The New Wolfman on Campus

"Dracula" is a tale that has been told and retold throughout generations. It is a story that even the youngest have learned about. However, the plight of the Talbots’ curse and “The Wolfman” is a legend audiences may not find so familiar.

Benicio Del Toro portrays Lawrence Talbot in Joe Johnston’s new adaptation of the 1941 classic “The Wolfman.” Accompanying Del Toro is the brilliant Anthony Hopkins and the stunning Emily Blunt as supporting actors.

The film opens with a familiar rhyme by the gypsy, Maleva: “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.” It then quickly snaps to the title, The Wolfman, engraved in stone, a fine touch of recognition for the previous film.

When Ben Talbot, played by Simon Merrells, is brutally murdered, his estranged brother Lawrence Talbot returns to aide his father (Hopkins) and his brother’s fiancé, Gwen Conliffe (Blunt) with the funeral. However, once he learns of his brother’s involvement with the gypsies passing through their small village, Lawrence decides to do his own investigation into the mystery of his brother’s death.

Unknowingly, Lawrence walks straight into destiny. The gypsy camp is attacked by a werewolf and he is “bitten by the beast.” Soon thereafter, Lawrence uncovers family secrets darker than any nightmare he ever had.

When “The Wolfman” was first released in 1941, it was the first time audiences experienced an onscreen transformation of a character. Previous films and TV shows cleverly hid scenes unrealistic to the eye, but “The Wolfman” broke new ground with its technology.

The 2010 Wolfman is an exact replica of Lon Chaney’s groundbreaking performance, with 21st century enhancements of a bone snapping, blood curdling transformation.

For fans of the classic monsters, there will be no issues in including the new Wolfman. This film was not only exciting, but added an underlying story to the Wolfman and its origins without losing its original essence.

Remaking a classic is not an easy task to take on , but with the right casting and the right director a success like The Wolfman can be achieved.