I’m gonna get this out of the way immediately: I stan The Wolfman.
Often hailed as a box office bomb with generally negative-skewing reviews, this remake of the 1941 original is not the best step toward a Universal Dark Universe. But a gorier, grimier, authentically Victorian story with Oscar-winning makeup creature effects tells a different story.
Following the same plot as The Wolf Man, Larry Talbot returns to Wales, is bitten by a werewolf, and experiences love… and lycanthropy. Talbot fights with his somewhat-estranged father and the townsfolk. Scotland Yard joins the search for the killer wolf creature. A demented Victorian doctor discovers that what has plagued Talbot from childhood is not simply all in his head. London is in shambles! With a gloomy and gory premise, how could this remake be anything but good?
Welp, it’s a lot of things. The movie was delayed and had a series of last-minute production changes (directors, writers, the works). CGI was also seen as a hindrance to Rick Baker’s practical work. The acting was mostly good — except for Anthony Hopkins’ lackluster performance. But let’s forget about all that; I’m here to talk about why The Wolfman is amazing!
The biggest reasoning is no doubt Rick Baker’s makeup effects. Duh. Making Talbot’s wolf form an homage to Jack Pierce‘s original makeup was a fantastic idea, blending the line between human and animal so much that Talbot truly is a wolf man. On top of that, we get two wolf people because Anthony Hopkins is also a werewolf! Their transformation scenes are grotesque and, in my opinion, rival the American Werewolf in London scene (just done in CGI).
As much as I love Universal movie lots, there is a time and place for a clearly set-up background. Nearing a century after the fact, the Talbot’s hometown was brought from plywood painted forests to the real English countryside and sprawling estates. The Wolfman did an excellent job at setting the scene with hundreds of extras being thrown about as wolf-man Talbot races through the streets to escape the chaos. Even the Victorian cityscape, done in CG, is amazing and so beautiful to look at under a full moon. The atmosphere in this movie is top shelf.
On one hand, I get why people may not think this remake quite hit the spot. There are flaws; my thing is, those flaws are small and almost incomparable to the upgrades from the the original. Universal really showcased what they’re known for — monsters. Benicio del Toro, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, and a slew of other characters brought the lore right out of the 40s and somehow into a present-day 1890s. That is talent. The filmmakers should be really proud of themselves. I was lucky enough to see The Wolfman in theaters when it released, and it is one of my favorite memories: seeing a scary movie with my college friends. I even got scared a couple times… imagine that!
What did you think of The Wolfman? Let us know in the comments!
