(2010) **1/2
Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) is a famous stage actor currently taking England by storm with his portrayal of Hamlet. On route to America his trip is derailed when he learns that his brother has mysteriously disappeared. Detouring to his ancestral home he reconciles with his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins). Soon the mangled body of his brother is discovered and it is quickly determined that it is the work of a savage beast. While hunting this beast Lawrence is savagely bitten and left for dead. Against the advice of some townsfolk his life is saved, which is bittersweet because he is infected with the lycanthropy disease. Lawrence experiences the true power of this disease during the first full moon.
The Wolf Man has the budget, the look, the actors and free rein to show gory Wolf Man attacks, so why didn’t I enjoy it more? I’ve been wrestling with this question ever since I watched it and I still don’t have a sufficient answer. I might argue that the “scary” movie monster films of the 30s and 40’s simply don’t translate well in modern times. I haven’t enjoyed modern vampire movies such as Interview With a Vampire, nor have I been able to get into The Mummy films, the Invisible Man films, or any modern versions of Frankenstein or the Wolf Man. Don’t even get me started on Van Helsing. I have difficulty watching modern, color versions of these black and white films that worked so well with their low budgets. Perhaps large budgets and the ability to portray gore rather than suggest it takes away the mystique that these old films hold for me.
Now that's what I'm talking about!
The Wolf Man has some very effective action sequences, but these are interspersed with long dour conversations that hold little interest. Perhaps this is simply a bad film with a great cast? I cannot think of a better person to portray the titular character than Benicio Del Toro, who naturally looks like a wolf man, but his performance never portrays the tortured, conflicted soul that Lon Chaney Jr. did with ease. Every conversation is grim, no one ever smiles, and there is no one to root for. It’s a tedious exercise.
