When the moon is full and bright, it is safe to say there is trouble lurking somewhere in the universe. In Martin Lawrence’s and Steven C. Miller’s Werewolves, this horrid trouble comes in the form of Werewolves. Miller has perfected his craft in this horror film with the proper use of humor with horror which seems to be a rare combination. Although Martin Lawrence’s character jumps on the Extreme Fighting style and at times seems off, he plays the character as it was always meant to be. Fortunately, the humour doesn’t dominate the horror, which is the focus of werewolves. Werewolves is an enjoyable action film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. One of the standout qualities of werewolves is the cinematography that captures the beauty of a full moon and also creates horror in its setting. There are exciting action sequences that keep viewers invested in Martin Lawrence’s character and feel responsible for his actions in the movie. As the plot reaches the climax, it can be said there will be chaos, as there always is, and a satisfactory and relevant conclusion to the film is needed for fans who have waited a long time for a Martin Lawrence horror film.
Wesley Marshall is played by Frank Grillo in Purge. Grillo portrays a no-nonsense alpha male brilliantly. Marshall is a biologist and an ex-special operations soldier. After conducting his study on the supermoon phenomenon, he and a group of scientists hurry up and formulate a vaccine to prevent violence and chaos. And then time begins to run out with people metamorphosing into monstrous beasts. That is part of the fun anyway and Miller runs fine during the shoot of Matthew Kennedy’s film Inheritance, and during the shooting, wonders do not leave the screen. Oscar nominee Alec Gillis who is best known for his practical effects in the Alien and Predator franchises gives us some of the best scares we have had in a while.
It is not hard to understand why the werewolf sub-genre gave birth to some of the most memorable horror/science fiction films, from Lon Chaney Jr.’s Wolf Man of 1941 to Hammer’s The Curse of the Werewolf by Oliver Reed some 20 years later. Around 30 to 40 years back, many cinema goers had an “itch” for werewolf movies with An American Werewolf in London. When this movie came out in 1981, there was a great mix of different elements in the film and stood out due to the humor and horror aspects present. One other film released in 1981 was Joe Dante’s The Howling, which over the years became one of the most popular or even the standard for other werewolf movies.
Conversation About Werewolves Movie ‘Werewolves’ is equal to, if not excels at, its own focal point but gets a bit of a resemblance of some neighboring films or a characteristic, and therefore not surprisingly, ’80s horror slasher film feel. A confident arrangement considering Steven C. Miller is an ’80s kid who began with directing a children’s film, ‘Automation Transfusion’ – a gory horror movie. As a result, he directed 2012’s ‘Silent Night’ remake, but in this film, he demonstrates a new level of maturity and creativity. There is even drama within the very first frame that this film presents. The viewers brace for some challenges as audience knows that it can only get worse from here. And for the majority of the runtime, it maintains its simple premise of how crazy and violent a night can turn out to be when Frank Grillo’s Wesley Marshall goes around saving everyone, including his niece (Kamdynn Gary) and sister.
The film features Lou Diamond Phillips as Dr. Aranda, a character who is caught up with research findings and the sense of dread that is about to cover everyone. Or maybe not. Will Wesley Marshall, played by Grillo, be the one to turn things around? Of course, it is Frank Grillo. That is why he was cast. More interesting, however, is the manner in which the script depicts the tough-guy character that Grillo plays when he takes a 180-degree turn. Werewolves is extremely entertaining and also manages to sneak in a few laughs in between. “Bite me,” says one of the werewolf hunters to his adversary during combat. A little humorous, even if it does invite a few eye-rolls. There are also interesting with the plot’s perspective on the usual tropes, and genre conventions that are more funny than imaginative.
People turn into werewolves during the new supermoon’s rise, leaving chaos behind. These action sequences are a little shy for the time being. Almost as though the rest of the action is not supposed to be teased. The movie progresses and we see these gigantic beasts Carla, parked cars, and barbed wire fences as well as other ‘obstacles’ they come across during their rampages. As usual with young family members in movies, Marshall Grillo wants to protect his sister and niece, which is the sub-story we have come to expect.
Werewolves offers a fresh new take on the monstrous evolution, and suspense is guaranteed as Marshall and his friends go and face the deadly werewolves. In case you’re anxious about the human-beast transformations, the disturbing sequences are sure to please fans of the horror genre. Another positive point is that each distinct werewolf character has his look based on his sheer human attribute, which makes these supermoon monsters all the more unique, thanks once again to Alec Gillis whose practical makeup team must have slogged hard to achieve these results. Since these beasts are humans by origin, that distinctive appearance also lends the film an eerie extra zombie look.
Grillo claimed in an interview with MovieWeb that the movie resembles a crossover between The Purge and The Howling. They are thematically quite familiar in that when a mysterious event happens at night and threatens humankind, who survives? As several of the Purge films were burdened with shallow characters, so it continues to suffer with linear characters as well. That’s because in Werewolves, there is so infrequently an opportunity to take a break from the action. Character development is sacrificed for adrenaline pumping action. And there is an acceptable degree of that, but in a sense it renders the film’s story structure weak.
Nonetheless, the collaboration of Steven C. Miller and Frank Grillo bears fruit. Miller keeps on climbing his way up the ladder and Grillo is in high demand right now – he will reprise his Rick Flag role in the upcoming Creature Commandos series, releasing on Max this month. He is first featured in the upcoming 2025 Superman alongside the rest of his character. Much like a grittier and more combative Bruce Campbell, Grillo fits perfectly in the world of genre films and his collaboration with Miller is quite appealing. We want to see more such projects with them.
In the meantime, Werewolves is a captivating movie with lots of unexpected turns and plenty of action. Do not forget the secondary cast, which includes three important female roles (Katrina Law, Kamdynn Gary, Ilfenesh Hadera) who get their hands dirty as well. One certainly wouldn’t expect that in an ’80s horror flick, but it adds a nice touch to the film nonetheless, even if these characters are not very well developed. So, wipe the cobwebs off. Werewolves is an exciting and fast paced experience which is quite unique and thoroughly ambitious.
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