The worst thing about an inferior remake is the tarnish it adds to the lineage of the original. Thus Chasing Liberty will compound its crimes by evermore staining memories of Roman Holiday.
To be fair, they tossed in a few alterations: Anna (Mandy Moore) isn't royalty but the daughter of the US President. Annoyed with life in the White House, the little madam sneaks away. And that, it transpires, is pretty much it.
Not that it matters. The real test for any wannabe Holiday is the chemistry between its heroine and her mysterious travelling companion/romantic interest (Matthew Goode). As such,the problems are even bigger than nicking a classic. The two leads interact with so little passion that you'd swear one of them was inserted later via CGI.
Moore can charm in the right role - view her saucy supporting turn in The Princess Diaries - but here she couldn't be more wrong. The result is a film that's so harmful there really should be a biohazard warning at your local cinema.
