by S Bond Herndon

Created on: July 02, 2008   Last Updated: August 11, 2009

To remake a film, especially one that was originally well-received, is a daunting task; one that shouldn't be entered into without careful attention to details about what made the film work the first time around.

The two films mentioned in this commentary suffice perfectly as examples, "I am Legend" originally released as "The Omega Man" and "Wicker Man" originally a British release (1973) and re-released in an American adaptation in 2006.

Legend is the supreme example of how to do it right! This reviewer has always enjoyed the original "Omega Man" (also known as "The Last Man on Earth") with Charlton Heston in the title role. In the remake titled "I Am Legend", the role that technology can play in film production is clearly evident.

Special effects, particularly in Sci-Fi, make all the difference between these two releases. The final product of Legend in comparison with the original Omega Man is like night and day; one simply outshines the other. Clearly, the re make lived up to expectations by making the improvements that the original had no hope of achieving through technology available at the time.

Add in a fine performance by current screen giant Will Smith, and you have a winning formula that should work every time. . .

Only, it doesn't always work.

It took a few days to track down a copy of the original "Wicker Man", and I was surprised to find that it was set, staged and acted exclusively by Brits! Shows just how much I thought I knew. . .

Good acting by Christopher Lee, Edward Woodward, and fully nude Britt Eckland combined with a nice, tight script by Anthony Shaffer (of Sleuth fame) and set upon the actual Summerisle, on the southeast coast of Scotland, this film delivers on all the notable points.

The strange pagan religious practices that have been historically associated with Summerisle were exhibited in the original "Wicker Man" by permission of the current (as of 1973) Lord Summerisle and the inhabitants, many of whom participated in the making of the film. These practices, with the exception of human sacrifice demonstrated in the film by the burning of a large wicker statue with an unlucky human inside, are said to be reflective of the actual pagan rituals.

These were somehow left out in the remake, further degrading the potential of success and making it less believable as well as badly executed.

The remake, starring Nick Cage and Ellen Burstyn, is out of gas before it can get started; constantly bogged down with pointless attempts at grasping for some scary stuff that never actually shows up in the movie.

The original Legend, "The Omega Man" was a fine, and very successful film when it was released in 1971. At the time, it was state of the art; an excellent companion piece to another well-done Sci-Fi staring Chuck Heston titled "Soylant Green".

In re-watching Omega Man, I quickly realized that so much has changed in the film industry that equates into the quality of the movie. From Omega to Legend clearly demonstrates these changes, and the successful use of them in a remake.

How Wicker Man fell so far off of the mark is a subject for debate in a later article.

"I am Legend", the remake of "The Omega Man" comes highly recommended by this reviewer; I'd only recommend watching Omega again if you haven't seen it, or if you simply want to compare the two for kicks.

The original, 1973 release of "Wicker Man" comes with a firm recommendation from this reviewer. I'd leave the remake alone and not waste a dime on it.

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