MOVIE REVIEW - The Wolfman

Academy award winner Benicio Tel Toro and Anthony Hopkins star in yet another movie along the legend line, The Wolfman.

It's England 1891, and there big trouble here. Suddenly on the full moon, men are being shredded by something, that no one can figure out. It's not an animal, or a human, but it is thought to be something of legend and lore. All fingers seem to point to a "cursed family," and their grown son Lawrence (Del Toro). His father (Hopkins) too is a rather distant, strange man that has also drawn suspicion. But no one really knows what they're dealing with. But we do. It's a werewolf. But who is it? And what can be done to stop the carnage?

The Wolfman is a very interesting movie to say the least. At the outset, it looks like it's really going to be a stellar movie of it's kind. You know that there's going to be blood and death, but you're hoping there is more to go with it. First the sets, costuming, makeup,music, and cinematography are absolutely wonderful. They do a great job of taking you back to England. You can feel the chill, and the dark, dank mist that was England in the late 19th century. You are fantastically transported to an era gone by. All of that in it's favor.

But little by little it starts to erode itself. There are numerous slow and draggy scenes that seem to say nothing, with awkward dialogue. Then comes the big payoff, of which I have never seen. With all this wonderful build-up, when the Wolfman finally makes the scene, I hate to say, looks a bit silly, fake and phony. The startling metamorphosis from man to beast is fine, but the 'wolf" is silly, and hard to see at times. And I have to say the silly masks that are worn will looking more like 1960's than 2010. It's so strange. Usually these movie are in reverse. All the effort going into the "beast" and little into the rest. Here it's just the opposite.

But if it's blood gore and guts you want, there is plenty of shredding, eating and decapitating to go around. It's a shame this movie couldn't finish the deal it started. And it's not as smart as it looks either. You will find yourself way ahead of the story. Predictable, with inevitable scenes you know are coming. With a good leading cast, and a wonderful set up, with all of it's ducks seemingly in a row, in the end it really comes up short.

The Wolfman. Great window dressing. Too bad you don't buy what's on sale.