What are two of the most troubling signs for an eagerly anticipated movie? – Probably its release date being repeatedly pushed back and talk spreading about major production problems. These two things are never good omens for a film. The Wolfman has experienced both of these, its release originally being set for November 2008 and the film apparently having undergone extensive re-editing. On top of this, the film’s original director – One Hour Photo director Mark Romanek – quit during pre-production and was hastily replaced by Jumanji and Jurassic Park III director Joe Johnston. What does this mean for the film though? It may just be that the film performs poorly at the box office (after all, the postponed release date isn’t the only factor against it doing well at the box office – the lack of bankable stars and the high age rating also restricting its potential somewhat) as has been the case on many films that have experienced similar difficulties in the past. Sadly, however, the implications are much greater than that.
His brother having recently vanished without a trace, haunted nobleman Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) returns to his family estate to investigate. What he discovers upon reuniting with his estranged father Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins), however, is a destiny far darker than his blackest nightmares. As a young boy, the untimely death of his mother caused Talbot to grow up before his time. Though Talbot would attempt to bury his pain in the past by leaving the quiet Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor behind, the past returns with a vengeance when his brother’s fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), convinces him to return home and aid the search for his missing brother. But something monstrous has been stalking the residents of Blackmoor from the nighttime shadows, something not quite human. Not even recently arrived Scotland Yard inspector Abberline (Hugo Weaving) can dream up a rational explanation for the gruesome spell that has been cast over Blackmoor, yet rumors of an ancient curse persist to this very day. According to legend, the afflicted will experience a horrific transformation by the light of the full moon, their animal rage becoming far too powerful for their human bodies to contain. Now, the woman Talbot loves is in mortal danger, and in order to protect her he must venture into the moonlit woods and destroy the beast before it destroys her. But this isn’t your typical hunt, because before the beast can be slain, a simple man will uncover a primal side of himself that he never knew existed.
If you’re thinking of seeing The Wolfman you should first consider the many bad omens that have preceded its release, as they provide a clear warning of what to expect – a huge, crushing disappointment. Under the guidance of original director Mark Romanek, the film may well have been an interesting piece of psychological horror, offering some deeper insights into the psyche of the central character. In the hands of replacement Joe Johnston, however, the film is rather more like a popcorn blockbuster, somewhat akin to the 2004 film Van Helsing, only considerably less fun. In fact, this film is so lacking in entertainment value, not to mention anything more substantial, that ‘Van Helsing’ almost looks like a masterpiece by comparison, and that really is saying something. It isn’t very scary, most attempts at creating an eerie atmosphere being obvious an ineffective – foreboding music, minimal lighting, creepy silences and thick mists surrounding the village – not to mention tired and clichéd. The film is quite gruesome in places but with no genuine scares – not even jumps – to back any of it up, it feels rather needless and only really serves to make the film unpalatable to squeamish viewers. The film’s failure to scare isn’t aided by cheap looking make-up effects which make for rather unthreatening in appearance werewolves. The visual effects are somewhat better but only feature quite sparingly and then not in any particularly exciting ways, the film being largely action deficient, only a sequence set in London really providing any thrills and then not many. The action sequences are not helped by slapdash cinematography and editing which makes it difficult to follow let alone enjoy them. In general, the film fails to be visually appealing, the depictions of Victorian England perhaps accurate but rather unimpressive and the visuals generally being quite drab and dull. The story isn’t much better, meandering rather than flowing from one scene to the next, lacking any surprises – the identity of the first wolfman is obvious from the start – and lacking much in the way of character development, aside from a few brief flashbacks. In general, the story makes for a film that is boring and quite a drag to sit through. The acting is better but not massively, the actors being decent but, given little to work with, being far from their best. Everyone does a competent job but with a cast of thespians such as this the expectation is for something more than just competent in the acting department. So, overall, The Wolfman is an extremely mediocre (and unnecessary) remake of a horror classic that fails to engage the attention and offer any particular reason why it should even exist. Just like the beast itself, this is a film without a soul.
The Wolfman **
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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)
© BRWC 2010.
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