Il replicante

The Wraith, in it's basic storyline, is good and, at times, exciting but there are many flaws.

I feel this film could have been a lot better had the director created a faster moving storyline and less frustrating. Charlie Sheen is here as eye candy for the ladies and shows no real acting talent. The closest thing to talent seen is that of nick cassavetes, whos portrayal of the evil villain is menacing.

There are many scenes which drag on and the film is intermingled with confusing flashbacks. These flashbacks are meant to open the audience up to the past events but end up making you wonder what it was trying to tell you.

The film does have some good points however, mainly the soundtrack. The music throughout the film is true eighties. This soundtrack gives the film a very positive setting. It was also good to see Randy Quaid making the most a role that, unfortunately, held no hope or realism.

Overall, the film is based on a very good idea but is let down by it's confusing plot and direction.

I remembered this movie from my childhood. It was good back then and it actually still holds its own even today. Way before "Fast and Furious" there was "The Wraith".

The story in "The Wraith" is about a mysterious stranger who shows up in an Arizonan town terrorized by a gang of brutal drag-racers led by Packard. At the same time does a mysterious car show up too and challenge the gang to a race one by one. The races end with the death of one of the racers. But when the police show up, the corpse is in perfect condition and missing the eyes.

"The Wraith" is an entertaining movie with a good story, fast car races and a fairly good cast that includes Charlie Sheen, Sherilyn Fenn and Randy Quaid.

This is one of those types of movies that can be seen several times and it has actually withstood the test of time quite well. If you haven't already seen "The Wraith" then you should take the time to sit down and watch it because it is rather enjoyable.

No, I'm not necessarily crazy about cars and car chases, and I'm no big fan of horror either, and yes, it's clear from the first scene that this is a 'B' movie,... but this really must be one of the greatest 'B' movies ever made, maybe one of the greatest films of all time!! (and believe me, I've seen a lot of films).

There is just something about the way this film starts and moves like an unstoppable force towards its conclusion. It's almost like all the characters around the Wraith instinctively know who he really is, and what is going to happen to them ultimately (you can see it in their eyes), and yet somehow, they seem to be irresistibly drawn into his web, lost in their own pride, entangled in their own rules of engagement, and misguided by their own sheer foolhardiness. and so the film goes from one inevitability to the next, with each person remaining true to himself/herself.

There are also some really memorable-crazy characters in the film, who add some light relief to what I think is a very serious film about human destiny; how we each help to create our own reality and then have to deal with it. To anyone who hasn't seen this film, give it a try (if you can find it) and keep an open mind. This not a high-tech blockbuster movie, but it's definitely a high-intelligence movie.

This movie survives only because the plot idea is kinda' cool. The rest of it is tremendously cheesy, but the excellent car and a compulsive 80's sound track make this a movie worthy of a night in and a bucket of popcorn. Put up your feet, put your brain to bed, sit back and enjoy.

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.