THE WOLFMAN

A beast roams in the night, horrific murders are happening, an ancient manor holds secrets, and the moon is full. Yes, it's The Wolfman. This remake of a classic horror film strives for a nostalgic feel but, sadly, winds up boring.

In late 19th century England stage actor Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) has returned to his family home when his brother Ben has gone missing. His father, big game hunter Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins), takes of the family estate with his Indian manservant Singh (Art Malik). Ben's fiance Gwen (Emily Blunt) is worried about Ben and had contacted Lawrence for help.

In almost no time Ben's body turns up, terribly mutilated. Inspector Aberline (Hugo Weaving) thinks it may be a lunatic, while the superstitious villagers blame an evil beast; the gypsies are also convenient suspects.

Investigating a gypsy camp, Lawrence gets attacked by the wolflike creature. He survives, and soon his wounds are healing incredibly fast and he's having hallucinations. Old family secrets are also brought to light, while Lawrence and Gwen share some intimate moments.

The Wolfman alternates between pretty gory cgi fight scenes (lots of guts, blood, and severed limbs) and melodrama of romance, secrets, and suspicions. Alas, neither side is particularly interesting. Del Toro and Hopkins are excellent actors, but their characters are one dimensional and not that interesting. There's not much horror or suspense here, and just looking like a classic horror film isn't enough. The story also suffers a lot: We're meant to feel that the villagers are unfairly persecuting Lawrence -- but considering he is the monster, they are hardly misguided. The Wolfman is a mediocre horror film.

Overall grade: C-
Reviewed by James Lynch