Review of An American Werewolf in London (1981) by Julio V — 13 Oct 2010
Very entertaining horror movie that never takes itself seriously - the polar opposite of this year's The Wolfman which was solemn to a fault. If I love the 70's for truly gritty horror, I love the 80's for over-the-top funny horror and this one of the better ones.
It's always entertaining from the kids' banter to David's attempt to get arrested, to the random appearances of his nonchalant undead friend Jack. As a result of the light tone it's rarely really frightening, though there are a few shocks and some pretty nasty gore done with wonderful practical effects.
The big transformation scene is far and away the best I've ever seen. Interestingly enough, the practical effects of the 2010 Wolfman are actually better than they were in this film. Benecio Del Toro walking around as the creature looks much better than the limited, hunched creature here who is rightfully scene mostly in close-up cuts.
But the transformation scenes done in CGI never looked as convincing as the work here which to this day is pretty impressive. The acting isn't great but it's passable for the story and the characters are all likable.
What's with that ending, though?
This review of An American Werewolf in London (1981) was written by Julio V on 13 Oct 2010.
An American Werewolf in London has generally received positive reviews.
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