MOVIE REVIEW: JAWS #2
TODAY’S REVIEW: We Dive Into the Wild World of Sequels…
And maybe the best sequel of all time: JAWS 2!
Just kidding — that movie stinks. Instead, we’re going way back to review a true classic and the very first werewolf movie. Nope, not Lon Chaney Jr.’s Wolf Man — we’re talking about the one that came nearly a decade earlier: Werewolf of London (1935).
This is where it all started for werewolves on the big screen, and while it doesn’t get talked about as much today, it deserves some love for kicking off the whole hairy tradition.
Story – 8.1
The plot follows Dr. Wilfred Glendon (Henry Hull), a botanist who gets bitten by a strange creature while on an expedition in Tibet. Back home in London, he discovers that he’s been cursed — during the full moon, he transforms into a werewolf. The only thing that can hold off his transformation is a rare flower
It’s a simple story but it has some cool ideas that would show up in later werewolf films: the tragic hero, the doomed love story, and the battle between man and beast.
Monsters/Villains – 7.4
The werewolf design here is very different from what most people expect. Henry Hull’s werewolf has more of a “man-wolf” look — less fur, more human features.
Still, the transformation scenes are well done and there’s something eerie about how Glendon tries (and fails) to hold onto his humanity. The monster here isn’t just scary — he’s tragic.
Actors/Characters – 8.2
Henry Hull does a solid job as Glendon, playing the role with a mix of coldness and sadness. He’s not as instantly sympathetic as Lon Chaney Jr.’s Wolf Man, but you do feel for him as the curse takes hold.
AND WE HAVE TO GIVE A NOD TO WARREN OLAND WHO IS THE FIRST PERSON TO PLAY A WEREWOLF ON THE BIG SCREEN AS HE IS THE MONSTER WHO BITES Hull!
Overall – 8.1
Werewolf of London doesn’t get the same recognition as other Universal monster classics, but it paved the way for everything that came after. It’s moody, atmospheric, and surprisingly dark for its time. If you’re a werewolf fan, this is where it all began.
