And what hasn't been done in a long time, is a good werewolf film. You can argue with me about this all you like, I would probably find something wrong with whatever werewolf film you suggested, for example:
Underworld- Lets face it they're vampire films. The werewolves are just kind of there. (although I love all of them)
Dog Soldiers- It's kind of too black comedy (although I like this too)
And don't even get me started on the so-called-werewolves/shapeshifters/whatever in Twilight.
When I heard about the remake of 1940s classic The Wolfman, I was understandably apprehensive. The 1940s film being the original (and probably best) werewolf film going. Also I kind of have a certain disdain for all these remakes the film industry is pumping out.
I finally (after weeks of trying to find the time) got round to seeing The Wolfman yesterday-
I WAS BLOWN AWAY.
I'm not even exaggerating, I am still trying to find something about it I dislike. I've been trying all last night and most of today. It was, in the terms of werewolf films, flawless.
So where to start?
Well I won't talk about the story (I'm no spoiler!) so I'll start with the setting. Blackmoor, 1881.
Mist on the moors, flickering candle light, a looming grey stone building rising from the fog. Eerie and beautiful all the same time, with just the right amount of foreboding.
And what a cast!
Anthony Hopkins- maybe it's just me, but the man can do no wrong. He's a fantastic actor and is delightfully sinister as Benicio Del Toro's Father.
Emily Blunt- I have to admit, I don't remember anything else I've seen her in, but she was fantastic. And beautiful too- that always helps for a leading lady!
And last but certainly not least- the leading man- Benicio Del Toro.
Where to begin? He portrays the wolfman beautifully, dark and brooding, with a sense of the disturbed. And what's particularly wonderful about him, is that he's NOT fantastically good looking. You don't get all pent up on how hunky he is- you focus on his acting. Brilliant.
The Wolfman itself, as an entity, was the best I've ever seen, we've come a long way with special effects!!! But what is even better is knowing that it is more good make up than computer wizardry. The transformation scene itself is particularly good, as we see his fingers break and twist while his teeth quite literally rearrange themselves. Disgusting, but in a way that you feel you have to look!
Another highlight for me, was the sounds the wolfman makes. It annoys me when werewolves bark-they''re supposed to be monsters, not dogs! The noises he makes are so much more than a bark or a howl- they're so much more hoarse, more guttural, more bestial... A werewolf's howl should be throaty and frightening. NOT high pitched and whiny.
Thank you Mr. Joe Johnston (the Director), for restoring the werewolf to how it should always have been.
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