Whisky Galore

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!!

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.

'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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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.

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.