Please do not believe what you saw on the Huffington Post – I am indeed alive. To those of you worried enough about my wellbeing to reach out to Eddie V., please stop emailing and calling as he is overwhelmed with the two messages. The reason for my slight delay in delivering another great movie review can be boiled down to one simple thing: Never try the fresh clams at a roadside bowling alley in Oklahoma.
Unlike the gastrointestinal issues I suffered on the way back from said state, I have great memories of The Wolfman, a rip-roaring slasher flick that does a great job mixing the old with the new. Seeing this movie made me fondly remember the old Ceature Double Feature movie block on WLVI TV56 here in Boston. The entire “feel” of the movie is spot on – from the music to the lighting to the camera angles.
Benecio Del Toro stars as a popular actor who heads back home to help out his family during a crisis. Upon arriving he is entangled in a mystery that will soon lead him to question everything he knows and loves. Going home to a place you have never felt comfortable and dealing with old prejudices and slights has never been so expertly captured on film. I remember having those feelings at certain times in my life – every one of them. Well, except the taste for human flesh. That has never happened to me.
Anthony Hopkins, as the father, glides around each frame like a wizened, mental Elton John. His pale, creased face, looking like my grandmother’s ankles, glints with mischievous delight as he revels in picking apart his son. His story is a good one and he plays the majority of his role well.
Emily “The Body” Blunt (Editor’s note: You are the only one who calls her that – yeeHAW!) serves very little purpose throughout the film except to show some milky British back and cry occasionally. She is not bad per se but she is just…there. Without giving too much plot away regarding her twin sister who turns out to be Mothra, let me just say that her role is forgettable.
Lord Elrond (Hugo Weaving) continues to play the same role in every film he plays. Most of what he says could be cut right into Lord of the Rings without missing a beat. I do give his mustache 3 stars, however.
This movie is about The Wolfman and what it is to be The Wolfman – and it delivers. When The Wolfman leaps onscreen the first time you will be afraid. Skin and limbs fly like the wrap party KFC buffet at The Biggest Loser. This is a well crafted movie that you should watch at night with a bowl of popcorn and some grape Zarex. Is it perfect? Is any movie other than Wedding Crashers? 3 stars.
