Movie Review: The Wicker Man (2006)
The Wicker Man
2006, 97mins, 12
Director: Neil LaBute
Writer: Neil LaBute, Anthony Shaffer (original 1973 screenplay)
Cast includes: Nicholas Cage, Ellen Burstyn, Kate Beahan, Leelee Sobieski, Molly Parker, Frances Conroy
Release: 1st September 2006
Remakes are such a hit and miss commodity. For every one that justifies it’s being (Dawn Of The Dead, The Thing, The Omen) countless others trudge along all inferior and totally pointless (The Hitcher, The Fog, Psycho). This redo of the overrated 1973 horror The Wicker Man is among the worst yet committed to celluloid. Directed by a respected director and boasting a solid cast the film should have at least cooked up some worthwhile aspects but as it stands the only joy you’ll get from this is purely comic.
LaBute makes few changes from the 1973 classic to this mess; however the way the story opens up is in tone very different. Instead of simply having a missing girl on an Island like the 1973 original, this version makes it Edward’s (Nicholas Cage) old flame Willow’s (Kate Beahan) daughter. This attempt to make the story a little more personal doesn’t work, by automatically making some familiar ground when Edward reaches the Isle (in this case Willow) alot of the mystery that made the original so powerful is lost. Still once Edward reaches the Island he finds it to be completely ruled by females, a place where men are good only for sex and intense labor. The place is ruled by Sister Summersisle (Ellen Burstyn) and where the only god worshipped is that of nature. The feminist feel of the Island is another updated change, but overall it doesn’t add anything to the mix or disrupt the unchanged story.
This version fails because it tries to hard, and any changes it makes are awkward and ill judged. In my opinion when you do a remake you either make it your own or go shot for shot, this film attempts both but achieves none of the success either can offer.
Nicholas Cage is poor in the lead; his sense of desperation is forced and fairly unbelievable. I’ve heard Cage is a huge fan of the first film, but like this motion picture himself he seems unsure if he should try to make the part his, or do the same routine that Edward Woodward performed so memorably in the original. As a result Cage makes for an unengaging and confused lead; by the time you start to connect with him on any level he’s suffering the same fate as Woodward.
Support is little better. Kate Beahan seems to act simply through her face, and it doesn’t work. In this script and for newbie’s Beahan’s performance is crucial to the outcome but even the dumbest Wicker Man virgin will have her sussed well before the end. Ellen Burstyn is lifeless as the cult head, a role Christopher Lee performed with such relish energy and menace. She tries hard but fails quickly; we know her intentions much like Beahans well before the credits role. The part requires a menace that Burstyn simply doesn’t have, a good actress I’ll happily admit, but the part she’s found herself in just doesn’t fit.
Other folk make bad fists of thankless characters. Leelee Sobieski, Molly Parker and Frances Conroy are all uninventive and formulaic, nine of the too offer the picture anything and as a result it won’t be giving them much back anything back in terms of further opportunities.
The movie has no visual pang or the feel of an individual picture. LaBute a very respectable director just can’t create any moody or indeed unique visual sense’s to the picture, any good horror can boast a spooky design (including the original) but this film simply doesn’t have it. A few cheap scares are the most disturbing things the picture offers as suggested by the kiddy friendly PG-13 rating in the USA.
LaBute gets a screenwriting credit aswell as that of director, but in truth he’s mostly just converted large chunks of Anthony Schaffer’s 1973 script into what he boasts is his own. Seeing as the original was so moody and disturbing less focus was on the admittedly clunky dialogue but in this case due to every other short coming the half baked script is forced right into the centre of our attention.
In this incarnation very little is left to the viewers imagination and the low rating cuts out several of the most powerful parts (nude seduction dance, anyone?) making the story lose any of the mystery it once had. LaBute was probably trying to make it more palatable for teen consumption but as a result has sold himself and the original out. The whole feel of the film is bland and generic, words I wouldn’t put near the 1973 version.
If the picture does one thing right it keeps the ending. It delivers nowhere near as much impact as the original but by that point in the picture I had assumed the filmmakers would go the whole nine yards and destroy its credibility completely. Still the manner in which this is constructed is lazy and far from chilling, indeed for several minutes near prior to the conclusion we have Cage running around and beating up women in a bear suit. It might be funny but I didn’t watch this to laugh.
You really have to wonder why anyone would bother making or watching this. LaBute’s a decent director but this is a permanent scar on his CV (the film did poorly at the Box-office as well as with critics) one which he might not recover from for some time. Cage has had too many hits for this to take any real consequences on his career but he should quickly sweep it under matt. Everyone else would be best advised to stay low for a few years, because with this atrocious film connected to your work most folk will be taking a long hard think about hiring you for anything, even painting the scenery.
Pointless and pretty much just wrong, this is a motion picture that should be burned as cruelly as its main character
6 Responses to “Movie Review: The Wicker Man (2006)”
Leave a Reply
Yea, I loved this one as a comedy, but it’s really a terrible film.
The star I afforded the movie is pretty much for the fact it made me laugh.
Thanks for the comment
DK
[...] Movie Review The Wicker Man 2006 n zone a fresh spin on Posted by root 15 minutes ago (http://www.atnzone.com) Jan 14 2009 movie review the wicker man 2006 thanks for the comment dk january 15th 2009 at 4 39 pm powered by wordpress amp mimbo pro Discuss | Bury | News | Movie Review The Wicker Man 2006 n zone a fresh spin on [...]
[...] Movie Review The Wicker Man 2006 n zone a fresh spin on Posted by root 19 minutes ago (http://www.atnzone.com) Jan 14 2009 this redo of the overrated 1973 horror the wicker man is among the worst yet committed to celluloid thanks for the comment dk january 15th 2009 at 4 39 pm powered by wordpress amp mimbo pro Discuss | Bury | News | Movie Review The Wicker Man 2006 n zone a fresh spin on [...]
You guys do a great blog, and have some great contests. Keep up the good work. Thank you
Thanks a lot for those kind comments…we appreciate it