Many of the classic monsters of the movies achieved their iconic status under the banner of Universal Studios in the 1930s and 40s. One of those monsters was the Wolf Man, who was immortalized in 1941’s The Wolf Man, starring Lon Chaney, Jr. Its tale of a man who transforms into a vicious wolf-like creature when the moon is full is one of the most familiar storylines in history. 2010’s The Wolfman keeps the original’s gothic setting but throws in a modern amount of blood and gore — along with a healthy dose of problems that did not affect the original.
When his brother goes missing, American actor Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) is summoned to the English estate of his estranged father, Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins). Shortly after his arrival, Lawrence is told that his brother’s mutilated body has been found in a ditch. The townsfolk at the local pub tell tales of a beast that lurks on the moors and who’s presence seems to have coincided with the arrival of some gypsies. Lawrence begins investigating the stories and travels out to visit the gypsy camp to find some answers. However, his visit is cut short when he is attacked by the creature and severely wounded.
Lawrence is taken back to his father’s estate and nursed back to health by Gwen (Emily Blunt), the ex-fiancee of his deceased brother. When his wounds heal quickly and he starts to feel unnaturally strong, Lawrence fears that the gypsy stories are true and he will become a werewolf when the moon turns full.
With its impressive gothic sets and stylish period costumes, The Wolfman looks fantastic. The special effects involving the transformation and animation of the title character are a top-notch mix of practical effects by Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London) and CGI. Visually, this movie has its stuff together. Unfortunately, story-wise, The Wolfman is a mess.
Although the cast is great, the characters are as substantial as fog on the moors. I didn’t find myself caring about Lawrence Talbot or his predicament at all. I didn’t care if he was cured nor did I cheer when he sliced people to pieces. The rather weak romantic connection between Lawrence and Gwen doesn’t help things either. Another subplot involving his rocky relationship with his father also fails to spark any interest.
That leaves the scare factor to save the film and, sadly, there’s little here that’s truly frightening. There is a plethora of cheap jump scares, however. Unexpected barking dogs, hallucinations, quick-edits, and dream sequences try to keep the viewer on edge but, like the vaporous characters, there’s nothing substantial enough to cause any lasting chills. For a horror movie, especially one trying to reboot a now-quaint franchise, that’s an unforgivable sin.
2.0 out of 5.0 stars
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