The Wolfman (2010)

  I saw this one in the theaters back in February. I didn't post a review because I was busy with all of my Oscar coverage. I just bought it and rewatched it on DVD which seemed like as good a time as any to describe my thoughts.

I am not a fan of Benicio Del Toro. I think he's a mush-mouth, which I could get past if I found him in any way attractive. Still, I remember hearing the casting news and thinking "he could pull this off". Werewolves shouldn't be attractive. It makes it hard to believe them as monsters.

I was happy to see there were a number of practical effects in conjunction with the CGI. Transformation scenes can be rendered ludicrous if the CGI is off. Fur, in particular, seems to be hard to pull off. I also really liked that they wait to show you the monster. Things are always much scarier (and flaws are easier to hide) when everything is half-glimpsed and shadowed.

The DVD comes with the option of watching the theatrical release or an unrated director's cut. Since I had already seen the theatrical release, I chose the latter. I didn't expect much; these things are typically just a way to sell more copies. Usually, all you get is about 10 minutes of different footage that you couldn't have cared less about. Maybe one or two little tidbits of background.

Not so with The Wolfman. I was shocked, shocked, at how different it was. There are a few inconsistencies with how they edited the scenes back in but they're not deal-breakers.

EXAMPLE

Theatrical Cut: Brother's fiancée writes a letter to Lawrence Talbot, telling him of his brother's disappearance.

Unrated Cut: She travels to New York to tell him in person.

Inconsistency: The movie makes references back to the letter she wrote.

There's a really nifty scene set on the train that was cut completely from the theatrical version, probably for time restraints, that references the Beast of Gévaudan. That automatically won me over. For a movie that is only tangentially related to the Beast's story but still kicks an inordinate amount of ass, see The Brotherhood of the Wolf. Yes, it is in French but you'll get over it. Even people who hate subtitles love that movie.

Anyway, I know the critics have been unkind to it, saying that it is "deficient of suspense". No shit. Really? The original has been a by-word for horror for almost 60 years and has been remade countless times. If you're surprised at all by how this movie ends, welcome to your first visit to planet Earth. We hope you enjoy your stay. There are a few jump-outs and a couple of scenes that are genuinely creepy (mostly during his hallucination-while-fighting-the-initial-bite phase) but this shouldn't make you want to sleep with the lights on.