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Written by: David Entin
The moon is full and the beast is on the hunt. The great Universal Monsters have truly gone through countless iterations of classic infamy and festering cinematic afterbirth. These were characters of the highest level of recognition; Frankenstein with his great, green, bolted neck; the scaly bastard from the Black Lagoon; Dracula himself; and of course, the howling Wolf Man.
With this very modern remake of the 1941 original, it’s a gory pleasure to know that campy, traditional horror can survive in a world of exploding robots with huge wrecking balls, and computer-generated dreamlands populated with erotic and noble blue apes. Astoundingly, this little gem will thrive on the jolts and guffaws of captivated crowds. It’s likely to overtly terrify you, but it ought to take you on quite the thrill ride.
The setting is an impeccable 19th-century hamlet, Blackmoor. A proper setting that is populated with yellow, glowing homes, vine-covered mansions, and smoky, fire-lit gypsy camps. It is a Victorian nightmare of foggy and haunted forests. The singular departure to England is industrial and inviting and a welcome change of pace. The film successfully balances the tightrope of campy, over-the-top horror and very genuine ethereal wonder. And the moon is the gorgeous centerpiece that binds and punctuates the film’s ghostly tone, while the sound design amplifies the awe.
Benicio del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, the globetrotting actor, returned to his family manor after the brutal murder and dismemberment of his brother. Del Toro, a Spanish actor, is a bit of a surprise to see leading a firmly British tale, but he holds his ground, despite lacking a local accent. As a result of this, he sounds gruff and brooding, which is not an unreasonable trait for a character as tortured as Lawrence. Gwen Conliffe, played by Emily Blunt, is the charming, romantic interest for Lawrence, and she does an admirable job of depicting her character’s frailty, even if at times her choices can leave the audience fuming.
Hunting Mr. Talbot is the mutton-chopped Inspector Frederick Abberline, played by Hugo Weaving, the famed inspector that hunted Jack the Ripper. Weaving is a compelling actor, though mannerisms from other performances bleed through in an unfortunately jarring way. Anthony Hopkins is the sleepy but captivating Sir. John Talbot, who has a pacing manner, one very fit for the glowing woods. Alongside Sir. Talbot is his loyal Sikh manservant, played by Art Malik. He serves to prove that The Wolfman’s greatest assets are hidden in the supporting cast of impeccable residents of this world, not so much the core characters, just as the werewolf is often overshadowed by the doom and gloom of the environment.
The cast and supporting characters are powerful, but the stars are the beast and his playground. Dismemberments and clawings are a daily activity in this world, and they are lovingly grotesque. The Wolfman loves to pop out and try to scare you in classic horror movie style, and the peek-a-boo element is hilariously excellent, with the audience often times knowing what is coming and still bunny hopping when it happens.
The premise follows an efficiently linear A-to-B narrative, with little intrigue given to side events, and often having Lawrence Talbot at the forefront. From the sleepy hills of Blackmoor, to the gloomy streets and walls of London, back to a firm reunion with the sleepy Victorian hamlet, the story does not stray, as if on a firm mission to wrap up the narrative as quickly as possible. The delivery is uneven at times, and some scenes can feel illogically contrived, yet the film plows forward to keep to a genuinely pleasant joyride of mayhem.
It is slightly unnerving that, in this fiction, the vast majority of people are aware of werewolves and how they can be killed. Of course, if zombies were to erupt in our city streets, or vampires were to swoop down, we would be intuitively prepared for them because of countless books, shows and movies. But it is sad that the naivety of an unprepared populous is lost. Sometimes it’s simply more pleasurable to watch the uninformed make foolish decisions, a point which is gloriously depicted mid-film.
The effects are a combination of CGI (which is ghastly and unwelcome at times) and good old fashioned horror movie prosthetics. The prosthetics really shine and give a tangible feel to the monster, rather than an uncanny feeling that some CGI films struggle with. Certainly, the computer effects do come in, especially in the captivating transformation, which is always a pleasure to watch.
The Wolfman lacks the finesse and depth of more complex horror movies, but unencumbered by pesky subplots, this film sets off on a blind blood rampage, and it’s a beast audiences will get a thrill from following.
Rating: 3.5/5 Falcons
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