Review of An American Werewolf in Paris (1997) by Nick W — 17 Sep 2013

It's very apparent that "An American Werewolf in Paris" would be a terrible movie if it was just another ordinary, run-of-the-mill werewolf picture, but the stakes here were much higher. It tarnishes the legacy of the groundbreaking Jon Landis film that this purports to be a sequel to, and it goes wrong in just about every way imaginable at the script level. The project is also all over the map in terms of mood and tone.

While the original film used touches of gallows humor to break up the nearly relentless horror, this feels more like a comedy. There is an unusual amount of slapstick for a film of this nature, and the rock soundtrack also seems out of place and mostly distracting.

But perhaps the film's biggest downfall are the absurd special effects. In 1981, the original picture was revolutionary, earning Rick Baker's extraordinary effects the first Oscar in that newly created category. You'd think that we would have come a long way in the seventeen years between films, but the CGI here is an embarrassment and warrants this as unworthy to call itself a sequel. Computerized effects could never best the imagination of a true craftsman like Baker, and they make this film even harder to watch. And then look at the production design. These ancient Parisian buildings look more like a Hollywood backlot littered with decorations from Walmart's Halloween aisle.

"An American Werewolf in Paris" is an unmitigated disaster worthy of government aid. You have to wonder if the makers have even seen Landis' classic.