Some Sacrifices Must Be Made
The remake is directed by playwright/screenwriter/director Neil Labute whom, like Possession, has made a film drastically different from anything he has done before. Here he tackles the horror genre; not the slice and dice em slasher horror but psychological horror that builds and builds to a terrifying conclusion.
The original The Wicker Man is a masterpiece in the psychological horror cannon of films. It is filled with weird imagery, terrifying moments and a shocker of an ending that after 39 years still has the power to shock. It has a great cast and if not for their well known faces it could almost pass as a documentary (or in today's world, a found footage horror film).
2006's The Wicker Man is nowhere near as good. For starters it isn't very scary. Maybe it's because I know the story, but I think it's more the fault of the story and the actions that take place. The film is about a cop who travels to a private island in search of a missing girl only to discover the island is run like a cult and things aren't what they appear to be. Nicholas Cage plays the cop and Ellen Burstyn plays the leader of the island.
This isn't a scary movie mainly because Cage runs around the island acting very unlike a real cop. The things he does, the lack of logic and the motivation behind his actions isn't very convincing. He acts like a guy pretending to be a cop which he learned to do by watching television. His performance isn't bad, but it's overdone and lacks reality which is what made the original so good. Ellen Burstyn is barely in the film yet is listed second in the credits. When she does finally appear she is around for so short a time that it becomes impossible to gage her performance. The rest of the cast gives descent performances but are nothing to write home about.
As per usual, Labute keeps the pacing of his film at a steady and watchable pace and he uses the full anamorphic aspect ratio to capture some beautiful shots that look very pretty. But some shots are also under-lit or over-lit and are rather jarring at times. A great example is the bar/hotel lobby which is washed in a rather pale and bland yellow. Why?
About an hour into the movie things get really implausible. Too many things happen with bees, there is a love story that doesn't need to happen and Cage puts on the infamous bear suit. These implausibilities take away any kind of tension that the film needs and at times almost makes the audience laugh, something I'm sure Labute and company were not intending to happen.
It is only in the last ten minutes of the film, again the unrated version, that any tension or scares are conjured up. I won't go into details about what happens suffice to say that these ten minutes don't deviate from the original to much and actually work quiet well. Other than these ten minutes the best thing about The Wicker Man is the locations and sets which are perfect for the story that unfolds. The island looks truly mysterious and gives off more mystery than the actual story.
While Labute faltered with his adaption of this classic British horror, it is nowhere near as bad as most people will have you believe. It's not great, but it is passable entertainment if you like horror. If you don't like horror I recommend you stay far away. Labute shows in the last ten minutes that he can direct horror well and it would be nice to see him attempt something else.
The biggest shock to me when I finished this film was how unrealistic this film was. Labute in the past has written realistic characters and realistic dialogue. He has created films that feel true to life and filled them with characters that you feel like you know. So when he signed on to remake a film that at times felt more like a documentary than a fiction film, the producers must of felt like they had the perfect director. Instead it feels like Labute barely had a hand in the writing and focused mainly on directing. It feels like he lost control and never regained it. It feels very un Neil Labute. For the first time, it feels like Labute either didn't care or has lost his touch. Either way, The Wicker Man is more a disappointment because of it's director than anything else.
The Wicker Man is not a great film but if you give it a chance it really isn't as bad as you might of heard. Have a few drinks and it becomes an absurd comedy. Watch it sober and relish in the implausibilities. But either sober or drunk, it will still entertain you for it's entire 102 minute run time. Is it bad? Yes. Is it terrible? No. Is it worth watching? Sure, if you like horror, are going to watch the unrated version and have nothing else to do. And if you do watch it just remember: Everyone involved in making this picture has the potential (and has proven) to be much better than the finished product.
Film Rating: 53%
Breakdown (How The Wicker Man scored 53%):
Production Design: 7 out of 10
Cinematography: 6 out of 10
Re-playability: 4 out of 10
Originality: 4 out of 10
Costumes: 5 out of 10
Directing: 6 out of 10
Editing: 6 out of 10
Acting: 5 out of 10
Music: 6 out of 10
Script: 4 out of 10
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