SelmonSmith6378 Spotlights: The Wolfman (2010)

[SelmonSmith6378]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC7EKWA4HGU&feature=fvwrel

 

 

Hello and welcome to SelmonSmith6378 Spotlights, Buffalo Bills Forums official review post/thread/thing/whatever. I'm your host, SelmonSmith6378, and let's talk about REMAKES! Well, over the decade, "remakes" haven't exactly been the best category to make a movie in. We had a few great ones like "3:10 to Yuma" or even "Peter Jackson's King Kong". But sadly, many movies in the remake genre including "Friday the 13th", "Clash of the Titans" and "A Texas Chainsaw Massacre" have ended up lackluster to downright awful. That said, Joe Johnston's "The Wolfman" has got to be the best remake I've ever seen. It's certainly my favorite movie. I loved every minute of it. It had fantastic acting, great special affects, a surprising plot twist. It was down right amazing, and even better than I thought it would be. This film, my friends and viewers, is truly the pinacle of film making.

 

"The Wolfman", tells the story of a world renown actor named Lawrence Talbot, who has returned to his home in Blackmoor, England to search for his missing brother after receiving a letter from the brother's wife, Gwen Conliffe, as well as to reconcile with his estranged father Sir John Talbot. When he get's there, he finds his brother has been torn to pieces. While meeting with a group of gypsies to investigate, he is bitten by a werewolf, the same one who murdered his brother. After being bitten, he must find a way to control the beast inside him, or accept his new fate and become pure evil.

 

There are a few things I want to say for anyone who haven't seen this movie. First of all, don't expect something very scary, because it is hardly ever scary. There were a few creepy scenes, like the gypsy massacre and the nightmare scene, but this is really just a action film or perhaps a "psychological thriller" that thinks it's horror. Also, don't expect a story anything like the original "Wolf Man", the one with Claude Rains and Lon Chaney. They are very, very different, particularly the endings. Think of Johnston's "Wolfman" as more of a retelling of a great story.

 

Now that I got that out of the way, I can get on to what I liked. This was some of the best acting I have ever seen in the past few years. It was certainly the best acting of 2010 (And yes, I saw, and loved "The King's Speech") Every single actor did a fantastic job, particulary Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro. Del Toro did an extremely powerful and realistic job as Lawrence Talbot, a man returning to his fathers estate in Blackmoor, England to visit his brother's funeral. Lawrence is a sympathetic character with a very sad, dare I say heartbreaking, story, and we feel for him, and pity that even he cannot control the evil and bloodlust of the Wolfman at the full moon. Then of course, there was Anthony Hopkins. His role as Sir John Talbot was incredible. He manages to play him as a very mysterious character, who we don't really understand until the end. Of course, behind his friendly, gentlemamly facade, Sir John is not a very nice man. I also greatly enjoyed Emily Blunt as Gwen Conliffe. She was very emotional in her part as Gwen, the fiancee of Lawrence's dead brother. She seemed like a kind, sympathetic character who had no idea what to do when Lawrence was stricken with the curse. The realm of the supernatural and the macabre is a world unknown to her. Even when she finally confronts Lawrence in werewolf form, she has this look of hopelessness and desperation in her eyes.

 

Of course, what's a monster movie without great special affects? And great these special affects were. Sure, it's nothing spectacular, but considering the awful werewolf makeup and eye-soring CGI monsters we've seen, it's definitley one of the better makeups I've seen. The action is excellent though, reminded me of Peter Jackson's "King Kong"...A primal monster from a land far far away, released into civilized society going on a full rampage? Pure awesomeness.

 

Another thing I particulary like was the plot twist. When Lawrence is taken back to the asylum, there's a great plot twist that will make fans of M Night Shyamalan squeal with joy. I won't give it away though. Mayne people I know didn't like it, but to me, it was a sign of terrific character development and just added to my sympathy towards the main character Lawrence.

 

And speaking of characters...I LOVED the characters in this film! From the cold Sir John, to the hopeless Gwen Conliffe, to my personal favorite, Lawrence Talbot. "The Wolfman" is full of very interesting characters I will remember for the rest of my life. I really cared about them and their struggles throughout this haunted tale.

 

And if I haven't made my point any clearer...This is an emotional, powerful tragedy film. The idea of a kind man forced to brutally murder and eat his fellow man at the full moon, and in addition forced to relive some of his greatest childhood horrors. I'm not going to lie...I cried at this movie. 3 times actually.

 

I am a huge Joe Johnston fan, but after Jurassic Park 3, I thought I could never start liking him again. Well, The Wolfman, got me right back on the Joe Johnston fan train. I don't understand the massive amount of hate for it, and it frustrates me. In fact, dare I say this film has a better story, better characters and better acting then the source material. There I said it. Not only is "The Wolfman", an Oscar worthy film...It's even better then the original. In a sentence, this movie is a classic.

 

Grade:

A+

Edited May 19, 2012 by SelmonSmith6378

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Good job, Selmon. This is a movie I never really had interest in, but you've convinced me to at least give it a shot. I really like Del Toro, too, which helps.

 

Now, as for the assertion that it's better than The King's Speech...well...I'll remain cynical there.

[SelmonSmith6378]

Good job, Selmon. This is a movie I never really had interest in, but you've convinced me to at least give it a shot. I really like Del Toro, too, which helps.

 

Now, as for the assertion that it's better than The King's Speech...well...I'll remain cynical there.

 

I'm not finished yet. Check back in 5 minutes to edit your comment...:-)

[ajzepp]

I liked this film but I didn't feel it was better than The King's Speech at all.