The Wolfman

The new WOLFMAN makes an earnest attempt to keep some of the spooky atmosphere and tragic character depth of its predecessor, along with the expected new, high levels of gore. But somehow the characters never spark to life, the atmosphere seems uncertain, and the bloody scenes wind up becoming the film's highlight.

It's as if, in their obsession with both updating and staying true to the source material, the filmmakers forgot the central theme: the battle between man's intellectual and primal sides. The movie never warms up enough to elicit any human emotions, nor does it ever cut loose enough to feel completely crazy. Del Toro, with his sad, soulful eyes, seems perfect to step into Lon Chaney Jr.'s shoes, but he doesn't show enough vulnerability; the character is too determined. Likewise, Blunt's character is underwritten and seems a waste of her talents. The original is still better.