Directed by:
Joe JohnstonCinematography:
Shelly JohnsonCast:
Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chaplin, Art Malik, Olga Fedori, Asa Butterfield, Elizabeth Croft, Max von Sydow (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins. Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out to find his brother... and discovers a horrifying destiny for himself. Lawrence Talbot’s childhood ended the night his mother died. After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother’s fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing the villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector named Aberline (Hugo Weaving) has come to investigate. As he pieces together the gory puzzle, he hears of an ancient curse that turns the afflicted into werewolves when the moon is full. Now, if he has any chance at ending the slaughter and protecting the woman he has grown to love, Talbot must destroy the vicious creature in the woods surrounding Blackmoor. But as he hunts for the nightmarish beast, a simple man with a tortured past will uncover a primal side to himself… one he never imagined existed. (Universal Pictures US)
(more)Videos (3)
Reviews (12)
The longer they postponed premiere, the more my concerns about the final product grew, but Joe Johnston handled it more than decently. This is not such a fundamental achievement as the first Wolfman, but, to be honest, who could expect it to be? The action is fast, brisk and (in the unrated version) good and bloody, the atmosphere is also good. Benicio Del Toro may be doing nothing more than usual, but Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving (Abberline is probably the best character and I'd love a spin-off or a part two if he was in it) steal the show at times. Elfman's music perfectly complements the plot, and the main theme seemed to me to be a jauntier version of Dracula, which is not a criticism, but a compliment, because it sounds truly superb. It is said there is no sin in killing a beast, only in killing a man. But where does one begin and the other end?
()
I expected a horror flick; I anticipated an homage to the original. But what I didn't expect was a complex drama that combines more genres than I could ever have hoped for. The script hints from the very beginning that we're going into the darkest waters, and the transformation into a monster is shown through advanced mental decay. At first glance, the "fake" scary moments may seem like clichéd flaws, but in the context of the film as a whole, these scenes serve as progressing traumas. Like a nightmare from which the main hero jerks awake, only to wake up to a real, creeping, and inevitable reality that is just as terrifying as the imagined horrors. Moreover, Joe Johnston's directing amplifies all of this into a depressive second nature. And when Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins share dialogue together, there's nothing left to discuss. A very unique work has been created, which is certainly not for everyone, but those who can look at it differently than just a monster movie can take away more than they ever expected.
()
It's a yawn. Considering the movie is 102 minutes long and I watched it from 6pm to 12:30am, I think it's clear how much it held my attention, how much I was interested to see how it would turn out. A werewolf straight out of Planet of the Apes. Death right after, thanks, and such a – ugh, bleh, ah; finito. The very end of the film couldn't have been more stupid. But I'd forgive it if – as I say – it wasn't such a yawn. I don't understand why I wanted to see this movie; good thing it's over.
()
I saw the original film so long ago that I remember almost nothing of it now, and I think that's a good thing. I avoided comparisons and I enjoyed the 2010 version of The Wolfman. I can even safely say that of all the horror and "horror" movies that have been made in the world in recent years (and that I have seen), The Wolfman is quite possibly the best. No, it's not the most original or unexpectedly scary, but it's so well-done, atmospheric and dramatically gripping in every minute that it simply deserves the highest rating from me. Benicio Del Toro is perfect, Anthony Hopkins too, of course, but I'm even happier for him because after quite a long time he got a big role again... I also liked the mini-performances of Max von Sydow (not mentioned in the credits) and "master of the trick" Rick Baker, who "played" one of the unlucky torn apart men. Joe Johnston cooked up a thick period tension-filled film, and Danny Elfman spiced it up... And I ate it with great gusto.
()
In comparison to its predecessors, The Wolfman is rather bland and unnecessary. The jump scares and suspense don’t work, but at least the filmmakers weren’t afraid of blood. Despite the nice retro set designs, the quality cast struggles with self-serving digital tricks à la Van Helsing. And the relationship between father and son, which was supposed to be the dramatic core of the film, doesn’t work at all. Academy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro are unfortunately only here to give this forgettable Hollywood affair an air of quality. More than those two, the audience will enjoy Hugo Weaving in the supporting role of a Scotland Yard inspector.
()
Gallery (90)
Photo © Universal Pictures
![The Wolfman - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/000/164/164546_66459e.jpg)
Ads