(no subject)
Feb. 24th, 2010 11:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yagathaiSaw The Wolfman last night. Overall, thumbs-up.
Anthony Hopkins was remarkably effective, and his character was the film's most complex. This is not to say it was particularly deep, but he had at least three notes, which is two more than any other character. Yes, he chewed the scenery a bit, but the movie is called The Wolfman and not Remains of the Day. I forget sometimes the menace which he's capable of projecting, a la Hannibal Lecter. Also, I loved his outfits.
Benicio Del Toro's accent seemed flat and out of place, but otherwise his performance as the eponymous protagonist was wholly adequate. It's not like the role required a lot of depth, and he was sufficiently convincing as a brooding and tortured Larry Talbot. I'd be tortured too if I had that Moe Howard haircut.
I liked the monster makeup, as Rick Baker clearly went back to the original for inspiration instead of ripping off Rick Baker like everyone else does. The CGI looked out of place and awkward in several places -- who knew that the uncanny valley applied to bears and deer as well as humans? -- but that seems sadly de rigeur nowadays. I think that technology has advanced to the point where it's just barely possible to make CGI creatures look real, but it's still very difficult and people fall short of the mark more often than not.
The cinematography was more or less what one would expect, all shades of dark in the moonlight. I did appreciate several nods to the original film, and the director owes quite a bit to James Whale's brand of Expressionism as well.
Random placeholder actress played the female lead. She wore many dresses and kissed the hero. I'm sure she tried her best, but her role could have been played by a wide-eyed, constantly frightened mannequin and I don't think anyone would have noticed, except for a three minute scene right at the very end.
Anthony Hopkins was remarkably effective, and his character was the film's most complex. This is not to say it was particularly deep, but he had at least three notes, which is two more than any other character. Yes, he chewed the scenery a bit, but the movie is called The Wolfman and not Remains of the Day. I forget sometimes the menace which he's capable of projecting, a la Hannibal Lecter. Also, I loved his outfits.
Benicio Del Toro's accent seemed flat and out of place, but otherwise his performance as the eponymous protagonist was wholly adequate. It's not like the role required a lot of depth, and he was sufficiently convincing as a brooding and tortured Larry Talbot. I'd be tortured too if I had that Moe Howard haircut.
I liked the monster makeup, as Rick Baker clearly went back to the original for inspiration instead of ripping off Rick Baker like everyone else does. The CGI looked out of place and awkward in several places -- who knew that the uncanny valley applied to bears and deer as well as humans? -- but that seems sadly de rigeur nowadays. I think that technology has advanced to the point where it's just barely possible to make CGI creatures look real, but it's still very difficult and people fall short of the mark more often than not.
The cinematography was more or less what one would expect, all shades of dark in the moonlight. I did appreciate several nods to the original film, and the director owes quite a bit to James Whale's brand of Expressionism as well.
Random placeholder actress played the female lead. She wore many dresses and kissed the hero. I'm sure she tried her best, but her role could have been played by a wide-eyed, constantly frightened mannequin and I don't think anyone would have noticed, except for a three minute scene right at the very end.
