The Wraith (1986)
A break from the trend as of late, tonight we check out a movie that isn’t new to me but is new to somebody that I made watch it tonight. We get some science fiction mixed into our car movies, with some classic spooky sauce to top it all off. I will say that this movie is as old as me, so there might be some stuff that won’t hold up as good - but the only real way to find out is to watch, so put on your helmet, tonight is The Wraith.
We get the general feel for our baddies almost right off the bat, when we watch them force a person into a road race and cheat to win it, then threaten the “contestant” with some stabbing if they don’t bugger off. We also get introduced to some lights that are fans of a certain Sammy Hagar song as they speed about the desert and slam together to make a fancy car. Cutting back to the day to day, we find a new guy in town, and a nice lady in a bad situation - pretty much being a captive of our opening bad guy. We learn about how nearly the entire town is afraid of the main bad and his gang, and discover that the mystery alien car seems to have it out for them. This is where the horror element kicks in - as this car and it’s fancy looking driver start picking off gang members like a slasher villain. There’s multiple facets going on here - races, murders, mysteries, and romance. They are not all handled equally - but they all do fit surprisingly well together, even if you will not really get an explanation of just exactly how is answered by the end.
Actors do a pretty decent job here. I wouldn’t really call any of them something that stands out as award winning experiences on the screen - in fact, some of these young-faced folks lines can feel a little bit flat. To be fair though, they are working with quite a lot, and I do feel that most of it is completely as intended, lining it up in the department of “good job” regardless of what someone might think. I know how it is - people like to just pass it off as campy, but the bad having practically no fear reaction throughout the movie, the guy constantly drinking car fluids spazzing out - they all play into their characters pretty good. The real trick is just that it’s a bit wacky or over the top by today’s standards, but that said there is some pretty good reactions from the actors that help sell the characters in this thing.
The character’s themselves aren’t really all that elaborate. There is some pretty intense social dynamics at play, what with the fear-induced captivity of most people in regards to the main villain, even amongst his own gang. That aspect will go over wonderful with the thinking cap folks, although if you are looking for character development the closest you get is the female lead and her dead lover’s brother both growing a back bone and standing up to the villain regardless of the results. You know, the classic “don’t let fear win” arc if you will. There’s a little bit of play between the gang as far as chemistry goes, but a lot of it can feel slightly muted thanks to the fear-based role placement. The best example of this is our slosh-brained duo when their boss isn’t around and how they interact with each other as opposed to when he’s around.
The cars are sort of like the Star Wars lasers…
A lot of folks that remember this movie would remember it for probably one of two things: the cars or a young Charlie Sheen. Yep, the heart-throb before he could run into problems in his (at the time) future while all the ladies swooned over his hotness is in this movie, and in all honesty there’s a bunch of eye candy across the board for all genders really. For more people though, the stand out is the cars - we got some real hot rods in this thing, including the Dodge Interceptor - the “hero” car if you will - which despite looking alien is an actual real car. Now, for me, I remember it more for the sci-fi element of killer car from outer space angle (even though it’s not really from outer space), but even as a person who doesn’t really have any hoots to give about cars there’s some pretty slick looking rides in this movie. Costumes are a pretty varied sort as well - largely fitting into the “modern attire of the time” look, but with that little something extra from the hero car’s driver, who is very much a sci-fi road warrior look that we could all get behind.
The races are cut together pretty snappy. Some might argue it’s not the best flowing cuts, and at times a car who was in the front will suddenly not be in the front when the cut happens, but it gives the implication of a breakneck speed race quite well regardless. It also does a wonderful job of adding to the tension after setting up in the opening that the gang isn’t opposed to using uncouth methods. There really isn’t much anything in the lines of fights per say - some shotgun usage on scenery bits and props, but the closest thing you get to a fight scene between two people is the brother character getting beat up towards the end, and fight usually implies the exchange of blows, which this one lacks.
The movie does a good job being interesting enough through the runtime. It’s not the heaviest thinker, and in fact people who need all the answers will be left a little wanting. We could put our brains to a little use and infer that there is some sort of hellish pact going on from the vengeful dead - what with the aptly named “The Wraith” of the title - and it make’s far more sense then the alien angle I mentioned before. Largely though, if i see a bunch of lights zipping about the sky my first thought is aliens, so that can’t be helped unfortunately. Beyond that bit of potential confusion, it’s not hard to follow the main points of the movie at all - and like I said, there’s that heavy “stand up to fear” element of the movie for those looking for more depth to it than cars and a stellar 80’s soundtrack. Yeah, I do remember some of these songs, but it’s cheating because I already know and enjoy them outside of the movie anyways.
…The one that looks most evil is actually the “good” one.
The movie packs a bunch into a short run time, with three or so groups all interwoven into the main story. From cars, to attractive people, to some lovely environment clips, to a good soundtrack - it’s got a little bit of everything in there. Some elements won’t be as impressive - I don’t think people will be knocked out of the park by most of it really. It’s also something that ends up being very similar to another revenge-based movie The Crow - that came later on in time, with a much harder R rating. Outside of a few frames of topless ladies, most of this movie is pretty tame - but some might take offense to the vernacular of the time because it is a product of it’s time after all.