The Wicker Man

The Wicker Man ***

"The Wicker Man" isn't the best movie in the world, but it is strange, bizarre, and engrossing to watch. I may have chuckled at some parts that weren't meant to be chuckled at, but for the most part, it's really not to bad at all. Sadly, I have a feeling that I will be defending this one for time to come, as it's not really recieving the greatest of all praises. It is a remake, of a 1970's horror film which I have yet to see, which is probably for the better, as it would have ruined all the surprises.

Nicolas Cage returns from a streak of good acting with "Matchstick Men," "Adaptation," "Lord of War," and "The Weather Man," all in a row. Here he plays Edward Malus, a police officer in California. Throughout the day he rides on the roads in his motorcycle, and when a doll falls out of a car window, he pulls the car over and returns it to the little girl in the back. However, she throws it again, and when he goes to retrieve it, the car with the little girl and her mother is struck down by a truck. Edward fails at saving the girl. A few months later, he is torn apart by what he failed to do, and that is why a letter he gets in the mail by an ex-girlfriend leaves him interested. In the letter, it is revealed that his old flame had a daughter, and she is missing on the island that they live. It turns out that Summersisle is a old farming commune, where the inhabitants aren't very normal. They all refer to one another as Sister, and they all have nature names-Sister Beech, Sister Rose, Sister Moss. And men are obviously part of some kind of second class, where they can't even speak, and are only used for breeding. And it turns out that his ex-girlfriend, Willow, isn't the most respected in the community. And so, Edward begins to hunt for her daughter, Rowen, and maybe make himself feel a little better after the incident months before. But the mystery gets larger and larger, and he gets stuck into a strange world of rituals to a mysterious Goddess, and where this ritual may have sealed Rowen's fate.

Nicolas Cage is on target here, even though this role isn't as challenging as some of his latest works. And while it's far from perfect, "The Wicker Man" is interesting, and strange, and it always kept me guessing. This farming commune is such a strange place, with freaky images, and one where I wanted questions answered. And if I was involved enough to want to have the mystery solved, then this movie is well worth watching. And in the end, I was shocked to see how far this battle of the sexes really went. It did have some awkward scenes, for example watching Nicolas Cage run around the woods in a bear suit, or seeing Ellen Burstyn wear blue and white face makeup as if she were in "Braveheart." And there was a very pointless final scene, which almost ruined the entire thing. The next to last scene was chilling enough so that if the film ended right there it would have left a better impression as I walked away. And yet, that wasn't enough for Hollywood, and they had to add something more, which undermined the entire rest of the film. And yes, this scene said "Six Months Later." A worthless epilogue. I enjoyed this one, and will support it after all the harsh comments it'll receive.