BillK

The original Wicker Man has been called the Citizen Kane of horror movies.

It has stood the test of time and is as watchable now as ever. The story build up is perfect. The cast is stellar.. This remake is none of the above.

Sometimes you sit back and wonder what the motivation was for remaking an excellent movie.

In this case, my feeling is that it was a Hollywood studio decision to cash in on a property that had some awareness as well as draw in the Nicolas Cage fans.

Aside from Cage, the casting is quite good.

But changing the story from a clash of religious perspectives to some muddled guilt trap, removed the core of what made the original original great.

And as odd as it sounds, removing the musical aspect of the original detracts from its rewatchability. Waste of $40 million bucks.

Having a lot of knowledge about the events of August 8-9, 1969, I watched the movie unfold in a leisurely, meandering fashion, with growing apprehension about the third act.

Never boring, the gradual setup dipped deep into the lives of a rising star, a has-been and the somewhat successful Hollywood workers around them, alongside the most inscrutable of the counterculture players, skipping over everyone in the middle. Dialog is obvious and off-center in turns, with moments of brilliance and opportunities for actors to show their chops. Lots of great feedback out there about Brad Pitt, but he's not challenged to move much of an arc, where Dicaprio gets the full range. Thin part for Robbie, but her whole function is to be someone you don't want to see die. Not a weak performance in the film, though some of the parts are underwritten. Not a real criticism, however, as there is a huge cast and there's just so much emotional investment a viewer can make.

Tarentino loves the time period and it's a joy to watch for his regular retimue to make their appearances, however briefly (I for one hope Tim Roth is restored in a future DVD release).

Music as always drives the story and the sardonic use of 12:30 by the Mamas and the Papas is particularly poignant.

Thank you Quentin for the catharsis of the last 10 minutes. Easily a 9/10 and a film that will bear repeated viewing.