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'WHISKY GALORE': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

A British World War II comedy, that's based on the 1949 film of the same name. The movie tells the story of a group of Scottish islanders, on the Isle of Todday, that attempt to steal 50,000 cases of whiskey from a ship stranded offshore. It's set during the 1940s, when whiskey rationing was in effect. The film stars Gregor Fisher, Eddie Izzard, Sean Biggerstaff and Naomi Battrick. It was directed by Gillies MacKinnon and it was written by Peter McDougall (a veteran TV writer). The film has received mostly positive reviews from the critics that have reviewed it. I enjoyed it as well.

The story is set in 1941, and it's loosely based on true events. The Scottish islanders living on the Isle of Todday were suffering from severe whisky shortage (due to the rationing that was in effect during World War II). When they hear about a ship stranded on the rocks just offshore, called the SS Cabinet, that was carrying 50,000 cases of Scotch whiskey to America, they decide the opportunity to steal the whiskey is just too good to pass up. They're only problem is a Home Guard officer, named Captain Wagget (Izzard), who is determined to maintain law and order on the island.

The movie is funny and extremely upbeat; even given the subject matter of theft on a grand scale (and in reality a large amount of money was stolen from the ship as well). It reminds me of a lot of other Scottish and Irish islander comedies I've seen (like 'WAKING NED DEVINE'). If you enjoy that type of film, you'll probably get a good kick out of this. I think it's a well made and enjoyable movie, but it's also nothing too memorable though.

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If you haven't seen the 1949 original - do! it's wonderful and available in blu-ray. I'm afraid that this has none of the original charm. I have a love of western Scottish culture, and Patrick Doyle's music is Irish-flavoured, certainly not Scottish. There's plenty of Scottish music available - why didn't they use it? I didn't find the fake-Hebridean accents too annoying, as I thought they tried hard. Some rotten tomatoes. * How was the hold of the 'Cabinet Minister' fully illuminated, when the ship had been wrecked for a couple of days? *The church was clearly not an island church - it was in Fife. *The music at the wedding was a small orchestra, rather than the fiddle that would have been playing. I found the accompanying music to the whole irritating and out of context. I loved Doyle's music for Henry V, but this is not in the same league. *Why were all the cars and tractors straight out of concours motor shows? not a spot of mud on them! *Since the DVD cover tells me that much of this was shot on the East coast of Scotland, it explains why the land was all wrong for a Hebridean island.

Go back to the original!!

Let's be honest; this is not made from the same stuff as the original which had an easy charm.

Nevertheless it's a credible remake even if the best lines are taken verbatim (or near enough) from the 1949 version.

Watch it for what it is and it's amusing and harmless enough.

Set in the Second World War when whisky rationing is in effect, Scottish islanders of the Outer Hebrides try to plunder cases of whisky from a ship that is stranded on rocks just offshore, based loosely on the real events of the 1941 sinking of the SS Politician.

The production story of this film may be just as interesting as the film itself. Producer Iain Maclean had launched the project as early as 2004 with writer-director Bill Bryden attached. Maclean raised funds through private investment to finance the development of the film. Bryden ended up getting fired, and Peter McDougall was brought on board; he wrote a new script with filming planned for the summer of 2006. This never happened, producers left the project and the film eventually collapsed. In 2014, a decade after his first attempt, Maclean decided to rekindle the project when he met retired farmer and businessman Peter Drayne, who agreed to finance the film completely, as long as the project was started from scratch. Thanks to Drayne, the film was finally green-lit in 2015 and principal photography commenced later that year in Scotland.

Kevin Guthrie explains another part of the film preparation when he says, "I had no real understanding of whisky until we made the film but I think we're all self-proclaimed connoisseurs off the back of it now. We spent time going to distilleries, not just to have a drink, but to understand why it is what it is and why it's a global product. To understand why it's revered. We went to Glenfarclas distillery and they gave us a little sampling of the 105 which is special, too." This is an interesting insight, because such a trip and research was clearly not necessary, but does give food for thought on how deep the love and jot surrounding a social drink can be.

According to director Gillies MacKinnon, the film is a modern interpretation, rather than a proper remake of the 1949 Alexander Mackendrick movie of the same name. He says, "The style is contemporary, embracing drama, romance and comedy, with an array of colorful characters providing a platform for a wonderful cast." Indeed, while still clearly a remake, the entire feel and tone of the picture is different and can easily be seen as its own creation in many ways. The very color scheme and rich cinematography separate this film from its earlier incarnation.

The biggest name attached to the production (either behind or in front of the camera) is comedian Eddie Izzard (though Kevin Guthrie's stock is skyrocketing). Here, he plays the "straight" role, and interestingly enough Izzard does not claim that the film is a comedy at all. He prefers to think of it as a "quirky drama". That is a rather astute observation. While there are comedic elements, he is right -- this is more about family dynamics than a silly island film like "Hot Fuzz".

There is not much in the negative that can be said about the film. Guy Lambert calls out the "seriously questionable Scottish accents", but that is relatively minor. Guy Lodge sums it up as "innocuous" but "unmemorable", which is really the biggest downside. In all technical aspects, the movie is good -- script, directing, camera, acting and so on... there is nothing to dislike. But nothing really stands out, either.

While maybe not a film for repeat viewings, it definitely has its place. Arrow Films has released the movie on Blu-ray, with a few features. There are a handful of short interviews on their disc with just about every actor involved, as well as the director. Beyond that we get relatively little, which is a shame. It may have been nice to get a newsreel of the original (true) story or something to really put it all in context.

Remake of the classic Ealing comedy - a Scottish island runs out of whisky until a ship carrying thousands of bottles heading for America runs aground.

Whilst this lacks some of the mischief and whimsy of the original and is a bit slow to find its feet, this is nevertheless a rather charming take with a real sense of affection and community between the locals. Fisher is terrific, as is the always reliable James Cosmo as the fire and brimstone priest. Sweet with one great joke about a broken toilet door.

It is always worth taking Michael Caine's advice when it comes to remakes. Always remake a bad movie, never a good one!

Director Gillies MacKinnon has put a new spin on the Ealing classic. Like the Dad's Army film released in the same year it is lacklustre.

Set in 1941, a Hebridean island is running low on whiskey due to rationing. When a ship capsizes carrying 50,000 cases of Scotch whiskey to America. The locals decide to bring it ashore while Captain Wagget of the Home Guard must stop them.

There was a charm and impishness in the original film. This one is just sluggish like the entire existence of the movie was to take advantage of tax breaks.

There was a brief moment where Tim Pigott Smith appears like a Colonel Blimp type of character and I would had liked to have seen more of that quirkiness.

A pleasant enough way to pass a spare hour and a half, sadly it lacks the truly Scottishness of the original with its subtle humour and the gentleness of the island tongue.

A lacklustre remake of the classic 1940s Ealing comedy which fails to achieve the whimsical charm for which it is clearly aiming despite the best efforts of Gregor Fisher and Eddie Izzard.

Hated it at the start, warmed up to it slightly halfway through, mainly due to the scenery. I just watched Whisky Galore! (1949) a few weeks ago and thought it was brilliant, and it still holds up pretty damn well so I don't get why this was remade. Eddie Izzard is utterly dreadful in this version and his scenes are difficult to watch. Gregor Fisher and James Cosmo were entertaining in their roles but it wasn't enough to turn it around for me. This remake just felt bland and lifeless.

Greetings again from the darkness. There's good fun to be had in watching director Gilles MacKinnon's and writer Peter McDougall's remake of the 1949 comedy from director Alexander Mackendrick and writer Angus MacPhaill, based on the novel from Compton MacKenzie. Whew! Is that enough 'Macs' for you? The story takes place on an isolated Scottish island of Todday during WWII, and is loosely based on true events of 1941.

Not only is the community geographically isolated, it's also mostly insulated from the rationing and hardships caused by the Great War. All that changes when the last bit of whisky is guzzled, leaving the locals "in terrible shape" with nothing to drink but tea (uttered with equal parts disgust and disappointment). Even though it was Irish and not Scottish, if you've seen Waking Ned Devine (1998), then you'll have an idea of the comedic style – mischievous wry humor rather than hysterical slapstick.

The key locals include Gregor Fisher as Macroom, single father to two grown daughters Catriona (Ellie Kendrick) and Peggy (Naomi Battrick). Of course, where there are two lovely daughters, there is likely to be love in the air. Filling these roles are returning war hero Sergeant Odd (Sean Biggerstaff) and George (Kevin Guthrie), the son of a local ultra-Calvinist mother. Eddie Izzard plays the all too serious Home Guard Captain Wagget, while Fenella Woodgar spouts some of the film's best one-liners as his wife.

When a cargo ship carrying 50,000 cases of whisky crashes just offshore, the locals begin plotting how to rescue the bounty and return normalcy to their daily lives … all while observing the Sabbath and gazing wistfully at the ship from dry land. There is also a funky sub-plot that ties into the story of the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Spencer, but this is mostly a story of local ingenuity and inspiration set to the beautiful music of Scottish bagpipes and violins (from composer Patrick Doyle). The quaint setting and predicament make for whimsical fun and some nice laughs … just remember to change the password if you are guarding the road.

This lovely and humorous little production of a classic tale really made my Saturday night, I came out both invigorated and satisfied. I chuckled and tutted (at the characters) along with the whole audience, and I could feel others tapping their feet along, or really enjoying the music.

Gregor Fisher proves himself a masterful comedic character actor again, playing a grumpy but wily father and postmaster in the lead role. Eddie Izzard deserves commendation for given depth to a character screaming to be either played as an outright fool, or as a serious and glum two dimensional character. The rest of the cast are fantastic and skillfully directed.

Overall I would recommend this movie to any lovers of independent feel good movies, it definitely reminded me of how I felt upon leaving a screening of Amelie years ago. Very family friendly, and an ideal antithesis to the stream of ridiculous Hollywood action movies of the Fast and furious 8, triple x ilk.

And regarding people saying it didn't need to be remade, how preposterous to review a production this way. Stories are retold constantly, its the nature of the beast. One of the beautiful things about the cinema and theatre is the diversity in which a simple tale can be re-imagined, bring it to life in new ways. I can only assume this opinion come from purists who love the original so much they would hate to see anything even slightly different, so any real opinion on this production is unbelievably biased.

I never give 10/10, because I would reserve that for such amazing pieces of cinema like the Godfather and alike. So understand 9/10 is a very good score.

On the remote Hebridean Todday the islanders are in mourning for there is a drought of the water of life; whisky.

A gentle comedy with a little romance and a little drama. Based on a 1947 book that in turn was inspired by a real event; bottles of whisky from the SS Politician (sank 1941) are still occasionally found off Eriskay. This film is fun though not as good as the 1949 version. The story thread of the 'red case' is redundant and time would have been better spent studying the island's many characters.

I liked, 'We don't have a village idiot...'

I've waited 4 years before daring to watch this having been anxious to do so following the initial raft of poor reviews. As a fan of the original 1949 film it was always going to be a big ask to create something as subtle, however I was hoping the storyline and location shots might pull this through without causing too much disappointment. I was wrong.

The dialogue was fine, even though key details and timings of the original story had been edited out for some reason. However there was no excuse, in my opinion, for the clichéd overacting, lack of pace and tension (slow and fast), lame musical accompaniment and poorly framed and edited filming angles.

Sadly, a misguided and missed opportunity, using world class ingredients, to showcase Scotland and British film making. Mediocre at best, ... even when viewed as an adaptation rather than a remake.

Decent enough if cliched. Gregor Fisher is always a good watch. I am an Eddie Izzard fan but he is miscast here. Church seen is in Crail Fife. Watch with a wee dram!

A really poorly made "comedy." Watching this with others we couldn't believe how bad it was, it felt like a really cheap TV movie. The premise itself is one I wasn't interested, but the comedy in this is the worse kind, unfunny lines and slapstick humour. Is this what British films have come to? Nor is the film very good on a technical front and the actual plot is pretty terrible and far fetched. I don't really blame the cast for this movie, it's hard to put your finger on what went wrong but I think you might need to start with the writing and direction. It gives me no pleasure to give a low budget British film a bad review but I simply can't recommend this. It has no edge at all which you really do need for a comedy.

In the midst of World War 2 Scottish spirits (no pun intended) are at an all-time low when a local publican announces that their supply of whisky has run dry. This leads to the local community becoming even more depressed making a troublesome time even more arduous. However, their luck changes when a cargo ship transporting whisky to New York runs a ground and the locals seize their opportunity to steal the whisky despite interference from Home Guard Captain Waggett (Eddie Izzard) and Customs and Excise trying to thwart their chances...

Although I was aware that this film was a remake I hadn't seen the original so I went in with the benefit of watching this film with a fresh pair of eyes. I have no idea what the original film was like, but the remake was something of a middling effort as far as I was concerned...

Although the actual meat of the film (involving stealing the whisky) was quite fun the actual build up to this event was a little tedious and provided very few laughs. It is only really when Eddie Izzard shows up that the film actually starts to become entertaining - his incompetence is often amusing and the pompous nature of his character makes him fun to watch, but with his character I did feel as though I was merely watching a slight reworking of Captain Mainwaring from Dad's Army - like I say this works and serves the film well, but if you draw comparisons in this manner then perhaps it will do more harm than good to the film.

I think what really lets the film down is in its messy and rather unfocused plotting; the stealing of the whisky is what I came for, but the film seems to put more focus on rather dull sub-plots (a sargeant's blossoming romance and a tweed salesman who seems to drift in and out of the story). I found that these aspects of the story dragged the film down slightly and took away a lot of the fun.

To be fair though it isn't all bad though; Izzard gives a committed and amusing turn as the incompetent Captain and is funny in nearly every scene that he is involved in. Special mention should also go to Annie Louise Ross whose turn as the battleaxe Mrs Campbell was pretty memorable and was one of the highlights of the film.

Director Gillies MacKinnon is the real weak link here whose directing is perhaps some of the flattest that I've ever seen; it has no life to it and the whole film is a little twee and cutesy and I felt that he could have done a lot more with the concept.

Yes Whisky Galore has its moments, but when these funny moments only come from 2 cast members then you've got yourself a real problem. It's inoffensive enough to make it watchable, but not nearly funny enough to make it memorable.

Unfortunately, this is a very pale imitation of the highly charming, wonderful 1949 film directed by Alexander McKendrick. It isn't poorly made but it is totally lacking in zest or interest. The plot and screenplay is more or less the same as the McKendrick version but both the direction and acting are as flat as a pancake (despite the presence of well established character actors) - none match the superior talents of such as Basil Redford, Joan Greenwood, James Robertson Justice, Gordon Jackson, John Gregson and so on. What is more, the cinematography and crisp editing of the superior original put this version to shame. I suggest you simply don't bother.

It lost three stars because of the poor sound mixing. Couldn't understand the dialog though the music.

Whisky Galore! (2016) -

I'm not sure that it was worth remaking this one. It lacked the charm and believability of the original, came across a bit basic and lacked oomph.

At least the first 45 minutes was a bit slow and dull and the subject matter, despite being based in reality, seemed even sillier with it's modern filmic style.

It appeared to me, to be too simplified and more somber than the previous farce of the 1949 version.

I thought that to make it worth doing again it needed to focus the story slightly differently. If I'd remade this film 60 years later and in the current social and political climate, I might have concentrated on the romance between Sergeant Odd (Sean Biggerstaff) and Peggy (Naomi Batterick), as well as the missing red folder* and used the whisky element as a bed for the stories to nestle in.

Odd and Peggy could then have had the chance to shine in their roles more, because their characters were interesting and played well.

Nobody acted poorly, although Eddie Izzard was a bit too Captain Mainwaring in their role of Captain Waggett.

I liked Kevin Guthrie as George Campbell, but his character, so overpowered by his mother, was harder to buy whilst watching it in an era where kids tell their mothers where to go by the time their ten.

*Regarding the aforementioned "Red Folder", I can only assume that the statute of limitations prevented the mention of those specific letters being on board the wrecked ship in the original film, but perhaps it was not in the source novel and was only added by this production. I did like the addition of it though and as I've said, it could have been an area to expand upon, that might have given the film that extra oomph that it needed, because it felt sort of throwaway in this attempt.

It wasn't the worst film I've ever seen, but I would watch the black and white version again, before contemplating this one in the future.

459.67/1000.

There is so much talent on view here - all the lead actors are good and there are some quite moving moments. The setting is wonderful and the period detail is excellent. However, the director clearly didn't have a vision for the film and didn't know what to do with the material. All the charm, comedy and pace of the original film has gone and all we are left with is a rambling unfunny film with none of the wit. Whiskey Galore could have made an excellent film with the resources the producers provided and watching this made me sad that so many opportunities were squandered. Gregor Fisher is superb and is the heart of this version but - incredibly - his comic abilities are never utilised!

Fully enjoyed this film. Took the whole family out to see this at the cinema a couple of months ago and enjoyed by my kids and my mum who is 70 - can't remember the last time that happened! Very funny little story, well performed and took me back to my childhood of being on holiday at my grandparents up in Scotland and the many characters of their village. Definitely worth a watch if you like slightly 'harmless' comedies (in that the whole family can watch it), with a simple story that anyone can follow. Only thing I would say is that I haven't seen the original so can't measure that like others might, but either way a good watch.

Not a bad little film, especially if you have never seen the original, but it lacks the atmosphere of the black and white film. Some very obvious goofs are the lack of blackout precautions, the SS Cabinet Minister abandoned but all lit up, and someone from the Ministry of Defence when it was the War Office. Seeing that it's mid War. I'm slightly puzzled at the reference to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and secret letters. Seems a bit of a red herring.I enjoyed it ,though, No bad language ,a few laughs along the way