I went back and watched the remake again yesterday. I'd definitely agree about Barbara's character, a reminder of the time when people could write a female lead with actual flaws and who wasn't constantly putting dumb men in their place. Even Judy is more proactive and Helen gets to do more than hide in the basement. The effects are decent (except for the shot of Johnny hitting the tombstone) it's well paced and has some good jump scares. One minor thing, but I liked how they addressed one of those things that bugged me about the original, that Ben shot off the lock to the gas pump. Plus the opening scene is a good example of subverting expectations whilst staying true to the original.
Only 2 things I didn't like was Cooper, who hammed it up far too much, and the way the ending was done. The original is so great because of the ambiguity, here it's a bunch of whoopin' and hollerin' good ol' boys, then just in case that might have been too subtle, have Barbara turn to the camera and say we're no different from them. Although the black and white of the original will for me always make it creepier, with the zombies seemingly appearing out of a black void (plus on a more practical level, it helps to hide dodgy effects and makeup).
One thing I have always found odd about Night though is that the zombies are seen using basic tools, but this idea is never really touched upon in the sequels.