The Wolfman - Take

Benicio Del Toro's "The Wolfman" (because no one is going to call it Joe Johnston's "The Wolfman") thematically emulates all the traits of its namesake. A throwback, an evolutionary stepping stone trod upon decades ago in the history of cinema. A dark, lumbering, brute of a film that harkens back to the Universal Monster Movies of yore with a dogged devotion.

A bit too much, as the film eschews the finer points of character and acting in favor of gotcha shots in the darkness and gruesome transformation sequences. In this one, unadulterated sense, "The Woflman" is a complete success. It gives audiences a big, hairy monster, wraps it up in a bit of mythology, and drops it on an unsuspecting populace. Themes include: the beast within us all and the arrogance of man. Been there before? So have I. There's nothing wrong, per se, with going back to the well on themes like this, but "Wolfman's" diligent and tweakless rerendering of something we've seen time and again leads to very few surprises, despite the innumerable scenes in which characters sneak or run about in dizzying near-blackness.

Is that such a bad thing? We all get on roller-coasters, time and again, knowing exactly where the twists and turns are going to be, yet thrilled all the same. Sure a new and different roller coaster might makes us think more critically about roller coasters -- all right, this metaphor is going off the rails, but you get my drift. If you're looking for a post-modern, hip reimagining of the Wolfman, Wolfmen, or monsters in general, look elsewhere. If you still get excited about the pure visceral thrill of the monster movie, then "The Wolfman" just might suit you.

Just try not to put too many expectations on the actors who are -- unfortunately in the cannon of monster movies (save for a rare few) -- all but gasp and gore fodder for the titular beast(s) they face. Hopkins wears a creepy grin for much of the proceedings, and you can almost see him spending the paycheck in the back of his mind. Del Toro and Blunt are serviceable yet secondary to the director's true star, Wolfy himself. Both play their parts with rudderless aplomb, but clearly the love goes to the Werewolf. Transformation scenes abound, gratuitously long sequences in which there is much running and off-screen rending (a minor quibble -- despite it's R rating, the camera seems a bit shy of the gorier money shots) pick up the pace of the second half. The first half, as is the tradition, being a bit bottom-heavy with the weaving of mica-thin themes and characters -- a paper house being built for the sole purpose of being destroyed later.

"The Wolfman" is, in reality, more of a Zombie movie. Resurrected and gussied up for modern times, yet with no more substantial changes from the films of the 1930's save for the gore factor, this movie will appeal to hardcore monster-movie buffs and few else.