WOLFMAN

Universal Picture
Directed by: Joe Johnston
Starring by: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving

Don’t expect thrill to much coz you wouldn’t find it here. Wolfman built the suspense from dramas and used sudden appearance or unexpected incoming as a strategy to make your heart beat. The funniest thing about werewolf movie, like Jack Nicholson’s wolf on The Wolf or the latest wolf on New Moon, it never scares me much.

But I do like the performance of Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins. As a player and producer, Benicio has become one of the magnificent talented star whose try to implement his many capability, which remind me of Mel Gibson, Steven Seagal, or Jackie Chan who’s able to play as a star and giving a direction on their movie. 

For Anthony Hopkins, his performance surprised me. I don’t recognize him. The changing from neat looks on Hanibal to a father that giving a miserable live for his boy on this movie was splendid, despite the same character, which cold and easy going, he brought to this movie.

Shock by disappearing of his brother, Ben, Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) return to his homeland, to his family estate, and try to investigate the case. 

His searches lead him to a gypsy’s village where he was attack there. The creature that attacked him is neither quite human nor animal, Lawrence is bitten but he survives. The injured recovered very quickly but since then the disease was inside his body. Lawrence Talbot became the monster that he’s been after, the monster which killed his mother and brother.

Although not frightening, I enjoy the transforming process when Talbot change from man to a werewolf, especially on the court that bring hysteria on people. Every detail is projected, such as hand that knuckled and turns big or the changing of his leg’s structure. 

I’ve seen another transforming like that on Underworld, but the Victorian era on Wolfman made me realize that it can’t be futuristic as that.

I’m not surprise that the monster which killed his mother and brother is Lawrence’s dad. Talbot Senior (Anthony Hopkins) was on his journey to find mysterious creature on the cave when he was bite and transform to werewolf. 

The creature was a combination of something that live in the deep world like monster on The Descent and funny boggart that transform by rings on Lord Of The Rings. Mad, long teeth, and long hair with short body.

His dad kill her mother then, and the circle of curse start to haunted the estate. It made me think about sin of a father will cause the sin for his son and his generation. Sadly, the sin also could kill the father through his son.

I have example from my life, I have friend that divorce which I knew her parents also have those experience. I know we can’t judge people who have bad experience would affect his kid, automatically, but the influence still there. When we experiencing divorce from our parents, mostly we will terrify and try very hard to make that thing wouldn’t happen or grab our mind strongly to break-up every time the conditions are not as we suspected.

Other example, I know a couple which start their family by accident, because the female already pregnant before they get married. They set-up everything by no time and finally get a funny baby boy. A year later they have another baby, a charming baby-girl. Time goes by but the happiness is not a final after all, especially when the father is not confessing his sin. 

The baby boy who become handsome prince turn out to be a playboy that won’t have commitment, not able to do so, and his sister suddenly pregnant and she doesn’t know who is her father’s baby because she work as an escort girl after school. 

So, guys…beware…the sin of yours could damage your family and your next generation!

In the end of this movie I don’t know why Lawrence had to kill his father to settle the whole thing. Perhaps to cut the curse, because killed the source wouldn’t cure him anyway. 

The gypsy women told that to Gwen, Ben’s fiancée, whose fallen love to Lawrence and try anything to release him from his pain. Maybe she shoot him for the same reason, releasing from pain, although he finally recognized her at his transforming shape.

But I agree that devil will look for another victim when you succeed cut his curse. The curse of the wolf vanished from Lawrence family but it move to police inspector when he’s bite by Lawrence at the incident of the burned house on Talbot’s manor.