Review of The Wolfman

Darkness comes for you.

Now THIS is what a film about a werewolf should be like! Unlike some of my peers, I definitely enjoyed this film. Nowadays, with werewolves being measured by their abs and the hotness of the actors who play them, "The Wolfman" gives audiences a new and more authentic look on what a werewolf should be. Set in the late 19th century, the film revolves around a young man coming home after the sudden death of his brother, his subsequent infection from a fellow werewolf, and the events that follow.
Lawrence Talbot (del Toro) is compelled to return to his childhood home in Blackmoor after his brother's fiancee writes to him about the sudden disappearance of his brother. When he arrives, his father, John (Hopkins), tells him that his brother has been found in a ditch. When Lawrence goes to inspect the body of his brother, he sees an amulet which originated from the band of gypsies who have camped outside of the village. His visit to the gypsy camp causes him to encounter the fearful beast, who bites him on the shoulder. One of the oldest gypsies, Maleva (Chaplin), says that he has been marked by the beast, and a terrible curse now follows him. With just a few days before the full moon, Lawrence tries to make sense of what is happening to him and the consequences that would follow.
One reveal in the film wasn't really a huge surprise - in fact, I would be shocked if what my gut feeling told me DIDN'T happen. But it did, so.. no surprises there. :)) Although at first I wasn't too sure that del Toro would fit into the film, but in the end, he did. His gaunt, sullen appearance and the quiet way in which he moved and spoke contributed well to his portrayal of his character. He didn't do anything over the top or drastic, even during his transformation into a werewolf. Emily Blunt wasn't a shrieking damsel in distress as Gwen Conliffe; in fact, she was the one who dealt the death blow on Del Toro's Wolfman. She definitely exuded strength, and her love for Lawrence pushed her to do research on how to cure lycanthropy, the disease which ran through Lawrence's veins. Hopkins. As sleazy as ever. The man even gave glimpses into his Hannibal Lecter portrayal, which was a nice accidental (?) addition to his acting. Hugo Weaving as the Scotland Yard detective, Abberline, didn't exactly have a commanding aura, but he still was a strong force against the Wolfman. Another thing which I liked about the film was that it seemed like the werewolf counterpart to Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula. The music, the visuals, even the part where Gwen was perusing the different books of lycanthropy made me see the parallelism between the movies. If you haven't seen either film, go ahead. Watch it. The full moon compels you to.