The Wicker Man Details

Wicker's World

Is nothing sacred? How many more glossy Hollywood makeovers of British classics must we endure before they leave us alone? Carry on Nurse starring Samuel L. Jackson. 'Matron you Mother F***er.' Bugs Bunny in watership Down? This film smoulders with the very worst. All the quirks that made the original such a treasure are gone: The folk soundtrack; naked dancing; Edward Woodward's tingling pleas to God at the film's conclusion. Whereas the original managed weirdness with almost effortless ease, this retelling feels staged and awkward, with many of the performances lacking. (Including a paticularly lazy turn from Cage). To counter these shortcomings, they are forced to rely on cliched devices, most embarassing of which has to be the twins who talk simultaneously. Truly terrifying twenty-five years ago. Bizarrely, the paganism of the original has been replaced by a sort of uber-feminism, meaning the festivals and rituals that they perform are no longer historically accurate depictions of centuries-old traditions. They're just something a lady in face paint appears to have made up for a laugh. Every similar plot adjustment - a vain attempt to give the film it's own identity - prove equally misguided. Avoid this as you would avoid an invitation to Summer Isle.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Enjoyable in places

It seems these days that whenever we sit down to watch a remake in the back of our minds we expect the worst and having received an average review for this movie from a trusted source our expectations were well and truly managed. We are both Cage fans and despite the poor reviews we still hoped with a little attention to detail and a strong performance from Cage we could still be in for a decent nights viewing, by the end our feelings were mixed. The Wicker Man tells the story of a troubled police officer (Cage) who is enticed to a remote island where the people live very unique and secretive lives, essentially they are a cult and certainly do not welcome the nosey police officer whose mission it is to locate a missing girl. The basic plot appears to stick quite strongly to the synopsis of the original but for some reason the location is switched to a country not renowned for their Pagan Cults, the USA. The set is reminiscent of the movie ‘The Village’ and although the acting is mixed to say the least its just about workable as you witness Officer Cage exploring the island, meeting the locals whilst looking for clues to the missing girls whereabouts We actually enjoyed parts of the investigation aspects and the although not wonderfully presented we were equally intrigued by the setting and the people however amidst this acceptable showing the film seemed almost tacky in places and we did not feel tense or remotely scared. We have since watched a brief part of the original and you can instantly see how much the film was modernised and where arguably the director went wrong here, overall we found this movie perfectly watchable, enjoyable in places but overall a bit of a disappointment. 6/10. 3 Stars.