Vampires, zombies, and witches, oh my! The fearsome creatures of our nightmares have taken over Hollywood, but one gruesome monster has been lurking on the sidelines…until now. After thousands of tweens went gaga for Twilight, the silver screen was in dire need of a new villain-one who wouldn’t sparkle. Where can today’s directors find such a beast to capture and display in all of its glory? Howling at a full moon, of course. After being delayed numerous times, many critics believed that the remake of the 1941 horror classic The Wolf Man was doomed to fail. However, the wait for 2010’s The Wolfman, starring 42-year-old Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro, is worth it as it delivers endless thrills and severed body parts.
Despite its modern makeover, The Wolfman is faithful to the 1941 original with brilliant results. Set in late 19th century England, which was recently plagued by Jack the Ripper, audiences are taken to fog-ridden Blackmoor, a Victorian town of misty woods, grey moors, and villagers dressed in mourning black. Del Toro masterfully plays the role of Lawrence Talbot, a brooding British loner who visits his family’s estate long after being estranged from his father (Anthony Hopkins). It’s then that he discovers his brother was found brutally murdered. With the townspeople already blaming the bewitching gypsies, Lawrence embarks on a doomed journey to discover who or what killed him. He attempts to hunt down a four legged culprit, but instead gets bitten, undergoing a lycanthropic transformation. With the help of makeup extraordinaire Rick Baker, Del Toro perfectly resembles a hound from hell with thick layers of untamed black fur, yellowing eyes, finger length claws, and fangs that outgrow his wide mouth ready to devour anything that breathes.
As the terrifying werewolf pounces over pools of blood and torn intestines, viewers are still able to feel sympathy for Lawrence the man, who after years of being haunted by his mother’s apparent suicide, doesn’t seem like he’ll have a happily ever after. Even when he’s strapped in a chair under the gleaming eyes of skeptical doctors while roaring “I will kill all of you,” audiences cheer for a bloodbath. Despite Anthony Hopkins’ wicked humor, his acting is surprisingly mediocre and unconvincing, especially since this is the same man who brought Dr. Hannibal Lecter to life. Emily Blunt, who plays Lawrence’s love interest Gwen Conliffe, makes delicious eye candy, but all her huffing and puffing in a corset isn’t enough to overlook her determination to save him. We have enough damsels in distress from fairy tales, making it unfortunate that she couldn’t have a more developed role. Then again, all the characters aren’t fully fleshed out, only providing bits and pieces to hold the plot together. This could be due to director Joe Johnston’s many changes, which show, and not in a good way. On a positive note, Hugo Weaving (The Matrix) plays Abberline, a detective who’s eager to solve the gory massacres, but quickly becomes a man everyone loves to hate.
If you can get over the film’s minor flaws, then you’ll love feasting your eyes on all the chills Del Toro’s latest flick provides. The Wolfman stays true to its roots, making today’s vampires look like starving supermodels in need of being put down.
