The Wolf Man (1941)

Why so much hype?

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Having just seen most of the other Universal films that featured Larry Talbot, The Wolf Man (exception being House of Frankenstein), I finally got to see the first of the movies that featured Lon Chaney Jr. as that now-iconic character. He gets great support from Claude Rains as his father, Bela Lugosi as a fortune teller, Ralph Bellamy as the police captain, Evelyn Ankers as the leading lady, and especially, Maria Ouspenskaya as the Gypsy woman. Great atmospheric direction by George Waggner from a fine original script by Curt Siodmak. And let's not forget the legendary Jack Pierce for creating the wolfman makup that covered Chaney's skin and face. He was previously responsible for Bela Lugosi's Dracula face as well as Boris Karloff's Frankenstein's Monster's skin. Really, all I'll now say is The Wolf Man is still a bona-fide classic horror flick!

In my opinion, a classic like this doesn't really need a prolonged, overly descriptive review. It's actually a lot better now when I watch it as an adult, rather than when I saw it as a kid. My overall reaction? This film is great. You really start to feel bad for the main character who, simply cannot come to tell himself that what he is experiencing is even real. He is a poor soul, cursed with an ancient hex. You feel frustrated that the townspeople accuse him of simply murdering people, even when they see the clear signs that this is indeed something out of the ordinary. I will have to admit though, that the ending was a bit quick, and left you with a lot of questions. I feel like the ending could have been a lot better, and it also feels a tad bit rushed as well.

The pacing is a little rocky considering 'The Wolf Man (1941)' lasts a meagre seventy minutes and the titular hybrid beast doesn't make an appearance until over halfway through. His first entrance actually marks the point at which the movie begins to slowly lose its footing, ever so slightly, as the solid lore-building and foreshadowing that came before crumbles away for fairly hokey special effects, less impressive than the actual wolf used earlier in the piece, and a somewhat repetitive structure that doesn't seem to fully explore all the avenues that were perhaps set up before. While the werewolf is a staple of pop-culture with apparent deep roots in folklore, it's interesting to note that much of the now standard mythology was actually invented for this picture - as well as the earlier 'Werewolf Of London (1935)', the first official title to utilise the eponymous creature. It was originally intended to be ambiguous as to whether or not the creature was even physically real, with the implication being that it was solely a metaphor for the dual nature of man and that whomever was afflicted with the so-called curse simply envisioned themselves as a beast to justify the beastly acts they had committed. The studio deemed it to be more interesting if the transformation was explicit, though, and so we now have a picture that introduces perhaps the most iconic version of one of cinema's most enduring, tragically monstrous figures, one that still holds up relatively well - despite a few missteps in its second act - and ends on a surprisingly effective (if somewhat rushed) thematic note. 6/10

The Foggy Studio Sets, the Werewolf Lore, Lon Chaney Jr.'s Signature Role with a Tragic and Sympathetic Portrayal, and the "Gypsy" Woman's Heartfelt, Poetic Laments, are just a Few Things that "Famous Monsters" Fans Remember from the Final "Creature" in the Pantheon of Universal Studios Horror Movies.Coming 10 Years after "Frankenstein" (1931), this was not the First Attempt at a "Werewolf" Movie. "Werewolf of London" (1935) has that Honor. But this one made Folks Forget that Excellent Film. It's really just as Good as this but for Different Reasons.This is Monster Melodrama at its Best. Although Hopelessly Studio Bound, that bit of Clunkiness is Usually Overlooked, the Film Plays out as a Terrifying Tragedy of the Soul.There's a Good Supporting Cast with Claude Rains, Evelyn Ankers, Maria Ouspenskaya, Ralph Bellamy, and Patrick Knowles, with a Bela Lugosi Cameo. A Fine Musical Score, and the Jack Pierce Makeup (although sparingly shown) is Iconic.Despite its Dated Delivery when Viewed in the 21st Century, the Movie Maintains a Creep Factor and is Heavily Ladened with Gloom and Despair. There are Many Fine Scenes that Pop in and out of the Dialog that is Talky and Redundant.Overall, the Highlights Outshine the Weaknesses and its Place among the Classic Monster Movies is Well Founded and Deserving.