Reviews: The Wolfman

Having sat through The Wolfman this evening, I looked into the night sky for the moon after leaving the cinema. Cloud cover; I couldn't see it. And its absence briefly unsettled me, which sadly is more than can be said for the movie.

I can understand the reasons for remaking this classic 40s Universal horror. The original is held in great affection, especially by legendary monster make-up maestro Rick Baker who by all accounts was practically voracious in his attempts to get the gig for this movie. But updating these cinematic collector's items for a new audience is only worth doing if you're going to go for the throat. In this instance, the purpose of the film - scaring people - has to be the same.

I can also see why Vue have been giving away free tickets for The Wolfman. There's much to admire in the fog-bound cinematography of Chatsworth and rural Wiltshire, Baker's transformation scenes are impressive (if not much of a leap forward from An American Werewolf in London), plus you can't fault Danny Elfman's note-perfect Gothic score. But when the shock tactics are largely limited to a barking dog and the overuse of jump-cut editing, your audience is going to be left growling with displeasure at the lack of thrills.

The film is designed to elicit some sympathy towards our hungry hairy protagonist, but the most saddening aspect for me was discovering the identity of the screenwriter - Andrew Kevin Walker. This is the man who created arguably the most chilling, terrifying tale of modern times when he wrote Se7en in the mid-90s. He became an in-demand script doctor, polishing other David Fincher gems like The Game and Fight Club. In 1999, he penned another English period chiller, Sleepy Hollow, but faded from the writing game during the Noughties having tried but failed to jump on the superhero movie bandwagon.

Walker had his own work touched up on The Wolfman when David Self was drafted in - one of many hiccups in the project's journey from page to screen. How disappointing that a man who must have been one of Hollywood's hottest talents only 15 years ago should have suffered such a long spell out in the cold - and such a damp squib to mark his return.

There's not too much wrong with the talent in The Wolfman - Anthony Hopkins and Hugo Weaving are clearly having great fun, layering extra relish on otherwise bland lines to make them more tasty. But there's not enough to savour for the viewers, and surely even modern horror fans with a fondness for monsters of yesteryear require something new to get their teeth into.

Memorable Line: Inspector Abberline: (deliberately) A pint... of... bitter... please!

I Know That Face: The Gypsy woman Maleva is played by Geraldine Chaplin, daughter of Charlie, who was last seen on UK screens as the medium Aurora in the 2007 Spanish horror film The Orphanage.

Location, Location, Location: Chatsworth in Derbyshire. Often voted as the British public's favourite country house and used in the film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and The Duchess.