The Wolfman (2010): A Review

THE WOLFMAN (2010)

It is a surprise that the original The Wolf Man hasn't been remade sooner, seeing as how other Universal Pictures monsters such as Dracula and Frankenstein have gotten the remake treatment. Perhaps it is good that The Wolfman has come at the time it did, seeing as how wolfmen have suffered in recent years. They are in danger of coming across as sex objects: young, muscular, brainless and usually shirtless teenage boys who exist only to bring the third point to insipid love triangles involving vampires and even more brainless teenage girls. The Wolfman now reminds us of what they really are: dangerous monsters who are a genuine threat to all those who don't suffer from lycanthropy. Pity the film itself didn't manage to communicate that as well as it could.

Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro), a well-known and respected actor, has been contacted by his brother Ben's fiancé Gwen (Emily Blunt). Ben has disappeared and Lawrence has been urged to return to his family's estate of Talbot Hall. It is not a happy reunion, as he has a fraught relationship with his family. 

When he returns and is reunited with his father, Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins), it is too late. Ben's body has been found, violently mauled. A nearby Gypsy community is blamed. A group of vigilantes come to take matters into their own hands. Unfortunately for Lawrence, the Gypsies were not involved. 

There is a more supernatural cause of the chaos. Now Lawrence is the newest victim to the danger lurking about Talbot Hall. Inspector Abberline (Hugo Weaving) is investigating the rash of violent attacks, and comes to a shocking realization. Now, with a full moon, Lawrence himself turns into The Wolfman, and must confront the evil within him as well as a dark family secret.

While watching The Wolfman, I found myself in the odd position of enjoying it far more than I should have. The Wolfman goes to great lengths to capture the dark, Gothic mood it requires, and it did it well thanks to the work of cinematographer Shelley Johnson and Danny Elfman's score. The Wolfman has the look and mood of a dark, mysterious English moors. I enjoyed that The Wolfman didn't fall into the temptation of using massive amounts of Computer Generated Imagery to capture the creature's transformation and attacks. In certain ways, it was almost retro. 

This has to be the stamp of legendary make-up master Rick Baker, no stranger to werewolves as he won the inaugural Best Make-Up Oscar for another variation on the theme of lycanthropy, An American Werewolf in London. That is one of its pluses: that you didn't get the sense that it was all done by computers.

The minuses are that you got the sense that almost all the acting was apparently done by computers. We are suppose to believe Benicio Del Toro is this great Shakespearean actor before being compelled to return to Talbot Hall. However, for most of the film he has a very curious and distant manner to his performance. It is as if he isn't quite sure what he's suppose to do in the film or even if he's suppose to be in the film. Blunt is all breathy delivery and appears to be holding over some of The Young Victoria manner to her. 

As for Hopkins, he certainly is having a good time knowing he is in a B-picture. Weaving brings intelligence to his Inspector but since he isn't at the center of the film doesn't add much. I will say that it is a pleasure to see Geraldine Chaplin in a cameo and I surprised myself that I recognized her. 

There is another issue in the script by Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self. It never fully exploits the situations it puts the characters in to their greatest potential. In one scene, Lawrence is brought before a group of scientists to force Lawrence to realize that if he sees a full moon, he won't turn into a werewolf. This should have been a great scene of tension and terror; oddly, though, I never got a sense of fear or excitement. The shocking twist could be seen easily and frankly doesn't come as a shock. It also has some rather idiotic dialogue and a little creature that looks so much like Gollum that the people behind me started calling out, "My Precious, My Precious".

Of course, the blame for the story failing more times than succeeding rests on director Joe Johnston. One thing I would take him to task for is in the gruesome nature of the attacks. They were at times a bit too graphic when less would have been more. I also think the ending could have been handled better. While the ending does not strictly leave the door open for a sequel, there is shall we say a slight crack which I suspect will not be taken.

In spite of all the things that were wrong with The Wolfman, I enjoyed it enough to think well of it. I was entertained and when I left, I thought it was money well spent for an hour's worth of my time. I should have disliked it because it could have been much better. However, I thought it was sometimes fun, sometimes effective in capturing a Gothic sensibility. In the right spirit, The Wolfman can be a howl of a good time. 

DECISION: C +