The Wolfman is a remake of the classic 1941 horror film. Aside from the overseas location, the names of the key characters and the general idea of a man turning into a beast, there are very few similarities. The movie starts off slow with minimal explanation of what is happening and why, but gains momentum after about 30 minutes.
When Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) hears word of his brother's mysterious disappearance, he rushes home to London to get some answers. What he finds are missing pieces and, until then, repressed memories. When Lawrence returns home, he is met by his brother's grieving fiancée Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), and his seemingly unfazed father (Anthony Hopkins).
The town is abuzz with talk of a werewolf being responsible for the recent murders of the townspeople. Talbot decides to investigate, questioning the gypsies about their knowledge of werewolves and of his brother. During his investigation he is attacked by the beast and is nearly killed from the inflicted wounds. What follows is an intricate web of connections between the characters and an unearthing of images from Lawrence's dark past.
The storyline is fairly predictable if you know anything about the tale of the Wolfman, but there are a couple attributes that still make the film worth watching.
Hopkins delivers a riveting performance as Sir John Talbot. He is the epitome of evil, unfazed by the recent gruesome happenings of Blackmoor and is eager to submerge his now beastly son back into the dark confines of his childhood.
Director Joe Johnston does a decent job of recreating the classic horror atmosphere, although at times the movie seems to take itself a little too seriously. There is an over abundance of close-up shots of the moon, as well as the classic mythical creature research montage. There is also a lack of mystery as most of the slasher scenes take place out in the open, allowing for there to be no mystery about what is taking place.
However, the special effects are really something to marvel at. The man-to-wolfman transformation scenes and the fluidity of the dismemberment of the townspeople do not disappoint. Special-effects makeup legend Rick Baker, who is responsible for the work done in Michael Jackson's "Thriller", Jim Carrey's makeup in "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," and most recently Robert Downey Jr.'s African-American makeup as a GI in "Tropic Thunder," completes the classic horror film ensemble.
Although this remake in no way replaces the original, it is still a fun romp in the dark forest of classic horror films.
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