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Wolves
R1 - America - Ketchup Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (12th March 2015). |
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The Film
 Sad as the truth may be, it’s becoming clearer every year that virtually no one can make a truly great werewolf picture. Outside of the beloved subgenre’s pinnacle achievements – “The Wolfman” (1941) and “An American Werewolf in London” (1982) are arguably the only two most fans will agree are near perfect – there are more losses than wins chalked up for the lycanthropes. As a concept, werewolves are awesome, so no blame can be placed on those who attempt to make their own film. Hell, considering how many duds have been produced it’s a wonder someone can’t see everything that’s been done wrong, do the opposite, and make a film that stands out from the pack. Seriously, a decent storyline and practical FX (I’ve yet to see a good CGI werewolf) would give any picture a sizeable head start. Buzz had been building on writer-turned-director David Hayter’s “Wolves” (2014) prior to release, though it quickly fizzled once screenings began. The most frustrating thing about “Wolves” is that it’s halfway good and very clear on where it goes bad, making those groan-inducing moments of rote plotting and bad dialogue stick out like a clawed thumb. What’s worse is that Hayter has proven himself to be a competent writer, delivering thoughtful, exciting scripts like “Watchmen” (2009) and “X2: X-Men United” (2003)… although he is also responsible for “The Scorpion King” (2002). They can’t all be winners. Hayter’s script for “Wolves” plays out like the hairy love child of “Teen Wolf” (1985) and “The Howling” (1981), minus the unbridled charm of Michael J. Fox or the unparalleled FX work of Rob Bottin. Cayden Richards (Lucas Till) has a lot going for him as a small town football star and big man on his high school campus. He’s always known he was… different from other kids, but the extent of which isn’t known until a rival football player pushes him on the field. Cayden’s inner beast is unleashed and he’s now finding it difficult to control these newfound animalistic urges. After nearly raping a girl, and then apparently killing his parents in a blind rage, Cayden decides maybe it’s time to go on the run and find a new home. At a truck stop he comes across Wild Joe (John Pyper-Ferguson), a grizzled guy with one eye who claims to know where Cayden can find the answers regarding his transformative rage – Lupine Ridge (audible groan). Cayden arrives in town and quickly slips into Typical Outsider territory. The cute female bartender, Angelina (Merritt Patterson), takes a liking to him, but she’s also the object of desire for Connor (Jason Momoa), a ruthless “pure breed” wolf who lives in the mountains. Anyone else smell a love triangle? Cayden is taken in by John (Stephen McHattie), a sort of werewolf elder who runs a farm and keeps to himself. One night, a weird-looking dude tells Cayden that his presence in the town is bad for everyone, and it would be best if he just up and left. This mystery is unraveled as both Angelina and John fill Cayden in on the details of how he came to be, who his birth parents are, and any other little expository tidbits that add to the drama. All this, of course, is leading to a showdown between fresh-faced Cayden and Connor, with his pack of bloodthirsty half-breeds. Despite the undeniable fact that “Wolves” not only adds nothing new to the werewolf mythos, but relies heavily on worn-out plotting and cliché beats, this is actually a fairly fun film. It’s certainly one of the more entertaining werewolf movies of the past decade, which is admittedly damning with faint praise considering most lupine adventures are complete and utter dreck. Hayter does a fine job keeping the film moving forward, even if his writing never attempts to operate outside a conventional box of ideas. Cayden’s realization of his true nature, how all of it unfolds, can be seen in just about every contemporary teen-with-[insert special ability]-film. Any enjoyment to be found here springs forth from a couple actors elevating the material and the production design, which is rich and earthen, very woodsy. Werewolves feel at home in a forest, and the location shooting done in Canada certainly meets the criteria of a more natural setting. Acting-wise, both Jason Momoa and Stephen McHattie lead the charge here, playing characters who are polar opposites of each other. McHattie’s a venerable elder, doing his best to mind his business and keep the peace in Lupine Ridge. He’s the sort of character who refrains from getting involved in skirmishes… until he has no choice, at which point his abilities are put to work. Momoa is the film’s anchor. As Connor, the “lone wolf” who is seen as the town bully, he’s a seemingly one-note villain that never comes across as remotely complex until the film’s climax. Momoa is sort of like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in that he oozes charisma, though perhaps on a lesser scale, and has a commanding screen presence that makes him a winning choice for any production lucky enough to snag him. Let’s talk werewolves - specifically, the look. There have been dozens and dozens of Wolfman designs since Lon Chaney Jr. first turned at the sight of a full moon, and those found in “Wolves” harken back (somewhat) to that iconic makeup. One thing the film gets right is eschewing CGI for practical makeup FX, so these wolves appear as tangible creatures. When a character is transforming, it’s done using CGI that isn’t half bad, which is a necessity for a low-budget picture. Once fully wolfed-out, the actors don suits that are part impressive, part laughable. Momoa, in his alpha male wolf attire, looks like a teddy bear crossbred with a wolf and grew a ponytail. He’s bulky and imposing, if not a little goofy. Cayden, however, looks mostly ridiculous since post-transformation his mop of blonde locks remains while everything else about him looks lupine. The hair should have gone. Definitely. “Wolves” has proven to be a divisive film among horror fans, with as many blasting it for adhering to tired conventions as there are those calling it a guilty pleasure. Personally, I fall into the latter camp, mainly because there are so few halfway decent werewolf films that something as marginally passable as “Wolves” entertained me more than I’d expected, so it gets a break. Note that Lionsgate has chosen to release the film on DVD only with the "R" rated cut, while Canada has received a Blu-ray release of the "Director’s Cut", featuring an additional seven minutes of footage. That edition is already OOP and tough to track down, although tech-savvy fans should have no problem acquiring a copy of their own. Werewolves deserve so much better than the films in which they’re featured, and sadly the trend of producing mediocre entries shows no signs of change. Until it does, “Wolves” will have to suffice as a better-than-average-but-still-not-great picture.
Video
The film’s 1.85:1 anamorphic image looks about as good as DVD can muster. Colors are accurately reproduced, black levels are dark & stable, detail operates at the limit and grain is nowhere to be seen. The film’s FX work, the majority of which is practical, holds up well on home video. I would imagine any hi-def release would treat it as kindly.
Audio
An English Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound track delivers the audible side of things. Right from the opening football game, which is brimming with activity and cheers, it’s clear this is going to be an immersive experience. Bass buttresses the big, bombastic moments (of which there are a few) and rears deftly carry ambient effects and music to fill out the soundfield. There’s a nice sense of weight to the sound cues, too. No subtitles.
Extras
Sadly, all the film gets is a theatrical trailer (16x9) that runs for 1 minute and 38 seconds. Bonus trailers (16x9) are also included for the following: - “Vehicle” runs for 2 minutes and 19 seconds. - “The Starving Games” runs for 2 minutes and 18 seconds.
Packaging
The single disc comes housed in a standard black DVD keep case.
Overall
Maybe I’m being too forgiving here – actually, I know I am – but for as much eye-rolling as I did during “Wolves” there’s still some element present in this picture that kept me interested. The story reads like every other teen angst movie out there, but it’s dumb and fun and the werewolf FX are at least practical. You could definitely do worse.
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