The Wolfman

19/02/2010

Patrick Waggett went to see The Wolfman

Benicio Del Toro in The Wolfman

I have been looking forward to The Wolfman for some time and it has taken an age to finally arrive on our screens; four years in fact. Due to numerous problems throughout production, including directorial changes, script revisions and re-shoots, the result, sadly, is a rather messy, disappointing film.

A remake of the 1941 original of the same title, the story sees Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) returning home because his brother has gone missing. He is subsequently found dead upon Lawrence’s return, leaving his fiancée, Gwen (Emily Blunt), and father, Lord Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) behind. Lawrence vows to Gwen that he will investigate the apparent murder of his brother which seemed to have occurred under mysterious circumstances - dun dun dun - that, as you’re probably aware, leads to him becoming… The Wolfman!

Now, this all sounds great and I was really looking forward to being scared and impressed by a modern take on the time-old folklore. Del Toro is an inspired piece of casting for the Wolfman as he has consistently been edgy and rather wild in the past and has that wolfish look about him that make-up artist Rick Baker joked would require little work to achieve the transformation. Alongside Del Toro there is Anthony Hopkins (sorry, Sir Anthony Hopkins) and Hugo Weaving; both terrific actors with great screen presence and Emily Blunt who adds the human touch and love interest on the side. The film is aesthetically good too, particularly the lighting which has the ever present moon streaming through the shots. So why was I so disappointed?

Well, firstly, Del Toro seemed to be somewhat subdued and not the wild, feral character I had hoped for despite the obvious fact that as an actor he surely has more than one personality in the old noggin. Secondly, the first and last acts are just a mess. It is difficult to keep up with the plot as it races through the establishment - it felt all over the place to me; a result of the problems in production, I suspect - as Lawrence decides to stay to investigate. This leads to a rather tense and exciting action sequence in a gypsy camp that finally settles the film down into its core. Horror and gore fans will really lap up the action as limbs are flayed and blood is splattered about, but it is when Lawrence starts to worry about his new furry little problem that the film becomes interesting and leads to the much anticipated transformation sequence. The CGI is undoubtedly good, but I wanted realism, like the sequence in An American Werewolf in London that really shocked with its physical aesthetic and fantastic make-up. Here though, the CGI just doesn’t give the same effect leaving the finished article of the Wolfman -an obvious reverential homage to the original - as somewhat dated and unoriginal. If you want a fantastic, modern werewolf transformation, check out the lower budget Being Human TV series.

Benicio del Toro and Anthony Hopkins in The Wolfman

The good thing about The Wolfman is that it does seem to be a B-movie and a nod to old horror classics. As the Wolfman throws his head back and howls to the moon and, in what is a particular highlight of the film, a stereotypical, Freudian like German psychiatrist insists that Lawrence will not transform when the moon is full in a room full of people, I’ll leave you to fill out the rest. There are also really good turns from both Hopkins and Weaving but as they are so deliciously having fun and deliver the better lines, you wish they were on screen a lot more.

As Lawrence battles with his inner monster, there’s some fantastic imagery and some unnerving flashes of the wolf within as well as a suggestion that he is still human and in control when transformed. However, I felt that this wasn’t fully explored, particularly as it mainly revolved around a love story with Gwen that seemed half-hearted and doesn’t really convince. There are twists in the tale, but again, they feel unoriginal and predictable. The end is when it all comes together with a wild and fun fight at the end amidst the flames that keep you entertained.

If you love gore and big, loud shocks, then you’ll love this movie. For those of you looking for a lot more substance and an original update of a classic, you will be disappointed.

The Wolfman official website