The Wolfman

The Wolfman is a film that does everything right, but still comes up short. Benecio Del Toro is perfectly cast as Lawrence Talbot, who becomes the titular Wolfman in this remake of the Lon Chaney classic. His Father, played by Anthony Hopkins, knows what he is early on in the film. This is Hopkins at his most chilling since "Silence of the Lambs". Despite his well delivered dialog, his character seems to lack the human element that would allow audiences to connect. Meanwhile, Hugo Weaving is on the trail of the beast, from a Gothic town called Blackmoor all the way to a brooding turn of the century London. This is a vision of London that would make Jack the Ripper squeemish. Then again, the Wolfman is so brutal and merciless he makes Jack the Ripper look like the gentleman he allegedly appeared to be.

The camera angles in the fog mislead you, giving a false sense of space. This creates unease, and sets up wonderful scares. I must confess, however, I am still waiting for those. Very often a loud noise preceeds a terrifying vision. Haven't we seen that before? Other times, the mysterious growling is nothing more than the faithful dog. Universal may not have invented the horror film, but they certainly gave it the prominence it has now. So why do they resort to, in a remake of one of the greatest horror films ever made, doing the same old tricks? Even in films like "Gremlins" they try a new spin. Or in more effective chillers like "Drag Me to Hell", they actually do them so well the manage to provoke an actual jump. Hitchcock said the thrill isn't in the bang, but the anticipation of the bang. Again, I have to confess, I can't recall a moment where the anticipation was more than "So, are we going to see Rick Baker's wonderful make up again?"

I do not mean to be too harsh to a film that I thoroughly enjoyed. What it lacked in suspense it made up for in mood. What it lacked in terror it made up for in action. This film plays to director Joe Johnston's strengths, which is both a blessing and a curse. He crafts characters wonderfully, and has an award-worthy sense of style and adventure. This is the perfect man to helm much bigger, grander projects than this. Or even just another dumb and lovable Mummy film.

As it is, this movie stands alone. It's a carefully made tribute to the classic Universal Monster flick, while also pushing the combined franchises into new directions. Blood and gore are constant in this movie, but not gratuitous. People died by the boatload, cities are devestated, yet you find yourself hoping that Emily Blunt's Gwen Conliffe reaches Talbot before the show stealing Hugo Weaving. You want Inspector Abbeline (Weaving) to redeem himself before the time runs out. He is perhaps the most multidimensional character in this film. He's skeptical about the Wolfman, but upon learning the truth appears to be the slightest bit sympathetic. Of course, there isn't time for that, he's got a Werewolf to kill before it kills again.

This is a very near miss. It's action packed, furious fun, with just enough black humor to satisfy. It's full of great visuals and a wonderful cast. Too bad it just isn't that scary. It's definitely an enjoyable film, and gets my recommendation. Unfortunately I'll have forgotten about it tomorrow.


**1/2 out of ****