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The Family Reel Movie Reviews
Now Showing on The Family Reel with Christopher Echols
 THE WOLFMAN
Universal’s remake of the 1941 Lon Chaney, Jr. classic breathes new life into a horror icon while still maintaining the gothic atmosphere and mood of the classic monster movies.
Set in the late 1800’s, Benecio del Toro, as thespian Lawrence Talbot, returns to his family’s estate after many years abroad to investigate the details of his brother’s murder by a mystery assailant lurking around the Blackmoor countryside at night. After a bit of investigating, Lawrence finds himself in an encounter with the creature more monster than man and is savagely bitten in the process. Days later, as his flesh begins to miraculously heal itself, it becomes apparent that the bite has done more than leave a topical scar, and perhaps Lawrence’s greatest enemy may be with the demons in his past and the beast just below the surface.
Del Toro delivers a fairly intriguing performance as Talbot, and one with considerable less mumbles than he’s normally associated with. Anthony Hopkins, as the senior member of the Talbot clan, is almost always a guaranteed quality edition to any ensemble cast and this film proves as no exception. Emily Blunt has an almost thankless role as Lawrence’s brother’s fiancé Gwen as she’s given a minimal amount of story to work with. The true standout here comes in the form of Hugo Weaving’s Scotland Yard inspector by the name of Aberline. Aberline, who seems to suspect from the start that there’s more to the murders than meets the eye(yes, a bad pun considering Weaving voices Transformer’s Megatron in the movie series), has an assuredness in his skill set and a dry wit about him that comes off as more endearing than cocky.
Rick Baker’s practical make-up effects for the werewolf design deserve a mention. The multiple-time Oscar winner proves he’s still tops in his field and has crafted both a unique signature look for this Wolfman while still harkening back to the Chaney classic appearance. The CGI used for some of the transformations isn’t bad, but at times it’s used too much as we follow the creatures movements during his kills.
This reboot does fall flat in some areas. Its brevity leaves open the possibility that more story was left on the cutting room floor than necessary and the third act isn’t nearly as strong as the film’s beginning steps. The CGI, while convincing at parts, is extremely noticeable in others and at times seems unnecessary given Baker’s incredible practical efforts.
As a total package, this came off more success than failure though. Some things are done well, and others are done with expertise. If you’re a fan of the old horror classics, then this is definitely worth checking out. It’ll make for an interesting Valentine’s film with your sweetie to say the least.
Grade: B-
Posted on 12 Feb 2010 by Woodlands Family Magazine
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