The Wolfman Blu-ray/DVD (Universal)

The Wolfman Blu-ray/DVD

Studio: Universal

Jul 02, 2010 Web Exclusive By Iain Stasukevich

Benicio del Toro is Lawrence Talbot, an English thespian of some aristocratic lineage, and The Wolfman of the film's title. Lawrence returns to his father's home after his brother Ben goes missing. When Ben's mauled corpse is recovered, questions as to the mysterious nature of his death begin to arise —was it a cunning murder, or a fell beast? Larry nearly meets a similar fate, but instead finds himself the victim of an ancient curse. (The title of the movie kind of spoils things.)

There's so much right and so much wrong with The Wolfman that it's hard to like, but difficult to hate. Del Toro is good here —already almost half-beast out of makeup—as he is in almost everything he does, and he's supported by solid turns from Sir Anthony Hopkins as the Talbot patriarch and Hugo Weaving as Inspector Aberline.

Director Joe Johnston blends gothic Victorian costume drama and Cronenbergian body horror, to somewhat (Tim) Burton-esque results, but Johnston isn't fetishistic about the aesthetic; there's a genuine reverence for the source material here. Whether or not makeup guru Rick Baker's presence is a nod to An American Werewolf in London is unclear, but at least he's a perfect choice.

What's wrong? Impatient pacing, some unnecessary (and obviously) CGI moments, and an action-y, WWE-inspired third act ultimately derail what could have been a more thoughtful, classic monster movie in the vein of Universal's 1941 original. (The Blu-ray Director's Cut restores about 17 expository minutes to the first half of the film.) (www.thewolfmanmovie.com)

Author rating: 6/10

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Average reader rating: 4/10