The Wolfman

The Wolfman (2010)
Directed by Joe Johnston
Length: 103 minutes
Rated R for bloody horror violence and gore




Someone toss werewolves a bone! With all the attention paid to vampires and their romantic escapades, a true werewolf movie has been long overdue. Certainly there have been attempts to depict the dreaded lycanthrope in recent films and television series; but let's be honest, those can hardly be considered werewolves. Writer's Note: In Twilight, those are not werewolves, those are shape-shifters. While this modern-day re-imagining of the 1940s classic may be the closest thing to a true werewolf story, The Wolfman is still a silver-riddled failure.

Upon receiving news of his brother's mysterious disappearance, our protagonist Lawrence Talbot, played by Benicio del Toro (Che, The Three Stooges), returns home to the 19th century English countryside. His brother's body is soon found - mutilated and gutted as if mauled by an animal. As Lawrence seeks an answer to his brother's death, whispers of a dangerous monster began to surface - a werewolf. When Lawrence is attacked by the creature, he miraculously survives with only a nasty bite, a bite that soon changes everything for our protagonist. Staying true to the old lore, with the full moon, Lawrence transforms into a deadly werewolf, capable of maiming and killing anything in his path. Soon, Lawrence is forced to seek answers to not only the death of his brother but also for his dark and dangerous new persona that threatens to kill those he loves.

I'll be honest, the first half of the movie is a total snooze-fest, as we are stuck following Lawrence and his investigation into his brother's death. While the lack of action is fine, the black and grays of the scenery coupled with bland characters and storytelling are enough to make you see the back of your eyelids. This all changes when the character of the werewolf is actually introduced. Initially I expected the film to take a tame approach to the victims, but let me assure all you gore hounds, there are loads of dismembered arms, severed heads, and a disembowelment or two. While not for the faint of heart, the rampages of the beast proved to be the best parts in an otherwise forgetful movie.

I really enjoyed the transformation of Lawrence into the creature: the special effects are able to hug the line between over-the-top and believable while illustrating the cracking, popping, and shifting as Lawrence's body changes into the werewolf. Unfortunately, while the transformation is certainly cool, the final product certainly is not. Looking more like a gorilla in suit, the visual presentation of the werewolf falls well short of what I was hoping for. Visually, the film is extremely monochromatic - dark, dreary, gray...England must have been a fun place to live a hundred years ago. While it may not be much for looking at, the dark atmosphere certainly creates the right tone for the film as you wonder where the monster is hiding in the shadows.

Concerning the acting, I am a little disappointed with the film. Boasting a qualified cast of del Toro, Anthony Hopkins (Thor, Bare Knuckles) as Lawrence's father Sir John Talbot, Emily Blunt (The Adjustment Bureau, The Young Victoria) as the love interest Gwen Conliffe, and Hugo Weaving (Captain America: The First Avenger, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) as the Scotland Yard inspector Abberline, all fail to add any depth to their characters or the movie. All of these actors have demonstrated in past roles they are capable of impressive performances; unfortunately, you find yourself unconcerned with the character's fate as well as slightly confused by their actions.

If this was the movie to launch the werewolf craze, we can already deem the movement a failure. A weak first half, dry acting, and a questionable monster design all lead to this miscue. While the action certainly picks up in the second half and ultimately redeems the film, I would have liked a movie less like 2004's disaster Van Helsing and more akin to 1992's Bram Stoker's Dracula - a film that achieves the perfect semblance of drama, romance, horror, gore, and violence. Instead, someone should take this film out to pasture and put it out of its misery...just make sure to use a silver bullet so we can avoid a sequel.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote: Eh...not really any

Oscar Nominations:
Best Achievement in Makeup