Directed by Joe Johnston
Starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Art Malik

The Wolfman is one of Universal's three legendary film monsters along with Frankenstein and Dracula. The ill-fated Van Helsing (2004) tried to share a film with all of them and the result was only embarrasing. The individual remakes however have proven to be quite succesful with Kenneth Branagh's reimagination of Frankenstein in 1994 and Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula back in 1992 (in which Hopkins also played a key role). Now comes Johnston's (Jurassic Park III, Hidalgo) version of The Wolfman and thankfully it is wonderful. Against odds, I must add.

 Del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot, a stage actor who learns of the violent death of his brother back home. He makes his way to his childhood home and wows not to leave before who- or whatever killed his brother is captured. Soon he is attacked by a beast and is bitten by it with legendary results. Danny Elfman's haunting score plays in the background as the story deepens and the conflict between Lawrence and his father, John Talbot (Hopkins) comes to a fever pitch. Blunt plays Talbot's brother's widow who is caught in the middle of a monster hunt and develops a romance with Lawrence while Weaving's det. Abberline (note: the same character Johnny Depp played in the terrific From Hell) is sent into the small town to capture the beast and solve the mystery behind it.

 The Wolfman is extremely stylish and beautifully shot horror fantasy. It isn't necessarily as scary as it want's to be, but what The Wolfman lacks in chills, it makes up for it in substance and beautiful visuals.

KITEYTETTYNÄ SINIVALKOISILLE
The Wolfman on upea, visuaalinen kauhufantasia perheen lahoamisesta sisältä päin. Siinä sivussa lentää verta ja sivullisille käy toki huonosti, mutta vaikka elokuvassa onkin näitä elementtejä hetkittäisen jännityksen lisäämiseksi, eivät ne ota filmiä haltuunsa ja mene ratkaisevan roisisti yli. The Wolfman ei kenties ole niin pelottava kuin se haluaisi olla, mutta se mikä jää uupumaan pelossa korvataan ruhtinaallisesti taidokkailla näyttelijäsuorituksilla ja onnistuneella visuaalisella toteutuksella.

The Wolfman at IMDb

Frankenstein (1994) at IMDb

Dracula (1992) at IMDb