Whisky Galore! review

Something's missing from this classic comedy remake.

Whisky Galore review

Despite a comedic plot that perhaps hasn't withstood the test of time, and a number of seriously questionable Scottish accents, this remake of Whisky Galore must certainly be commended for its wonderfully picturesque cinematography.

Review: Pointless Whisky Galore remake lacks in spirit

A great cast alone does not a good film make as this all-too-gentle and rather pointless retread of Alexander Mackendrick's 1949 Ealing classic showcases.

Almost a year after closing last year's dreary Edinburgh International Film Festival, the remake of Whisky Galore! arrives in Scottish cinemas with relatively little fanfare. That's hardly surprising. It's a pretty pointless retread, gentle to the point of being soporific, and a waste of a wonderful cast. Revolving around the efforts of a group of wily Scottish islanders to liberate crates of whisky from a shipwrecked trawler during a wartime drought, the 1949 original - directed by Alexander Mackendrick and based on the novel by Compton Mackenzie - has become a fascinating snapshot of the period, something that elevates its appeal beyond simple nostalgia. Thats something that could have liberated this Eddie Izzard-starring remake; but instead it feels like a parody of its inspiration. Director Gillies MacKinnon may have resisted the urge to turn it into a straight-up caper film, but whatever merits veteran Scottish screenwriter Peter McDougall's script might have had on the page it has become wearisome and whimsical on screen, dulled by characters grappling with low-stakes personal dilemmas that seem hopelessly old-fashioned when viewed from a contemporary perspective.

Alison Rowat film review

Jaunty is a fiendishly difficult trick to pull off, and MacKinnon's picture doesn't come within a nautical mile of managing it. There is no mistaking the affection for the original, or the desire to live up to its standards, but that is not enough. The scenery looks lovely, mind.

Review: Whisky Galore!

Alexander Mackendrick's 1949 Ealing original, based on the novel by Compton MacKenzie was timely, set as it was during rationing, and tapping into a genuine lack as a boat load of whisky miraculously runs aground off a small Hebridean island a few weeks after the locals' supply runs dry. Here, in these gluttonous times, it becomes a one joke comedy. That joke being, us Scots like a drink.

Whisky Galore - but not so many laughs ...

A remake of the Scottish classic, Whisky Galore!, has been panned by critics following its screening at the opening of the Edinburgh festival.

Whisky Galore! review

Why remake a classic? Along with Passport To Pimlico and Kind Hearts And Coronets, Whisky Galore! defined Ealing Comedies as the gold standard when they were released in 1949.

Review: Whisky Galore!

Successful remake of the Ealing favourite, with Eddie Izzard and Gregor Fisher.

Whisky Galore - review

Many, myself included, will balk at the idea of a remake of this classic film believing it really shouldn't be tampered with. However director Gillies MacKinnon has wisely decided to stick with the winning formula and has merely updated it seemingly by flicking a switch which has transformed it into colour.