Something Like Movie Monday: The Wolfman

Okay fine, it's not really Monday anymore. That said, go see the Wolfman immediately.

Shot as a direct homage (almost remake but not quite) of the 1941 classic, this modern adaptation of the old story is very true to the original. The main character is still Lawrence Talbot (Benicio del Toro). His father is still Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins). He is still returning home after years abroad and is subsequently drawn into the curse of the werewolf.

Where the story differs is that in this new adaptation, Lawrence is home to investigate the brutal murder of his younger brother, Ben. When Ben disappears, his fiancée Gwen (Emily Blunt) writes to Lawrence begging him to come home and assist in the search.

During his investigation, Lawrence attempts to save a child from an attack by some sort of vicious beast and is himself bitten in the process. Unbeknownst to him, but suspected by many of the more superstitious locals, he is now afflicted with the curse.

Meanwhile, Scotland Yard has dispatched Inspector Francis Aberline (Hugo Weaving) to investigate the murders in the area. All threads come together at the next full moon, and the plot really starts to take off. I won't spoil anything that you can't figure out by watching the previews with the sound off though, so don't worry.

The film is shot very much in the style of the old-generation horror flick. There isn't much camera trickery and even the action scenes are fairly straightforward. It's not hard to see what would have happened if, say, Michael Bay had been in charge of a scene in which a giant hairy man-beast went on a killing rampage. Thankfully, Joe Johnston avoids this and creates a very respectful reboot of the film.

The cast is packed with A-list stars and the script is extremely solid. Add this to good filmmaking and a classic story and you've got the recipe for a great movie. So again, go see it.