Submitted by: Mr.TJFilms

I may be a man of simple cinnematic tastes, but I enjoied this film. The plot was somewhat predicable, but engineered rather well.  I liked the antiquated 19th century story telling, it is slow, but it is meant to be.  The slow parts are worth the wait for the awesome transformations and seriously brutal battle scenes.   The opulent costuming, settings, and fantastic shooting of the film also kept me in the film.  The only real draw backs were some of the actors who could have been more with a better script, and the “classic” campy 1950’s wolf man face.  I giggled every time they showed its face.  But, if you want to be entertained and feel like you can enjoy a film without dumbing yourself down, then this is a good film.  I would sit through it for a second time, though probably with a drink in my hand.  Enjoy!

Submitted by: itsahowl

I'm actually giving it 2 and a half stars - you can't select half a star on this website.  Still, that is a full star higher than the Trib reviewer.  Let me start with what I liked it about it. The set design and feel of the movie was spot on to what I imagine 19th century rural England must of been like. The special make-up effects were both good and the design of the wolf man was excellent with a nod to the original make-up of Jack Pierce.  The best section of the movie though, does not occur on the moors, but in London.  No spoiler here, you'll have to see it for yourself. So what went wrong? There are several websites you can check out to get a recap of the troubled production, but bottom line is that there is no compelling story here.  Every plot device is telegraphed in advance and the pace drags on ever so slowly for 3/4 of the movie.  And the casting is bad. Very bad. Benecio Del Toro may have seemed like a good choice, but all I kept thinking when he was on screen was, hey what is Che doing on the moors? His protrayal was wooden to say the least. Emily Blunt is totally wasted by having little to say throughout the film, and someone should step up and keep Anthony Hopkins away from the next big budget monster movie remake.  The scenery chewing knows no end with his characterization. If you are a horror movie buff, especially if you like the Universal monsters series, you can't pass this up. But as someone who grew up with fond memories of seeing the originals on late night TV back in the 60s, I was disappointed, The studio spent too much money on a project that wasn't going to work from the beginning. Not with this screenplay anyway.     

The rundown: Benicio Del Toro stars in this visually dull and un-scary remake of the classic Universal horror film that leaves out all the tragedy and sympathy - and therefore all of the bite of the original. 125 min. (V.H.)

Synopsis: Universal Studios resurrects the classic lycanthrope with this tale of an American who experiences an unsettling transformation after returning to his ancestral home in Victorian-era Great Britain and being attacked by a rampaging werewolf. His brother having recently vanished without a trace, haunted nobleman Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) returns to his family estate to investigate. What he discovers upon reuniting with his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins), however, is a destiny far darker than his blackest nightmares. As a young boy, the untimely death of his mother caused Talbot to grow up before his time. Though Talbot would attempt to bury his pain in the past by leaving the quiet Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor behind, the past returns with a vengeance when his brother's fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), convinces him to return home and aid the search for his missing brother. But something monstrous has been stalking the residents of Blackmoor from the nighttime shadows, something not quite human. Not even recently arrived Scotland Yard inspector Aberline (Hugo Weaving) can dream up a rational explanation for the gruesome spell that has been cast over Blackmoor, yet rumors of an ancient curse persist to this very day. According to legend, the afflicted will experience a horrific transformation by the light of the full moon, their animal rage becoming far too powerful for their human bodies to contain. Now, the woman Talbot loves is in mortal danger, and in order to protect her he must venture into the moonlit woods and destroy the beast before it destroys her. But this isn't your typical hunt, because before the beast can be slain, a simple man will uncover a primal side of himself that he never knew existed. Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker pens a film directed by Joe Johnston and featuring creature effects by special-effects makeup legend Rick Baker.~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide