Product Details

• Released on: 2006-12-19
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, NTSC, Import
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 102 minutes

Review
A well-dressed but ultimately hollow remake of a terminally original cult classic, Neil LaBute's The Wicker Man dutifully maintains the majority of the original 1973 film's mystery while sadly jettisoning the religious undertones and eerie quirkiness that earned that film a devoted following. While a cursory glance reveals a remake that does at times bear striking surface resemblance to the source material, closer inspection ultimately reveals a generic thriller sunken by the director's misguided attempt to inject his own questionable agenda into the proceedings. By transforming the island of phallus-worshipping pagans of the original into a community of female-dominated wiccans who seemingly keep their milquetoast male population well in check when it comes to anything but breeding, LaBute seems to be doing little more than confirming the accusations of misogyny that were previously leveled at him in the wake of such efforts as In The Company of Men and The Shape of Things. While even that could have worked had it been established that the beliefs of the buttoned-down protagonist compelled him to look down his nose at the bee-keeping wiccans who populate the idyllic island - perhaps he was a hard line sexist? - in a similar manner as his staunchly Christian predecessor had to the Godless dirt-worshippers in the original, the fact that the personality of the pill-popping protagonist is defined by little more than an EpiPen and the occasional recurring nightmare offers little chance for viewers to relate to the character on anything except the most superficial of levels. In jettisoning the contrast that essentially served as the heart of the original film, LaBute completely misses the point; choosing instead to rattle the viewer through cheap dream sequences and frustration-induced tension rather than peeling back the layers of tradition and society to truly make a lasting impact. Likewise, LaBute's blundering attempt to define the quest of his weary protagonist with a cheap plot twist revealed at the halfway mark does little more than test the patience of the viewer by passing off a painfully predictable plot twist as a moment of key revelation.Though the cinematography effectively captures the menacing beauty of the idyllic landscape and the commendable female cast may lead the casual viewer to suspect that this isn't your typical genre film, a fairly unmemorable score by Angelo Badalamenti and a laughably unhinged performance by Nicolas Cage (who actually channels the stiff smugness of original Wicker Man star Edward Woodward fairly effectively early on) steadily sink the entire affair as the pieces gradually fall into place. Though less forgiving critics of the original have frequently derided the instantly dated folk songs scattered throughout the soundtrack of that film, their notable absence in the remake may provide a symptomatic summary of why LaBute's remake is bound for the bargain bins while Robin Hardy and Anthony Schaffer's film will be fondly remembered for years to come; simply out, it's better to have a flawed classic that strives for excellence than an unimaginative remake that sacrifices originality for box-office profits and mainstream acceptance. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

On the DVD
2 editions of the movie - an unrated version (side A) with an alternate end sequence not shown theatrically, and the widescreen theatrical release version (side B)
Commentary by writer/director Neil LaBute, co-stars Leelee Sobieski and Kate Beahan, editor Joel Plotch and costume designer Lynette Meyer
Theatrical trailer
Subtitles: English, Fan�ais, Espa�ol (feature film only)

Synopsis
A young child has gone missing and it's up to a haunted but determined policeman to travel to the remote island community where she was last seen and solve the lingering mystery of her disappearance in director Neil LaBute's updated reworking of Anthony Shaffer's 1973 cult horror classic. Upon receiving a letter from his one-time fianc�e, Willow (Kate Beahan), imploring him to search for her missing daughter on the secluded island of Summersisle, Policeman Edward Malus (Nicolas Cage) quickly makes his way to the island to locate the girl and seek an answer as to why Willow suddenly and inexplicably disappeared shortly before their wedding date. Once there, Malus is troubled to discover that although there are traces of the child to be found in such locations as the local schoolhouse, the residents of Summersisle seem reluctant to offer any specific details as to the girl's apparent death. His investigation effectively stalled by the highly secretive Wiccan community, Sheriff Malus soon discovers that there are still some cultures that have their own unique beliefs about humankind's relationship with Mother Earth, and refuse to adapt to the rules of modern society. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Customer Reviews

A ridiculous parody
If you absolutely have to sit through this painful parody of the Edward Woodward cult classic, turn the sound off, ignore Nicholas Page as much as you can and try to enjoy the beautiful Pacific Northwest setting of this mesmerizingly stupid film.

More holes than a piece of Swiss cheese
Yes, I too saw the original movie from 1973. THAT movie was fantastic and scared me silly, young though I was. But this remake is beyond anything I could have imagined, and in a bad way. Not really sure who to blame here. Let's start with the plot: too many holes. First of all, Malus's best friend/cop knew where he was going. No one thought to look for him? POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT: Second, there is the idea that he had to be the hunter to be the hunted. Why, then, did they not do away with him when he first set foot on the island? They knew he was coming? But then, I guess we wouldn't have a story. The list goes on and on. END OF SPOILER.

Now, I love N. Cage and think he's one of the best actors around, but his performance in this film was so comic. His reading of the lines seemed to be just that--a reading. The dialogue was clunky and I couldn't get a handle on his girfriend turned weirdo who seemed to be brain dead. Here's my biggest beef: she's "supposed" to be concerned about her child, yet takes ten minutes to answer a question from Malus about what happend, where she is, etc. Huh? Hello? Nick Cage is trying to help you? You might want to pay attention. All of this makes for something really unbelievable.

The big shame for this film was that the settings were beautiful and shot well. What a waste of a good setting and a good cameraman. I looked at the credits to see where this was shot but didn't see anything. Bottomline is that this was two hours of my life that I will never get back. I'd heard this got horrific reviews when it came out. Guess I should have listened.

too family friendly.would have been better with more of an edge (3.5/5)
before i begin, i should offer some advice.this movie is better viewed
without having seen the original.you will probably get more out of it
that way.i saw the original first,which makes it hard to give a fair
review of the remake.nevertheless,i will try.casting Nic Cage in the
lead role was a good move.Cage is credible in his role.the whole film
is populated with current and past big name actors,some of whom have
small roles,and some who have larger roles.not all do convincing
job.some were rather lacklustre in their roles.this 2006 version is a
remake of the 1973 classic,and adds very little to its parent.there is
a lot more music and noise in all the appropriate places,of
course(that's not a good thing,in this case) the story is pretty much
the same.the biggest problem with this movie is it's rating.because of
it's PG13 rating,it lacks the edge and is less risqué than the
original.to be more effective,this type of movie should have a more
adult rating.this is also problem with logic in this movie.there are
just some things that don't make sense and there is no real attempt to
explain them.the truth is,this movie is just a louder version of the
original,minus the risqué quality and minus the edginess.as a stand
alone movie,its not half bad.like i said,if you watch this movie
without having seen the original,you will have a higher opinion of it.i
will give The Wicker Man 2006 version 3.5/5