Joe Johnston makes smart decisions early to ensure his Wolfman update gets off on the right foot. He taps lupine leading man Benicio Del Toro for the title role, casts Sir Anthony Hopkins as the caged beast's enigmatic father, adds the devilish Hugo Weaving as a droll Scotland Yard investigator, and -- as icing on the cake -- assigns living legend Rick Baker to head the makeup effects department. Baker's contributions to the film's standout scene, where Del Toro transforms in full view of a gathering of terrified magistrates, are worth the price of admission. They build on his seminal work in John Landis' An American Werewolf in London, but raise the bar with noted assistance from updated film tricks and techniques.
Too bad there aren't more memorable set pieces like that one positioned throughout Johnston's moody, broody horror feature. A few more 'look at that' moments would have helped cement this remade Wolfman's legacy. Without them, the picture's relatively tame. Not timid, mind you. Johnston isn't turned off by gore, as evidenced by the remnants of the werewolf's victims. When the beast attacks, its strikes are lightning fast and savagely brutal. Wolfman also has more than enough cheap jolts to keep its audience honest. The movie doesn't get under your skin, but it will keep you mildly alert in a haunted house kind of way.
The tone, however, is deadly serious. And initially I would have told you that's an excellent idea. Johnston corrects the jokey mistakes of Sommers' Mummy movies and -- shudder -Van Helsing. And his male cast dials into the atmosphere of this morose period piece. (Poor Emily Blunt, however, has nothing to do beyond attracting potential female viewers by appearing on the film's poster.) The flaw of Wolfman is that it's almost too respectful of the lore. It believes what its peddling regarding silver bullets, ivory fangs, full moons, and peat-mossed British moors soaked in crimson blood. But it's faithful at the expense of any fun.
