermore, while the cast is up for the challenge, lead Vince Vaughn is disastrously miscast as the creepy Norman Bates. He is simply too imposing and handsome to pull off such a peculiar sad sack, and the film is unconvincing as a psychological thriller almost exclusively on that basis, though truth be told, the 1960 film's absurd explanations for Bates' actions remain as silly today. Van Sant's decision to duplicate the film shot for shot is an interesting one, but also pointless, especially since if anyone could relate the film's sinister quality and sexual undertones to modern times, it would be him. A reinvention may have made more sense than a faithful remake, though the film deserves some credit for its experimentation. Alas, audiences didn't care much and the film underperformed, proving that some people like their movies to remain classics.