The Wolfman

Wolfman, The – 2010

** Out of ****

A gothic horror film about a bloodthirsty humanoid wolf should not be a dull endeavour and even though every element appears to be in place (great actors, a huge budget, promising premise, etc) dullness is exactly what transpires on screen. Despite some bloody action sequences and keystone thrills, Wolfman almost qualifies as a slog.

If anything, the art direction is the star of the movie. The set design and lighting is pitch-perfect; perfectly capturing everything one would hope for in a gothic tale but this is hardly a reason to see a movie, much less one about a werewolf. Budgeted at a whopping $150 million, one would expect top of the line special effects. While passable, the transformations peak at average and the film unfortunately forgoes the Jaws rule and features far too many clear shots of the beast and as a result much of any tension begins to deflate.

In this reimagining of the well-worn tale, Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) returns to his manor following years of absence due to his commitment in a traveling theatre company. His return is not of a social nature however as his brother has been killed by a beast that has been terrorizing the small village. Seeking answers, Talbot ignores warnings and is himself attacked by the wolf. Although surviving, he falls victim to the curse at each full moon. He draws strength from his brothers widow (Emily Blunt) and his father (Anthony Hopkins) as suspicion grows that the Talbot household may be harbouring dark secrets. At the forefront of this vendetta is Inspector Abberline, played by Hugo Weaving who gives the movies best performance. From there, tension mounts, blood flows and truths about past betrayals are unearthed.

With Hugo Weaving leading the performance pack, we then descend into the average with regards to Del Toro and Blunt all the way to the awful (Hopkins). I don’t know what Hopkins is doing in this movie; he seems bored half the time and hams it up for the remainder. In addition to the lack of notable performances, there is no emotional core to The Wolfman. We get none of the tortured sole vibe that should be present, no real battle between the good and the beast. The heart is replaced by often tedious cgi sequences and heaping helpings of gore which seem to be the staple of modern horror movies. This represents a large contradiction as Wolfman is a throwback (or at least an attempt at one).

As background noise, this film is not something you would have to rush to shut off when it reaches cable, but brings nothing new or interesting to any of the genres it transcends.