The Wicker Man (2006)
Director: Neil LaBute
Movie review
From Time Out London
Neil LaBute’s utterly misconceived remake of Robin Hardy’s 1973 cult horror film is a boring, fright-free catastrophe, not least because of its half-cocked attempt to replace scriptwriter Anthony Shaffer’s original conflict between po-faced Christianity and free-spirited paganism with his own sardonic take on the battle of the sexes (cf ‘The Shape of Things’). So instead of Christopher Lee’s eccentric aristocrat lording it over his phallus-worshipping Scottish serfs, we have Ellen Burstyn queening it over her commune of feminist worker bees, and Edward Woodward’s strait-laced, God-fearing policeman is replaced by Nicolas Cage’s haunted, belligerent motorcycle cop. Lured to a remote island by an old flame whose daughter has gone missing, Cage tries to shout, bully and punch his way to the truth. But his blinkered violence is no match for the feminists’ fancy footwork, and his bad-tempered bear soon falls into their honey-trap. Substituting irrelevant back-story for insidious intrigue and daft stunts for suspense, LaBute’s film drones on and on. Finally, and most unforgivably, its cursory Wicker Man finale fails to replicate the fiery shock of the original.Author: Nigel Floyd
Time Out London Issue 1881: September 6-13 2006
User reviews of this film
-
- Thomas said...
- Posted on Apr 22 2008 19:03 Quite possibly the worst film I have ever seen. Nevermind the fact it was poorly written, acted and directed, did it ever occur to anyone that attempting to draw ONE police officer to a strange commune by sending a note about a missing/possibly abducted child would have much more likely attracted 50 police officers and the FBI? This film was so ridiculous it made it impossible to even suspend belief.
- Report as inappropriate
-
- Leona Luk said...
-
Posted on Jul 17 2007 00:01
A complete and utter disappointment, this never even comes close to the original. Nic Cage provides a frantic performance (best bit is towards the end with the CG bees) and others seem to be sleep-acting towards the end. There is a lot of footage of Nic running this way and that, sometimes on a bike, calling out, getting lost, looking confused, making poor decisions.
Please - save yourself, don't bother. Re-rent the original and have a good time. - Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Neil LaBute
Producer: Nicolas Cage, Norm Golightly, Avi Lerner, Randall Emmett, John Thompson, Boaz Davidson
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ellen Burstyn, Leelee Sobieski, Molly Parker, Kate Beahan, Frances Conroy, Diane Delano full cast
Genre(s): Horror, Thrillers, Drama
Rated: 12A
Duration: 97 mins
UK Release: Sep 1 2006
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
A Bond a day: No. 11 'Moonraker'
Time Out revisits the 21 Bond movies day by day to celebrate the release of 'Quantum of Solace'
The essential guide to the London Film Festival
Get the inside track on the all the films and events you'll want to catch at the Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival
Terence Davies: interview
Wally Hammond talks to visionary British director Terence Davies about his deeply personal and long-awaited new documentary ‘Of Time and the City’
W.
Read our early review of Oliver Stone's George W Bush biopic, 'W.', playing at this year's London Film Festival
Ten friendly ghost movies
To celebrate the release of 'Ghost Town' in which Ricky Gervais plays a New York dentist who can see dead people, Time Out counts down ten great friendly ghost movies.







What do you think?
Post your review now