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THE WOLFMANMovie Reviews
Period horror story about a man who returns to his ancestral home in Victorian era England after several years away, where he is attacked by a werewolf and suffers certain side effects. Cast:Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Art MalikDirector:Joe JohnstonRelease Date:February 12, 2010DVD Release:June 1, 2010From:UniversalRating:RLength:1 hr. 43 min.
The Wolfman played to fair reviews. • Rick Warner wrote in the Washington Post, "...all too predictable and by the book.... While it's sleeker and more sophisticated than the Lon Chaney version, this new 'Wolfman' isn't any scarier." • And Claudia Puig wrote in USA Today, "...a banal horror film and a tepid action-adventure. What was the purpose in dusting off a Gothic classic, only to mount such a mediocre adaptation?" More Reviews Below...
The Wolfman Positive Reviews (45 Reviews, reviews below)
Tom Gliatto, People: POOR(cg) "You sit waiting for the full moon, wondering what dazzlingly scary new werewolf the special-effects team will unleash.... I laughed at the monster."(See all of Tom Gliatto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 87 words, 02/11/10
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...hokey and uneven though it is, it has the kind of authentic emotional hook that too many horror movies today don't have."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 434 words, 02/12/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: MODERATE(cg) "...between the restrained, atmosphere-soaked Universal horror classic and the grotesque likes of 'An American Werewolf in London' and 'The Howling.' It doesn't work."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 971 words, 02/11/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: POOR(cg) "It's got no kick to it. No fun either. And no real scares... something, starting with a sense of purpose, got shrunk with this new version of a classic."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 313 words, 02/11/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...a banal horror film and a tepid action-adventure. What was the purpose in dusting off a Gothic classic, only to mount such a mediocre adaptation?"(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 435 words, 02/12/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "I love stuff like this. The gloomier and more ominous the better.... well-photographed by Shelly Johnson and designed by Rick Hendrichs."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 727 words, 02/11/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...struggles to stay true to its pulpy B-movie roots... this shaggy-dog version of the wolfman's story is both gratuitously bloody and, finally, bloodless."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 774 words, 02/12/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A shaggy, imperfect but still fun new version of 'The Wolf Man'... this loose remake of that classic is aware of its legacy, something missing from other horror reboots."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 349 words, 02/12/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "No bite, or humor, or camp. And the real killer, almost no spine-tingling dread.... When the beast is finally revealed, he's fearsome. Too bad the story's not."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 708 words, 02/12/10
Kyle Smith, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the movie is pungent with atmosphere, laying down a thick fog of creepy Victorian murk, with tight action scenes... Still, the story can never quite sink its claws into you."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 668 words, 02/12/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...constitutes a pleasant surprise, if 'pleasant' can be used to describe a brooding $100 million-plus diversion with this many beheadings and eviscerations."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 508 words, 02/12/10
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Everyone, including director Joe Johnston ('Jurassic Park III'), seems afraid to mess with the wolfman. As a result, the creature ends up no better off than before."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 300 words, 02/12/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: WEAK "...flat... Even the sets by Rich Heinrichs and the music of Danny Elfman can't raise this thing to Tim Burton-esque heights of inspired grotesquerie."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 598 words, 02/08/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "I love stuff like this. The gloomier and more ominous the better.... well-photographed by Shelly Johnson and designed by Rick Hendrichs."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 727 words, 02/11/10
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "Some father-son conflict (papa Talbot is played by Anthony Hopkins, alternately hammy and sleepwalking through the part) juices the film a bit, but not enough..."(See all of Ernest Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 199 words, 02/09/10
Bruce DeMara, Toronto Star: MODERATE(cg) "Despite strong production values and initial promise, it's another example of why, in the case of revered horror classics, it's better to let some sleeping dogs lie."(See all of Bruce DeMara's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 471 words, 02/12/10
James Adams, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...an ill-considered, utterly unnecessary remake of the 1941 pulp classic... isn't howlingly awful; it's just not terribly scary or even suspenseful."(See all of James Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 683 words, 02/12/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...it's not impossible to reinvent the werewolf movie. But 'The Wolfman' doesn't do it.... A 'Hamlet' moment is just the first time Johnston miscalculates the tone of his movie."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 644 words, 02/11/10
KEY CITIES (17 Reviews)
Rick Warner, Washington Post: WEAK(cg) "...all too predictable and by the book.... While it's sleeker and more sophisticated than the Lon Chaney version, this new 'Wolfman' isn't any scarier."(See all of Rick Warner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 459 words, 02/12/10
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...unusual is the film's vintage spirit and overheated style... The movie even sounds old. Sheer gothic kitsch is the order of the day."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 566 words, 02/12/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Del Toro gives his least mumbly performance in years, Blunt provides the film with a little heart and Hopkins delivers the laughs."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 488 words, 02/12/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "A lavish coffee table book of a horror film... features visuals so beautifully planned and executed that each frame begs to be lingered over and savored."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 609 words, 02/12/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: MODERATE(cg) "...plays like a missed opportunity, with its by-the-numbers scares and a story that feels disjointed, hurried in some places, slow in others."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 681 words, 02/12/10
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...if this isn't a masterpiece, it's hardly a disaster.... a pedigreed genre yarn, mindful of its precedents but nimble enough to have a good time in the here and now."(See all of Chris Vognar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 481 words, 02/12/10
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Anthony Hopkins portrays Sir John Talbot. Benicio Del Toro is prodigal son Lawrence. That's a great deal of acting sinew for an oddly anemic outing."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 02/12/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...surprisingly enjoyable... hits the same sweet spot for moviegoers of a certain age (cough) as those snap-together Frankenstein model kits from the late 1960s."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 739 words, 02/12/10
Jesse Washington, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Joe Johnston ('Jurassic Park III') wins big points for its atmospherics.... This remake got so wrapped in up in the horror, it forgot to show us the Wolfman's heart."(See all of Jesse Washington's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 539 words, 02/12/10
Cary Darling, Seattle Times: WEAK(cg) "...isn't the disaster it might have been. But it's not particularly compelling either.... more frightfully dull than frightening.... none of it adds up to much."(See all of Cary Darling's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 373 words, 02/12/10
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: WEAK(cg) "Deeply phony, strangely static, disengaged, flaccid and, quite often, silly, it's a film that tries to bully you into emotions..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 538 words, 02/12/10
Joe Holleman, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "...falls into that middling ground of horror film: neither scary enough to be exciting nor campy enough to be amusing."(See all of Joe Holleman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 02/12/10
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...commended for staying old school with the material, never camping it up or going overboard with special effects... the third act is a hoot..."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 587 words, 02/11/10
Adam Graham, Detroit News: FAIR(cg) "Del Toro sleepwalks through the role of Lawrence Talbot so much that by the time he becomes a werewolf, midway through the film, you expect him to yawn at the moon..."(See all of Adam Graham's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 363 words, 02/12/10
Ernest Hardy, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "Some father-son conflict (papa Talbot is played by Anthony Hopkins, alternately hammy and sleepwalking through the part) juices the film a bit, but not enough..."(See all of Ernest Hardy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 199 words, 02/09/10
Maddy Myers, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "The script dallies with the duality of man and a romance subplot but never settles, preferring endless action sequences to decent dialogue."(See all of Maddy Myers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 143 words, 02/18/10
Keith Phipps, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "...the story feels thinned-out, as if merely establishing the elements of a fur-covered family melodrama were enough.... this is a monster too polite for its own good."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 413 words, 02/11/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...it's not impossible to reinvent the werewolf movie. But 'The Wolfman' doesn't do it.... A 'Hamlet' moment is just the first time Johnston miscalculates the tone of his movie."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 644 words, 02/11/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...intriguingly expands on some of the original's ideas, particularly with Hopkins' role.... at best appreciates the fun of taking a ravenous werewolf off the leash."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 506 words, 02/12/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "...a toothless exercise in the obvious.... among the more visually beautiful fright films ever photographed, and all the more disappointing for it."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 683 words, 02/12/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...struggles to stay true to its pulpy B-movie roots... this shaggy-dog version of the wolfman's story is both gratuitously bloody and, finally, bloodless."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 774 words, 02/12/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "No bite, or humor, or camp. And the real killer, almost no spine-tingling dread.... When the beast is finally revealed, he's fearsome. Too bad the story's not."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 708 words, 02/12/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Todd McCarthy, Daily Variety: FAIR "Johnston & Co. know how to startle with innumerable shock cuts but don't know how to build tension and intrigue, or how to approach the job with a sense of fun and relish."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 982 words, 02/10/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "No bite, or humor, or camp. And the real killer, almost no spine-tingling dread.... When the beast is finally revealed, he's fearsome. Too bad the story's not."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 708 words, 02/12/10
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: MODERATE(cg) "...another failed effort to reboot an iconic work... neither scary enough as a horror flick nor poignant enough as a tragic tale of the duality of human nature."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,082 words, 02/10/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: FAIR "...struggles to stay true to its pulpy B-movie roots... this shaggy-dog version of the wolfman's story is both gratuitously bloody and, finally, bloodless."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 774 words, 02/12/10
John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "...a toothless exercise in the obvious.... among the more visually beautiful fright films ever photographed, and all the more disappointing for it."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 683 words, 02/12/10
16.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Wolfman's reviews are separated by an average 16.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Wolfman (45 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Wolfman's reviews cover 74.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 23,892 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 531 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Wolfman Coverage, Volume & Length (45 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 10.2 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Wolfman's reviews on average broke 10.2 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Wolfman's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Wolfman (45 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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