I've read through the comments already posted, and I must say there's a TON of incorrect information relayed. First of all: Willard is a REMAKE of the 1971 cult classic (titled WILLARD). The ORIGINAL film was based on a novel titled Ratman's Notebooks. This film is a remake of the original film, but has nothing to do with the book. This remake also adds an element from the ORIGINAL FILM'S SEQUEL, BEN. Ben was about a boy with heart problems befriending the surviving lead rat from from the original (there were two, Socrates and Ben, Socrates was killed by Willard's boss). The boy writes a song to Ben entitled "Ben's Song," which is later reprised at the end credis of the movie as sung by Michael Jackson (not the Jackson 5, and Michael Jackson did NOT write the song - the lyrics were written by a man named Don Black and the msuci was by Walter Scharf). For some odd reason, the writer of the remake decided to add Ben's Song into the film (the original version) when a cat is being ripped apart by the rats. The song is then reprised at the end of the film, except with Crispin Glover singing it (?). The original Willard was a about an slighly introverted man who doesn't have many friends other than those of his mother whom he takes care of. His mother is ill, but doesn't look like death herself (the actress is Elsa Lanchaster, and she does a great job). In the remake, Willard now lives in a somewhat gothic mansion with his mother who looks like a corpse and Willard himself looks like hell. He's made to be shaky, easily walked on and just a wimp in general. He could easily pass as a Goth club kid with the right clothes. This is just the first in series of dissapointments throughout this horrible film calling itself a "remake." The acting is utterly terrible. Unlike Bruce Davison, Crispin Glover turns in an amateurish, squeeky performance. He's shaking the whole time and is totally unconvincing. The guy playing the boss is NOTHING compared to Ernest Borgnine's original mean-spirited portrayal of Mr. Al Martin. The rats themselves are way too CGI to be taken seriously. Okay, there were a few real ones: Socrates and Ben. Ben was turned into a huge dog-like creature (the original was a normal sized rat) with a sadistic mind of its own. They really made Ben a monster, and Socrates all cute and lovable (because he's white and the rest are gray). It's sickening. The whole thing is made to be very dark and stylized, which is no surprise because that's how all movies are nowadays anyway. It's sad that this even got made. It's a poor excuse for a film, and if anything I hope it will generate a renewed interest in the original and perhaps its sequel. I give this movie 2 out of 10 stars. It IS to be missed - skip it and see the original if you have any taste at all
