Movie Review: “The Wolfman”

Seen on: February 9, 2010

The players: Director: Joe Johnston, Writers: David Self, Andrew Kevin Walker, Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Anthony Hopkins

Facts of interest: Joe Johnston also helmed "Jumanji."

The plot: A nobleman returns to his home estate, where he is bitten by a werewolf and consequently turns into a beast himself.

Our thoughts: Joe Johnston’s “The Wolfman” has a lot of great things going for it, but what it lacks is a decent story. Man, that script it one big mess that feels like it’s been torn apart by one angry werewolf. Luckily, Universal’s reboot of “Wolfman” boasts stunning visuals and an overall surprisingly solid cast that keeps this one from crashing completely.

Benicio Del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot, a nobleman who returns to his remote family estate following the mysterious disappearance of his brother. During his stay, Lawrence ends up being bitten by a hungry werewolf lurking in the woods, which soon causes him to transform into a ruthless beast himself every time the moon is full.

Next thing you know, Scotland Yard sends a determined inspector (Hugo Weaving) to find and catch the beast, and before he knows it, Lawrence finds himself on the run. Not even his father John (Anthony Hopkins) and his brother’s fiancée Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt) seem to be able to help him out during this time of crisis.

I don’t know exactly what it is, but Joe Johnston’s “The Wolfman” is an awkward film. It’s decently paced, for sure, but there is absolutely nothing about its storyline that managed to grab my full attention. To tell you the truth, the only thing that really absorbed me was the movie’s great production design.

So let me briefly talk about that then. The sets in this film are glorious and the visual effects mostly beautiful as well, and Johnston and his crew really managed to create a very dark and threatening atmosphere. The look of “The Wolfman” is so interesting, it’s a real shame the poor script doesn’t do it justice.

It’s not that the story is ridiculous, but it is simply a tad too superficial for my taste. Some parts feel rushed while others drag, and I couldn’t help but notice a bunch of plot holes that could’ve been erased quite easily. The film also spends time focusing on certain aspects of the story for too long all while it almost completely ignores other important parts.

The characters lack depth, even though I can feel the filmmakers attempted to put some importance on the relationships between Lawrence and his mysterious father and his brother’s chick. Alas, both these angles fall apart at different points in the movie, and what we’re left with is a story of a werewolf running away from the law.

Cast is splendid, for sure. Del Toro gives a very dark performance, and I enjoyed watching him in pretty much every scene. Hopkins is brilliant as well, and the feeling of menace his character spills across the screen really works. Blunt looks great as usual, and she offers a solid performance as well. The same goes for Hugo Weaving.

Freaky quote: "I will kill all of you!" - Benicio Del Toro, who's howling like a champ in this flick.

The final word: I’m sure many folks out there will enjoy the film while others will tear it to pieces, but as far as I’m concerned, I saw a movie that looks fantastic and boasts tons of abandoned potential. The flick occasionally drags on, but overall, I admit I wasn’t bored by what I was watching. I just didn’t care much for what unfolded on the screen, and that’s not a good thing.

Article by Franck Tabouring