The Wolfman is one of those films that people have been talking about for so long that by the time it actually shows up in the UK, most people have lost interest. I don’t think I was alone in expecting it to be really, really bad.

Which is probably why I quite liked it.

With the exception of the incredibly gory violence, The Wolfman is a very old-fashioned monster movie, complete with cobwebbed staircases (seriously, how difficult was it to get a fucking duster in the 1800s?), countless extended shots of the moon and even an exciting Mythological Book Research Montage. This does lead to some fairly predictable plotting, but it has a certain campy charm when it’s not taking itself too seriously.

Surprisingly, one of the best things about Wolfman are the mad hot FX. The transformation scenes are wicked, and countless heads are torn from necks with brilliant fluidity. Even Victorian London looks pretty plausible, or at least it looks 30 times better than it did in Sherlock Holmes.

As nice as he looks when he’s transforming, I still find it weird that they showed wolfyboy so clearly on the poster. There isn’t much suspense in the lead up to his reveal when you stared him in the face several times on your way into the cinema. Click here if you need a reminder (QUASI-SPOILER ALERT).

Alright, still.

Final Verdict: 6/10
Final Thought: Anthony Hopkins is starting to look like one of those optical illusions where it’s an old man one way up and a young woman the other way up.