"Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright." (Curt Siodmak-Screenplay-The Wolfman-1941) When I was a boy here in Los Angeles, every kid in the neighborhood (including me) knew this verse, by heart! Whenever I saw the Universal Pictures globe turning (in glorious black and white) and heard the studio theme music I knew there was a good chance one of my favorite stars would be there on the TV screen. Karloff, Lugosi, Chaney Jr. and others. And as much as I liked those stars, it was the characters that really intrigued me. Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Creature from the Black Lagoon and my favorite, The Wolfman! Larry Talbot (The Wolfman played by Lon Chaney Jr.) was the only one of the Universal monsters that I felt sorry for. He demanded our sympathy as a common man who due to no fault of his own becomes a vicious, murdering monster. He was tormented by it and we felt for him. When seeing this remake I wondered if the character would be the same "good guy" and if Siodmak's brilliant screenplay would be left even somewhat in tact. I was delighted that it was Universal who produced this picture and the finished product made it obvious they wanted to protect the legacy of the 1941 original. Man, did they ever!

Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) returns to his native England from America when his brother is viciously murdered. He mends old wounds with his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins) and begins an investigation of the murder. During that investigation he is bitten by a werewolf and subsequently becomes "The Wolfman."

I eagerly went to see this picture not as a remake, but as a stand-alone story. I made no comparisons of the two until I was out of the theater (and THAT ain't easy!). What I saw was a perfect blend of the traditional and the new. They retained most of the original screenplay along with the character names and locations. On the "new" side there was just enough CGI to enhance the story along with a new plot twist that explains The Wolfman's Lycanthropic infection. Also, this picture had a wonderfully dark, brooding and sinister look that was enhanced by a fabulous score by Danny Elfman and slow-fast-slow direction from Joe Johnston. It's a picture from the old-school that took me back to a time when monsters could be pitied (as I did Del Toro's fabulous Wolfman) even though we know they have to die! This picture is not "Gone With The Wind", but, it is good "Hollywood" and that's enough! I liked it... I really liked it!

"You did some bad things, Lawrence.... some REALLY bad things!"

RECOMMENDATION: Spend the money! Nostalgia or otherwise, it's a great picture! WARNING! Rated R for gore (not Al), gore and more gore and a whole bunch of monster movie violence!

TWO BLOOD SOAKED, INTESTINES HANGIN', ARMS AND LEGS FLYIN', DECAPITATED THUMBS UP!!! (I think I feel a little nostalgic tear comin' to my eye!)

Parting thought: When I got home from the theater I watched The Wolfman-1941. It has held up fabulously after these many years. If you haven't seen it (huh?), please do! It is well worth the time!

Movie Review © 2010 by Terry Anderson