The Wolfman (2010)

8/10. Great looking Gothic werewolf movie.

Benicio Del Toro plays English stage actor Lawrence Talbot, who while searching for answers to his brother's death near his wealthy father's estate, is bitten by a werewolf.

Great acting. Benicio is understated intensity as usual. As is Anthony Hopkins who plays his father. Emily Blunt is the beautiful fiancee of his late brother. And Hugo Weaving is the scotland yard inspector tasked with dealing with the werewolf issue.

Don't look to the script for the draw of this film. There's a little about prodigal sons and the thin line between man and beast, but this is mostly a visual movie. Joe Johnston directs somewhere in the middle of his hits and misses, and he plays this action heavy. The look of this film was the best feature in my opinion. A combination of light computer imagery, and perfectly designed and lit sets and landscapes totally evokes the Victorian Gothic feel of the original story. I was constantly reminded of Edward Gorey's illustrations when viewing this film, which always means "Gothic" to me.

The bloody action of the movie lets us know it's there. And when it's gory, boy is it intense. Decapitations, amputations, disembowelments, this ain't no Lon Chaney Jr. flick. Some cheap scares to make you jump, some terrifyingly bloody werewolf attacks, but it's all done in conjunction with the wonderful visual atmosphere of the film.

If you rent it. Watch it at night.