I guess one could argue about the merits of any type of remake. Is Hollywood that starved for ideas that they need to take an already existing idea and re create it from scratch? Yes. On a similar note, does the very same Hollywood have this extreme lack of faith in the original to draw the bucks in, hence no re release of the original? Better a remake I suppose than a flick that "pays homage" to one of these classics, of course you can substitute the words "pay homage" for rips off and you're still in the same place at the same time. I'll be honest, it's been a long time since I've seen the original Willard (too long perhaps) therefore I really don't remember too much about it, so I'm sure Willard purists will be ranting and raving at my door any minute now, because I liked the remake. I liked it a lot.

This go round Willard (written and directed by X Files and Final Destination scribe Glen Morgan) is played by eclectic art house favorite Crispin Glover. Crispin is probably best known for his stint in the original Back to the Future, but he's had an extremely interesting career starring in a broad range of films like River's Edge, Friday the 13th Part 4 (he got it with the corkscrew to the hand) and most recently the new Charlie's Angels flicks (there go those remakes again!). He's a weird dude to begin with so having him in this role was a brilliant decision, besides, better Crispin than Ben Affleck, right? Moving along, Willard is a tortured soul. Poor Willard has nowhere to turn between his sick and domineering mother (whom Willard still loves very much despite the domineering) and his domineering boss played by R Lee Ermy (probably best known as Gunnery Sgt. Hartman from Full Metal Jacket). During a routine trap them and kill them session with the squealing rats in his basement, Willard strikes a chord of sympathy for a trapped rat that he quickly befriends and names Socrates. The two form an unusual bond not taking long for Willard to realize that he can communicate and train these rats as many more quickly assemble in the basement for some abrupt training sessions and the promise of some quick eats. It would seem that Willard now has an army on his side.

Soon Willard realizes that he can use his newfound friends for a healthy dose of revenge on those who have tormented him. Things start out innocent enough as Willard uses the rats as a scare tactic, commanding them to chew his bosses tires flat. Socrates isn't the only smart one in the bunch though. Ben is a huge rat that easily takes up enough space for at least 5 of his cousins. Not only is Ben smart, but he's also very stubborn with a mind of his own and he's not afraid to use it. Willard's downward spiral just digs deeper when his mother passes on and Ben threatens to take over the empire that Willard has so foolishly created, but not before Willard takes the opportunity to exact some real revenge on those who have wronged him in the past.

I'm not really able to use the original Willard as a point of reference because it has been so long since I've seen it. I'm sure purists will be pissed, because from what I do remember there are a few definite plot changes as well as the fact that Willard was not nearly as disturbingly creepy in the original. On its own merits, I think the remake stands just fine, although it's not without its problems...it was a definite breath of fresh air among all the "jive talking rappers killing serial killers in outer space flicks" I've been subjected to in the past few months, that's for sure.

There's no denying that this flick is over the top, waaaaaay over the top. Glover's performance ranges from nutty to downright crazy (with really no evidence of breathing room), and he throws a few hissey fits that really do need to be seen to be believed. This is Glover's show all the way, as there would have been no flick without him. His broad range of emotions and facial expressions is stunning to say the least. Most of all, we buy the relationship between him and the rats (especially Socrates and Ben), which literally could have been the flicks downfall. That said, over the top performances and all, there is still a definite level of sympathy that the viewer feels for the tortured souls within. These characters are certainly out there, but so is the story and onscreen shenanigans...so it fits.

Willard also possess an extremely unique and polished look that seems to be missing from many a glossed over screamy bopper horror flick of today. There's a real disturbing mood that takes hold (much like a world that Tim Burton would have created) literally from the opening credits sequence, and there's no doubt about the fact that we are in Willard's world from here on in. There's no sex, very little by way of violence, yet the flick oozes with mood. The effects range from real mice and puppets to a bit of CGI (which was not nearly as annoying as I thought it was going to be). Scenes range from the slightly comical, to overtly disturbing. One key scene that literally disturbed the pants off of me (literally!) involves a poor cat being chased down by literally hundreds of rats as the original version of the song "Ben" (sung by Michael Jackson and originally from the films sequel of the same name) mockingly plays in the background. It's a gut-wrenching scene because we all know how it's going to turn out, and it ain't gonna be pretty.

Also of note is the neatly laid out score that came close to sounding like Danny Elfman was on board (which he wasn't) without being a complete rip off. Luckily there are no tracks to be found with Blink 182 or Busta Rhymes. The end credits tune is once again "Ben" this time sung by Glover himself, and is once again priceless. You can download a music video for the song online, which really does beg to be seen (it's as wacky as the flick itself is), I look forward to the possibility of the video being included as an extra on the DVD release.

I walked out of the theatre feeling extremely positive about the whole experience here. Willard is by no means great filmmaking and this experience is not going to change your life. Willard is pure filler, and much better at being filler than 90% of the rest of the junk currently available to the public. When you want to step into a world of pure fantasy and actually enjoy the experience of a horror flick, then Willard is the definite route to go. Willard was the best way for me to spend Monday night and forget about what a crappy day I had at work, and isn't that what going to the movies is all about?

Thumbs up.