A Bit Plasticky
A few teens who get away with what ever they like because of their wealthy parents decide to visit a new waxwork museum after hours. But it seems this house of wax is not normal as each of the displays is of a famous scene from the annuls of horror except they are all missing a character. Although not for long because if anyone crosses over the barriers they end up becoming part of the scene. For one of the friends it is going to be a battle to save the rest.
I am sure it was intentional as "Waxwork" starts off like a cringey take on a John Hughes movie with these friends looking like they have come out of a test version of "The Breakfast Club" except they are ridiculously over the top. The thing is I bet the intention was for us to laugh at these over the top spoilt brats but instead they immediately annoy you and you don't care as to what happens to them, in fact part of you wishes some really bad stuff happens to them.
So then we have what happens and for example Tony crosses over into the werewolf display to retrieve his cigarette lighter only for the scene to come to life and he ends up not only bitten by a werewolf but shot by hunters. About the only thing entertaining in this scene is that John Rhys-Davies plays the part of the werewolf as otherwise it isn't even entertaining in a camp horror kind of way. This goes on with others finding themselves part of a wax scene and whilst some have a comical macabre nature for the most they are surprisingly dull.
The thing is that as a concept "Waxwork" is good and whilst I am not a fan of remakes I would love someone to bring this up to date in a more straight forwards horror kind of way. But as it is "Waxwork" was slow and arduous and I wondered when it was going to come good like other reviewers have mentioned and unfortunately it doesn't although at times it gets a bit creative.
What this all boils down to is that "Waxwork" actually disappointed me because I expected this great mix of horror and comedy but only got what was a good concept. Maybe If I had seen this back in the late 80s my opinion would differ but watched now it left me disappointed.
