“The beast will have its day,” warns Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) in The Wolfman.  Unfortunately, it is not a very interesting day, nor is it an improvement over the day the beast had back in 1941, when the original The Wolf Man, was released.  A remake of this story could have been original and exciting, but The Wolfman is neither.

When Gwen Conliffe’s(Emily Blunt) fiancé is violently killed, she asks his brother Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) to find his killer. Lawrence, an actor in the United States, returns to the family home after a long estrangement from his father, Sir John Talbot. But after he is bitten by a wild beast, Lawrence begins to change. There is a talk of a werewolf in town, investigations by Inspector Abberline (Hugo Weaving) and lots of dire warnings from an old gypsy woman (Geraldine Chaplin). There is also an improbable budding romance between Lawrence and Gwen and some frightening flashbacks. But the most frightening thing Lawrence has to face may be his own father, who may not be what he appears.

The film is based on Curt Siodmak‘s screenplay from the 1941 film, but screenwriters Andrew Kevin Walker  and David Self  make a few changes here, most noticeably in the character of Sir John Talbot, and his darker character makes the story more interesting. One problem may be that the original wolf man story is not as compelling as its horror cousins Dracula and Frankenstein. But the writers really miss an opportunity to make the story richer. When I first watched the 1941 film, it was the dialogue that had me howling. The gypsy character of Maleva uttered gems like, “The way you walked was thorny, through no fault of your own.” That line isn’t in this film, but Maleva does say things like, “Darkness comes for you” and “Sometimes the way of fate is cruel.” Is it possible that the filmmakers do not realize 69 years later, that this kind of dialogue is still unintentionally funny? The blossoming feelings between Gwen and Lawrence (they seem to be flirting with each other only days after the funeral of his brother and her fiancé) are not sufficiently explained and the character of Lawrence seems undefined.  The writers drop some interesting hints about Lawrence and his father’s past and I wish the film had explored this further.

The best scenes in the film take place in the mental asylum where Lawrence is committed. The asylum’s cruel medical treatments and Lawrence’s subsequent delusions are genuinely frightening.  The conversations between Lawrence and his father add suspense. Even the werewolf transformation scenes are effective. But these moments are too rare, and provide only scant relief from the plodding story. But the biggest problem with The Wolfman is that Joe Johnson directs this film without a scintilla of humor or irony.  Without humor, some of the supposed scares seem ridiculous. The film is neither as frightening nor enjoyable as 1981’s American Werewolf in London or even the recent Jennifer’s Body. Although the film boasts a cast of fine actors, they cannot overcome the poor directing and writing here.

The usually stellar Benicio Del Toro gives a surprisingly lackluster performance. His flat affect through most of the film makes it difficult for the audience to empathize with his Lawrence. The developing passion between Lawrence and Gwen is undercut when Del Toro delivers lines like, “I would have given anything to know you in another life,” in a monotone. Del Toro seems like he does not want to be in this film, but he is one of the producers. Of course, he isn’t helped by the poor direction and stale dialogue. The always reliable Emily Blunt infuses the character of Gwen with as much energy and charm as possible, and makes the audience care about her. But it is Anthony Hopkins who gives this film life whenever he appears on the screen. He is both menacing and charming as he delivers dire warnings to his son. “Terrible things Lawrence, you’ve done terrible things,” he says with a touch of regret mixed with glee. A smile from Hopkins in this context lets you know something horrible is on the way. I always find Hopkins riveting, and when he explains to his son that he considered suicide but, “life is far too glorious,” he says it with a chuckle. Hopkins is the best thing in this film.

Lawrence’s father urges him to “Let the beast run free.”  In this case, the filmmakers should have left the beast undisturbed.

The Wolfman.  Directed by Joe Johnston .  Anthony Hopkins (Sir John Talbot) Benicio Del Toro (Lawrence Talbot), Emily Blunt (Gwen Conliffe), Art Malik (Singh), Geraldine Chaplin (Maleva) and Hugo Weaving (Abberline). Universal Pictures,  2010.

 

Gail sees a movie appears every Wednesday.

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