STARRING: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving
DIRECTED BY: Joe Johnston
In the depths of my memories of high school and college, I recall learning about Gothic style; the standard elements that function together to create the mood. If the past and present could be mixed together, the examples for Gothic style would have to include this movie.
It was not a super film, but it was good. Benicio Del Toro (Lawrence Talbot) and Anthony Hopkins (Sir John Talbot) are excellent as a son and father (respectively) who have clearly had little in common for a very long time and now are plagued by the same curse. The opening credits create the mood for the story and the rest of the film--blood red words against a shadowy, almost black and white forest of leafless trees. From that forest to estate near Blackmoor to the village itself, each location creates an eerie feeling. This is a dark film with quite a bit of gore, but not any more than what I expected given this is a werewolf film. I was quite pleased to see there was not an overload of CGI work, and the effects and transformation seemed to be largely the product of prosthesis. The setwork, pieces, and costumes all work well to convey the feeling of Victorian England. It is a just retelling of the story.
4 of 5 stars
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