The Wraith

If you're a fan of revenge fantasies, The Wraith will likely whet your appetite even if it isn't the smartest or best film out there.

Mr. Cassavetes is effectively black-hearted, and makes a striking figure, and Randy Quaid does a lot with the underdeveloped role of a local sheriff. Mr. Marvin directs at a brisk pace, but his screenplay, though lively, seems to be written in an alien language.

Gang of comic-strip killer car-thieves is led by lip-curling psycho Packard (Cassavetes). The town (comprising one house, a burger joint and no citizen who isn't a teenager or a cop) is overseen by Sheriff Randy Quaid, who displays all the reverence the script deserves. Best joke is having one of the thugs know a word like wraith.

The Wraith is essentially a wall-to-wall car chase that writer/director Mike Marvin attempts to enliven with TV commercial visuals, tough-guy dialogue and modestly inventive casting.

The Wraith reveals itself as little more than formula teen-audience lure. Of some merit to the whole enterprise are two things: the lovingly photographed desert scenery and the hip and lively music score that drowns out most of the turgid dialogue. As far as the acting goes, it's a pity there are no blinds on the screen. [25 Nov 1986, p.D7]

There's some fun potential here, but Marvin's direction is plodding enough to snuff it fairly quickly. Yet Charlie Sheen, promising in his second-banana appearances in Lucas and Pretty in Pink, emerges with his promise intact. Sheen already has the reserved but powerful manner of a Wayne or an Eastwood; with a little more maturity, he could be a contender.

Director-writer Mike Marvin is obviously working out of his element, which consists of ski films and features with titles of things you eat or drink (Six Pack; Hot Dog--The Movie; and Hamburger). The best thing here are the cars, which have no dialog and just stand around looking fast. Sheen's is a specially built Dodge pace car that cost over $1.5 million.

A very terrible 80's movie. If you have questions while watching this movie, and you will; prepare to have none of them answered. Despite the nonsensical nature of the plot, the "twist," if it can even be called such, or was even intended as such, can be seen coming a mile away. Is this movie science-fiction or mystical? I don't know, and neither do the people who made it. It's a movie where no one acts like a human being has ever acted. Most of the characters that the film focuses on seem to be genuinely sociopathic and/or mentally challenged. And they speak like only a terrible screenwriter can imagine people speak. The movie only has about three locations. And it has about four actual race scenes, none of which are justified in any real way. Which might be somewhat forgivable if they were any good. Which they are not. The first one is the most unique, but is incomprehensible due to it taking place at night. The final three are also incomprehensible in their own way, and are exceedingly repetitive; where two cars race down an empty street (except for the final race), on a barren road in the desert, while very far behind them they are being pursued by approximately two police cars. The race scenes consist of very poorly edited together sequences of repetitious back and forth lead taking and lead losing. Before inevitably every race ends in the exact same predictable way. Certain elements are introduced in the film and were either forgotten about or never thought about until the film was almost over, either that or the plot elements are just incredibly incompetently handled. While many elements that were introduced remain unexplained entirely, such as the, how of the Wraith, and the glowing, vanishing (and reappearing) braces. Ultimately, the movie barely manages to be mildly entertaining, but at least it's short, at only approx. 90 min. I'd probably recommend wasting you're time on something else. Even limiting yourself to the realm of Charlie Sheen movies, there are many better options out there. As he remains quite underutilized in this film.