The Wolfman
Benicio Del Toro in The Wolfman
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Wednesday, 10, Feb 2010 12:01
By Guy Logan
Directed by Joe Johnston, out in cinemas February 12th, starring Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, running time 102 minutes.
What's it all about?
A remake of the 1941 horror classic, The Wolfman charts the return of Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) to his family estate to investigate his brother's disappearance.
Talbot has had a distant relationship with his family following a traumatic childhood and his homecoming isn't made any easier by his tough father (Anthony Hopkins). Ultimately it's his brother's fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt) who convinces him to stay - much to his dismay, as an encounter with the supernatural monster leaves him bloodied and cursed.
Bringing the beast under control is no small feat, and the arrival of a Scotland Yard detective (Hugo Weaving) does little to help Talbot with his struggle.
As the characters delve further into the terrible mystery, the hunt for the werewolf soon becomes more personal and more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.
As an example...
"Never look back, Lawrence. The past is a wilderness of horrors." - Sir John
So is it any good?
It's 19th century England but this is no twee Jane Austen world. A gloomy, gritty setting gets no jollier when the moon comes up, and while you can only film the big rock in the sky from so many angles before it becomes clichéd, there's enough creativity going on behind the camera to distract you from the wooden performances on the screen.
Not that it's all bad. Emily Blunt wrings as much from her character as she possibly can and Del Toro has spurts of inspiration, although it's often hidden behind a furry mask. No, it largely comes down to a poor script, poorer pacing and Hopkins' failure to properly warm up before hopping on screen, leaving the first half of the film with a confused old man and a protagonist waiting for something to feed off (emotionally).
Much was made about this film using costumes rather than relying solely on CGI, and it does a decent job of meshing the two together. The wolf-man outfit is Oscar-worthy while Ye Olde CGI London comes off well on the big screen. And the fact that there are no bloody vampires to be found is arguably the best bit of the entire supernatural thriller.
Those who love a bit of gore will be more than happy with Johnston's offering, and there are enough bumps in the night to appease most horror fans. But ultimately an inconsistent effort on the screen and in the screenplay translates to little more than another remake with its heart in the right place and its head off howling at the moon.
6/10