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"The Wolfman" is not your teen's "Twilight."
It's rated R, and these werewolves spill blood, jumbles of intestines, the occasional head and other body parts across the ground. But it's also not your father's "Wolf Man" with Lon Chaney Jr.
No, the new violent incarnation is more like Wolfman meets Daddy Dearest starring Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins. True, they look nothing like father and son (he favors his late mother, we're told) but neither did Mr. Chaney and Claude Rains in the 1941 film.
The landmark version and retooling both are based on an original screenplay by the late Curt Siodmak, but this takes the story in different, and not always welcome, directions.
The atmospheric movie opens in 1891 Blackmoor, England, with the return of actor Lawrence Talbot (Mr. Del Toro) to his family's decrepit castle and estranged father, Sir John Talbot (Mr. Hopkins). Lawrence is back because his brother has disappeared, as he learned from his sibling's fiancee, Gwen (Emily Blunt).
- Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt.
- Rating: R for bloody horror violence and gore.
- Web site: www.thewolfmanmovie.com/
At times, Sir John can make Hannibal Lecter look warm and fuzzy. "Lo and behold, the prodigal son returns," he says, before sharing the news that Lawrence's brother has been murdered and his body just found.
But was he killed by man or beast or some savage combination? Lawrence's attempt to learn the answer leads him to the gypsies and his own brutal brush with a werewolf.
An ancient gypsy woman (Geraldine Chaplin) sews up his slash wounds -- with a large-gauge needle and thread, for those who are squeamish -- and Lawrence is transported home to recuperate.
But he is dealing with more than just his lycanthropy or werewolfism. His relationship with his father takes bizarre turns, Lawrence has what could be a fatal attraction to Gwen, and suspicious villagers may not have pitchforks in hand, but they are making silver bullets.
For a while, "Wolfman" seemed to suffer a curse of its own, as release dates, directors, editors, budgets and the number of visual effects were all changed. When the musical chairs stopped, Joe Johnston, who made "Jurassic Park III," "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and "Hidalgo," was hired to direct.
The best thing about "The Wolfman" may be the Rick Baker makeup and Mr. Del Toro's terrifying transformation as hair sprouts, hands curl into claws, fangs descend and the wolf is able to gallop on all fours through the woods.
The idea of remaking "Wolfman" is a wonderful one, especially given the resurgence of interest in werewolves thanks to the "Twilight" saga. But this doesn't get it right.
Monster movies have always held special appeal for teens. Like the creatures themselves, their bodies and urges are changing in uncontrollable ways, but by making this an R-rated film that veers into torture porn territory, Universal Pictures eliminates a huge chunk of the natural audience.
At the heart of "Wolfman" is the idea of good and evil in every man, and that message is doubled and diluted here. Mr. Siodmak fled from his native Germany in the '30s and knew well that men could turn into monstrous Nazis, full moon or not.
Mr. Del Toro, an Oscar winner for "Traffic," brings a wounded, haunted quality to Lawrence, a man who endured a horrid childhood and now cannot stop what happens to him when the moon is full.
Mr. Hopkins lends his usual touch of class to the most enigmatic and maddening character while Ms. Blunt, fresh from young Queen Victoria, is more of a modern-day woman than in the movies of old.
Hugo Weaving, best known as elf lord Elrond in "Lord of the Rings" and Agent Smith in "The Matrix," turns up as an inspector from Scotland Yard. An opera singer, meanwhile, was hired for the wolf howls and they are a soulful, beautiful thing to behold or behear.
In the end, though, maybe Sir John is right when he cautions: "Never look back, Lawrence. Never look back. The past is a wilderness of horrors."
And far better monster movies.
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