By Tanisha James

“Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms, and the autumn moon is bright.”

The recent release, The Wolfman, is not some carbon copy of the original 1941 film. It is more of an updated spin on the classic monster film.  The movie focuses on Lawrence Talbot (starring Benicio Del Toro), a troubled man drawn back to his childhood home when he is notified of his brother’s sudden disappearance.

While trying to piece together the truth, he is guided by his estranged father, Sir John Talbot (starring Anthony Hopkins), and aided by his brother’s alluring fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (starring Emily Blunt).  It is through this search for answers that he is forced to face an ancient curse that leads him to new horrifying discoveries.

Because the setting is in late eighteenth century England, most people would expect to see a luke-warm horror film with long drawn out scenes of dialogue and little action.  However, that is not that case with this film.

Starting with a bang, the movie captures the audience immediately in a way that leaves no doubt that more excitement and thrill is to come.  With its eerie looking estates and creepy forests providing the perfect backdrop to the story unfolding, the suspense is instantly there.

The story line keeps a good pace, so moviegoers won’t find themselves becoming bored or distracted throughout the entire running time of 102 minutes.  The movie has quite a few twists and turns that are not only surprising, but will have viewers jumping in their seats.

Audiences won’t find much to complain about in regards to the acting.  Benicio Del Toro was engaging to watch and an overall strong lead.  Anthony Hopkins did what he does best, mesmerizing audience with his presence on screen.

Emily Blunt portrayed a believable eighteenth century noblewoman and Hugo Weaving was a decent constable.  With the exception of a couple slightly off scenes in the beginning between Del Toro and Hopkins, all the acting flowed well enough to keep the movie engaging.

The Wolfman is definitely due to fascinate audiences and to arouse praise from critics worldwide.