The Wolfman

Welcome to another episode of The "D" List.

Today's review is The Wolfman. Directed by Joe Johnston. Written by Andrew Kevin Walker & David Self. Based on the 1941 screenplay written by Chris Siodmak.

Well after several failed attempts to see this movie. I finally got to the cinema curious to see if it was worth the wait.

It was not.

Our story takes us to Blackmoor, England in 1891. Gwen Conliffe played by Emily Blunt writes to Lawrence Talbot played by the wasted Benicio Del Toro to return home. He's the brother of Conliffe's missing fiancee Ben. Lawrence returns to Blackmoor to investigate the disappearance of his brother only to find out from his estranged father Sir John Talbot played by the equally wasted Anthony Hopkins that he's been killed. Lawrence, devastated by his brother's gruesome demise stays in Blackmoor to investigate how and who killed his brother. During his investigation he hears rumors of a beast that attacks villagers in the forest at night when the moon is full and that the nearby gypsies are responsible for the creature's origin. Lawrence goes to the gypsy camp when the werewolf attacks and bites him thus transferring the curse of Lycanthropy (Werewolfism) to him.

This film from what I gathered was basically stripped from the blueprint of the 1941 classic. That's fine but when the 2010 version doesn't improve on the 1941 film then you have serious problems. It starts basically at the top. Johnston's direction here is flat and uninspiring. He has a wealth of top talent at his disposal and they all play their parts with very little zeal or enthusiasm. It looked very much like Del Toro, Hopkins and Blunt were just milling through their lines hoping to just get through the day and pack it in. The only one who looked interested was Hugo Weaving who played Scotland Yard Inspector Abberline. That's in a word UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!

The story overall was pretty decent but it contained elements that were transparent and very mundane. There is a twist in the narrative that if you were paying attention in the first 5 minutes you will see it coming a mile away. The scares in the movie were plentiful but very repetitive. If you saw any monster movie in your life then you have seen the jumpy parts of The Wolfman. This is another failure of Johnston's direction. The script may have written the scares like we see them in the film but it's up to the director to either tweak them so they appear fresh or change them up completely. Instead we are subjected to the same retread moments of suspense and terror that wouldn't scare my mother.

The only positive were the special effects and makeup. The transformation sequences were stunning to watch. You can feel the pain that Lawrence goes through as his body morphs into the wolf. Ditto for the makeup after the transformation. Bravo Rick Baker! Then again it's no surprise being that he's the best makeup artist in the biz next to the late Stan Winston. This was the only watchable parts for me, which I guess falls into the "DUH" category. Why else would I go see a movie called The Wolfman if I didn't want to see a wolfman. Seriously though, the werewolf was pretty intimidating and scary. They definitely captured what a werewolf is supposed to be. Savage, strong, fast and agile. The attack scenes are accompanied by some gratuitous violence so proceed with caution.

On the 5 star scale. The Wolfman gets 2 stars with a split "Give it a Shot/Netflix It" recommendation.

I wanted to like this movie so bad but the pacing of the movie followed by some underwhelming performances just left me jaded.

That's all for today. Up next is Cop Out followed by my Oscar picks.

Until Next Episode.....As Always....."I'll Save You A Seat!"

"D"