Review of An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London is a goofy, at times atmospheric, fun horror movie with a lot going for it, but nothing that quite warrants a second viewing. Two twenty-something American backbackers are treking through the misty English moors when they stumble upon a rather hostile and mysterious pub. The locals harbor a secret too fearsome for the young men to imagine or believe, but of course we know just what hairy nightmares lay in hiding. The movie wastes little time before we encounter our first lycnathrope, and the fun begins. The leading man does a merely adaquate job, so it is fortunate that much of the weight of the story is shared by the lovely Jenny Agutter who plays the kind-hearted nurse, smitten and intrigued by the lone carrier of the werewolf curse. An uninspired and unsolved murder case/investigation surrounding the death of the second backpacker barely passes as a relevant side-plot, and unfortunately the psychology and back-story of the locals is never explored, but despite these flaws, the film gets by on enormous amounts of imagination. Ghosts of werewolf victims trapped in a state of unrest until the beast that slayed them is destroyed adds a very interesting and welcome twist to the wolfman lore that can otherwise become very tired very quickly. And special recognition must be paid to the special effects & make-up crew for an outstanding job through the first ninety minutes. (The final 8 minutes are comparatively laughable.) This one is about as 6 star as they come.