The Wolfman

Starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Reynolds, Emily Blunt, Directed by Joe Johnston

copyright Warner Bros

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While second to vampires in the hierarchy of popular night-time demons, werewolves have been a periodically popular movie monster since The Wolf Man, starring Lon Chaney Jr, first screened in 1931.

This latest werewolf creature-feature is a remake of that watershed horror flick, although this version has made significant changes to the original story.

A remarkably good cast is led by Benicio Del Toro as actor Lawrence Talbot, who in 1891 returns to the family mansion on the English moors after his brother has been savagely killed by a vicious fiend of the night.

Lawrence is welcomed home as a prodigal son by his reclusive father (Anthony Hopkins), who has good reason to be interested in lycanthropy. He also meets his brother's fiancee (Emily Blunt), to whom he is gradually attracted, and promises her that he will find his brother's killer. Alas, all does not go well.

The Wolfman is replete with full moons, silver bullets and much bloody mutilation (entrails are ripped from bodies, some victims are decapitated) – plus foggy hunts at night by villagers with torches, dogs and guns, and a Beauty and the Beast impossible love storyline. Also on the scene is a Scotland Yard inspector, played by Hugo Weaving as if channelling Sam Neill.

Director Joe Johnston (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) taps into his work in visual effects in the 1980s (the first three Star Wars movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark) to create a suitably sinister Gothic atmosphere against a moody Victorian setting, and a feral ferocity in the rampaging werewolf scenes.

The art of special effects makeup veteran Rick Baker is displayed in the transformation scenes, recalling his work in An American Werewolf in London (1981) and The Howling (1981), and in his homage to the werewolf's look in The Wolf Man, with the creature here also standing upright (except when it wants to run fast).

During the years, there have been a handful of commendable werewolf movies, among them Wolfen (1981), Silver Bullet (1985), Wolf (1994) and Dog Soldiers (2002), as well as An American Werewolf in London, The Howling and the original The Wolf Man. Despite arguably overdosing, though not dwelling, on gory violence, and Del Toro's moody Lawrence becoming so tortured as to almost be stolid, as well as a climactic confrontation that borders on being comical, the cast, screenplay, direction and production make The Wolfman a worthy enough addition to that list.

- © Fairfax NZ News