NOTE: Spoilers ahead. Read at your peril 🙂

I managed to catch 3 movies during the holiday season recently (well, its Chinese New Year AND Valentine Day, nothing much happens). First of them was Wolfman, a remake of the old classic movie made in the 1940s. This one stars Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, and the Matrix-voiced Hugo Weaving.

Story is quite straightforward – about werewolves or lycanthropy. The hero (del Toro) returns home after his brother’s disappearance is notified by the fiancee (Blunt). Alas, he is too late, as the brother’s body was found, horrifically mutilated. It was the 3rd or so death in the town. He investigates, and on a visit to the Gypsy camp, the campers along with town security is attacked by the wolf. Hero is injured (you know what that means in werewolf-world). Hero’s father (Hopkins) seems to be cool about it (hint, hint). Cop (Weaving) comes to town to investigate. Hero is prime suspect as he is a stage actor, had witness mother’s suicide when young, and was admitted to an asylum subsequently.

On a full moon night, a trap is set, but the werewolf escapes, leaving trails of massacre. The next day, a bloodied hero is found and caught by the cops. He is sent to to asylum in London, under the impression that he is mentally affected. While in prison, his father visits him and reveals that he himself is the werewolf that terrorised the town and killed both mother and brother. Hero swears revenge.

On the next full moon night, the doctors display him to fellow researchers, saying that once the patient realises he doesn’t turn into a wolf, he will be cured. But, we know what happens when the full moon is revealed. Hero-cum-werewolf kills a few people and escapes into the night, chased by the cops.

Hero finds brother’s fiancee, who is now unattached and is on a rebound (hint, hint). Tells her that father is the cause and that he will take care of it. She vows to find a cure for him. He leaves for hometown while cops raid the fiancee’s shop.

Climax is in the town. Both werewolves fight, and the father-turned-werewolf gets killed. Hero-turned-werewolf chases after fiancee-turned-heroine. Fiancee pleads and we can see realisation in the eyes of the hero-turned-werewolf. Heroine shoots the werewolf and gives redemption as she “frees him’ out of love.

Oh yeah, the cop gets scratched while chasing after hero-turned-werewolf, so …part two maybe?

Story: Simplistic.

Direction: Nothing much to shout about. It lacks the thrill/suspense factor.

Acting: Hopkins is melodramatic as usual, while I feel Weaving can’t let go of his booming  Agent Smith voice. Emily Blunt and Benicio were OK.

Conclusion: Not so appealing as storyline is known. I think it fails to excite the viewers, and we are able to guess the plot and ending easily. The transformation from man to animal was cool though.

Cast: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, Emily Blunt.

Genre: Horror, Period,

Acting : 6.5/10

Story : 5/10

Special Effects: 8/10

Cinematography: 8/10

Overall Oomphness: 7/10

Note: Saw this movie in East Coast Mall, Kuantan.