Universal's last classic monster only received one solo outing before becoming embroiled in a civil war with the other monsters that will last throughout the 1940s. Interestingly, however, the Wolf Man was portrayed by the same person in every film (in the classic era that is), something that Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster and the Mummy couldn't do.
The classic werewolf received its first major outing in 1941 in The Wolf Man, directed by George Waggner and based on a screenplay by Curt Siodmak. But it's not quite as traditional as you might think.
Plot: Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.) is visiting his home in Wales after his brother's death to reconcile with his estranged father Sir John Talbot (Claude Rains). There, he becomes enamoured with a local antiques store owner Gwen Conliffe (Evelyn Ankers). Everything seems peachy until he rescues Gwen's friend Jenny (Fay Helm) from an apparent wolf attack and gets bitten. A local gypsy woman (Maria Ouspenskaya) informs him he will become a werewolf, but surely werewolves are just a myth right?
My thoughts: This is where the idea of the werewolf was popularised. However, two important elements are missing. There is no transformation sequence as the filmmakers deemed it too technically challenging (despite Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde being able to pull it off 9 years earlier) and there is also no full moon to be seen. That is because in this version, the transformation is not triggered by the full moon but by the flowering of the Wolfsbane, a plant traditionally used to kill wolves. As for the film itself, Chaney gives a very good performance of a conflicted character and you really feel like his curse is genuine (although he goes over the top with this in the sequels). Lugosi's back but only in a very small, minor role near the beginning. Definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of classic horror.
From the classic to the not-so-classic. After The Mummy (1999) revitalised interest in the classic monster, Universal Studios decided to bring back another one. Directed by Joe Johnston (the guy behind the disaster that was Jurassic Park 3) and based on a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self. With an all-star cast how could this possibly go wrong?
Plot: Ben Talbot is missing. His fiancée Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt) contacts Ben's brother Lawrence (Benicio del Toro) to do something. Lawrence arrives back home where he has an uneasy reunion with his father John (Anthony Hopkins). Ben's mutilated body turns up and the finger of suspicion points to the gypsies who have brought a dancing bear with them. As the locals try to arrest said bear, another creature turns up, killing many and biting Lawrence on the neck. Inspector Aberline (Hugo Weaving) is tasked with getting to the bottom of the mystery.
My thoughts. Meh. It's certainly atmospheric. And that's about it. The story is overly complicated with a "plot twist" everyone can see coming from a mile off. The acting is so wooden, even with acting powerhouses like Del Toro, Hopkins and Weaving, they deliver their lines with so little emotion and expression. Even Nicholas Cage and Keanu Reaves could give more convincing performances. And the CGI sucks, it doesn't work at all. Stick to the original, I say.
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