The Wraith

Back in 1986, The Wraith just about qualified as a moderately entertaining alternative should the video rental shop be all out of copies of Aliens or Top Gun; however, when watched twenty three years later from a nostalgic point of view, this silly supernatural revenge flick actually proves to be a whole heap of fun. Charlie Sheen's lifeless performance; the sheer naffness of the race scenes; an ever-present pop/rock soundtrack; Nick Cassavetes' ridiculously nasty boo-hiss bad guy; a collection of annoying comic-book punks with idiotic names and silly mannerisms: The Wraith is perfect for anyone looking for some mindless popcorn action and a bit of a laugh at the expense of the decade that taste forgot.

Sheen plays a restless spirit who returns from the afterlife in a turbo charged ghost car to seek revenge on the reprehensible road pirates responsible for his death, rescue roller waitress Keri (the scorching Sherilyn Fenn) from the clutches of psychotic killer Packard Walsh (Cassavetes), and say goodbye to his younger brother Billy (Matthew Barry).

Although the film's star isn't really given that much to do (for much of the time, Sheen's character is hidden behind he wheel of his otherworldly car or in a silly cyberpunk suit and black full-face helmet), the excellent supporting cast more than make up for his absence: Randy Quaid is great as a desert cop trying to make sense of the carnage; Clint Howard gives another memorable performance as a mechanic with crazy hair; and Fenn is effortlessly sexy, and gets her top off once or twice during proceedings.

With more cheese than one of the burgers served up by Keri at the Big K bar, The Wraith is a great time-waster and recommended to all fans of 80s cult cinema.

If you care to travel back to 1986, you'll see a young and not-yet popular Charlie Sheen star as a ghost with a vengeance. This, of course, means that you'll have to endure a few eighties quirks, which gave the decade its unique character.

"The Wraith" is a creative story about a bunch of drag-racing town bullies who are into taking what they wish, mostly by force. The town police (although shown as macho) appear feckless in apprehending the thugs. The town's populus remain largely actionless due to their fear. The kingpin of these hooligans is Packard Walsh (Nick Cassavetes - son of famous actor John Cassavetes). Charlie Sheen plays Jake, the reincarnation of a slain victim (Jamie) of the town thugs. He appears out of nowhere and soon begins conversations with Packard Walsh's girlfriend, an action considered lethal. Soon a mysterious driver with an exotic, futuristic-looking car (the real-life Dodge-Chrysler Interceptor M4S) appears on the scene and begins drag-racing Packard's gang into the grave.

This film gives us some great eighties in it's soundtrack which includes Robert Palmer and Billy Idol. It also gives a look at the popular "punk" look of the eighties in the character of Skank. I recently discovered that the Wraith's car was a real-life automobile. And only one original model was actually loaned from Chrysler. The other shots were of "shell" models, without engines, etc. During the filming of the good drag-race shots on the mountainsides outside of Tuscon, one of the crew members was killed and another critically wounded.

I had some dislike for the film in the completely idiotic and helpless nature of Packard's thugs. In fact, I had a bit of trouble in believing the entire town's pacifisim towards Packard. There is one strange scene involving a sexual encounter between Packard and some local girl, where she thanks the sheriff for showing up. This just didn't add any credibility. But then again the whole movie is a bit incredible, especially the Wraith's car and its ability to keep that Windex shine after blowing up. And I never did figure out what the deal was with that one part that glowed at the end of every crash. More 80's sfx...? I chuckled for an instant though when I saw the Wraith enter Packard's warehouse in that "spacesuit" with what appeared to be a "space shotgun". What was the deal with that? I was beginning to think Jake's body was beamed aboard an alien ship before he died and now he was returning with their technology.

A good story for the eighties, but not one to take too seriously. Be sure to admire Sherilyn Fenn's teeny character, Keri. Oh, I also read you can buy an M4S Interceptor replica for about $70,000. Ouch! 6/10

'The Wraith' is an interesting blend of fantasy, action, drama, romance and even a bit of horror, while at the same time being a vengeance movie. This classic 80s movie made the futuristic car, a Dodge M4S, a household name at the time of release.

Interesting also how some elements in the film are so familiar with the 'Fast and the Furious' franchise, which almost makes me believe the writers of the original 'Fast and the Furious' based their film on 'The Wraith'. Could this indeed have been the inspiration?

'The Wraith' features amazing cars and fast-paced, impressive action sequences. This will no doubt be a feast for car enthusiasts. I also enjoyed the characters and the premise in general. Charlie Sheen stars as the film's protagonist, Jake. A mysterious character at first, we learn a lot about Jake through flashbacks. Nick Cassavetes stars as the antagonist, Packard, who is possessive over Keri (Sherilyn Fenn). Keri is a strong character and the only person in town who is not scared to stand up to Packard. Randy Quaid is well cast as Sheriff Loomis, who also takes a stand against Packard and his gang.

'The Wraith' is very well made for its time. Even by today's standards, the film delivers more than enough thrills and excitement to keep the viewer engaged. It also offers a great climax on a physical and emotional level. This is a darn good movie!

The Wraith is one if the coolest "car movies" ever and is bound to be a cult classic. Featuring 'Cudas, Corvettes, Dodge Daytonas, Triumphs and a supercharged Pontiac Trans Am, the Wraith has a classic collection of cool cars. A young Charile Sheen stars as the wraith who rides into town in his mysterious "Turbo Interceptor" and takes revenge on a gang of no good road pirates. The Turbo Interceptor was way ahead of its time when the movie was filmed but now seems a bit cheap. The car racing sequences were pretty well shot and still stand up today.

The Wraith features a rockin' 80s soundtrack with music performed by Bily Idol, Robert Palmer, Motley Crue and even Ozzy Osbuorne. Randy Quaid, Clint Howard and Nick Cassavetes round out a cast of strange supporting actors. A very young Brooke Burke makes an appearance as a car-hop at Big Kay Burgers and Steven Eckholdt also has a small part as the "Daytona Boy." Though the Wraith is filled with terrible acting and the special effects are dated, it is still a fun ride. The Turbo Interceptor's "special feature" is still unbelievable and a lot of fun even after all these years.

If you're a big fan of the Mad Max/Road Warrior films or of street racing movies like The Fast and the Furious, I think you'll really like this movie. You may have to be a big car enthusiast or a big Charlie Sheen fan to really love this film. The Wraith is rated PG-13 though it does contain some mild violence and partial nudity/sexuality. Bad acting makes this film a bit cheesy but the fast cars and racing sequences are a lot of fun. The Wraith is a way cool "vehicle" for Charlie Sheen.

Cool Car Rating: 8/10

Overall Movie Rating 6/10

-"A what man?"

-"A Wraith man! A ghost, an evil spirit and it ain't cool."

Well, this movie is one of those half-forgotten gems of this cool decade. As a child I use to rent this movie over and over again but then I forgot it's name when I grew older. Recently, when I started to look for old cult 80s, I stumbled upon this little nice saga. The story is ridiculous but quite entertaining (I love revenge ;)) and there are many strange plot-holes through the whole movie. So why bother renting or buying this old s*** you may ask? Well if you are a child of the 80s and saw it back then, it can bring back some nice memories. If you are from that time but have not seen it, you MUST see it. Everyone else, just see it and enjoy a movie with one of the greatest cars ever on screen. For those who have seen it I just must make some statements of some of the major flaws in the film. How come that the police just let the thugs steal all the nerds cars in a small town like this? (very strange) And why don't the stupid morons see that they're next to die on the list when their buddies fall off one buy one. No fear at all...=) Well... all and all a funny flash-back. You know from like ten minutes into the movie how the end will be, but you'll KEEP on looking...