The Movie
A friend once went on a diatribe about The Hulk, calling him the least compelling of all the major Marvel Comics characters: He turns green, goes berserk, breaks a bunch of stuff, and--often inadvertently--does some good. I kind of feel that same lack of purpose with The Wolfman: Whereas vampires drink blood to survive and Frankenstein is looking for love, Wolfie turns feral under the full moon, kills a bunch of (often innocent) people, wakes up feeling guilty, and repeats. A few variations are in store within this full-on remake of the original lycanthropic opus, with doomed love and harsh betrayal and buckets of blood, but I'm surprised by the unhurried pace of it all. There's a lot of talk, a lot of set-up, as if the audience doesn't know what's coming, and many of the scenes just aren't all that interesting.
In this go-around, the brother of celebrated stage actor Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) has gone missing, soon turning up dead, and horribly mutilated. Talbot returns home, attends the funeral and searches for answers, but soon a terrible curse claims him and wreaks havoc on his rural English village. This was apparently a passion project for star/producer/Oscar winner Del Toro, and yet there's very little passion coming off the screen. Both R-rated and Unrated cuts are included, with a whopping 17 minutes difference, and it's not all just spilled intestines.
Also read Joe Lozito's review of the theatrical release of The Wolfman.
The Picture
I'm always surprised when big-budget effects films like this don't look so hot on Blu-ray. The colors are sometimes quite weird, so much so that I doubt that this was a deliberate artistic choice. Blacks too are distractingly artificial, a serious problem when so much of the movie takes place in the dark, while ringing in the moonlight and mists are further exacerbated by substantial noise in the shadows, fine textures and elsewhere. I also noted telltale video streaking in a few shots (possible re-shoots? the movie's release was notoriously delayed), although detail within the 1.85:1 frame can be solid at times, too.
The Sound
There's an unfettered exploitation of the surrounds in this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, often quite subtle: squeaking rats behind us, dogs barking, rain falling, a crackling fire or the wheels on the tracks when we're riding on a train. Bullets (silver and otherwise) whiz by our heads quite dynamically and everything, notably the music and effects, grow quite loud during the werewolf attacks, with respectable bass. And when he finally lets loose with the howl, the chilling tone fills the entire home theater.
The Extras
As I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, the free streaming copy of the original Wolf Man (1941) is the most cutting-edge feature here. With disc inserted in the network-connected player, the movie poster shows up as one of the BD-Live options, nestled in between all the trailers for upcoming releases, and once we click it we need only wait a few seconds for the initial buffering before the show begins in DTS dual-mono and respectable pillarboxed black-and-white quality, although we are warned that our internet speed plays a factor. It can also be accessed at the computer via an online code (same as the code for the included iTunes/Windows Media Digital Copy on Disc Two), and it automatically appears on a network-connected portable device with the free pocket BLU app running, such as my iPod touch. Unlike the other pocket BLU bonus content for this title, The Wolf Man is streaming-only, with no "Save" option.
Universal also offers two iterations of their "U-Control" Bonus View technology. "Take Control" is hosted by the legendary makeup artist Rick Baker with occasional, brief branches during the movie to breakout sessions on specific shots, as Baker and some other top-notch craftsmen offer expert insights. It's good, I just wish that there was more of it. "Legacy, Legend and Lore" meanwhile combines audio, video and text to analyze the 1941 movie and its influence upon future wolfmen.
A pair of alternate endings, both less conclusive than the ultimate version, total eight minutes, while the five deleted and extended scenes total eleven minutes. "Return of The Wolfman" (twelve minutes) explores the underlying psychology both within the movie and the filmmaker's approach. "The Beast Maker" (also 12 minutes) focuses on Baker's extraordinary makeup work on the film, while "Transformation Secrets" (15 minutes) dissects the visual effects and "The Wolfman Unleashed" (nine minutes) reveals the tricks of the stunt work. All of the extras on the Blu-ray are in high definition.
Final Thoughts
Unbridled kudos to Universal for their well-planned and deftly executed next-next-generation bonus of the triple-streaming classic Wolf Man, in addition to the double helping of Bonus View for the new Wolfman. The high-def video may lack luster, but then that's not exactly this movie's biggest shortcoming.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Video | |
| Audio | |
| Movie | |
| Extras |
