Rating: 
Summary: Best of Universal in the 1940s
Review: There are, essentially, 2 decades of the Universal Horror & Monster flicks. My favorite decade involves the early creaky flicks such as the Franks, Mummies, and Invisible Man. The 1940 Universal was different. Technology improved, but the genre of the 40s manifest itself in very slick productions that lacked the early creakiness and atmosphere of films like Bride of and Dracula.Son of Frankenstein actually marked the beginning of the new decade of the genre, even though it came out in 39. The Wolfman is the best of the 40s. It includes a strong cast(Chaney Jr., Claude Rains, Ralph Bellamy, Patrick Knowles, Maria Ouspenskaya, Bela Lugosi, and Evelyn Ankers), and a wonderful musical score(that we would hear again and again in other slick Universal flicks!). Be advised that you do not actually see much of the "WOLFMAN" as this is more of a psychological thriller.It is kind of like the Mummy(32) in which you did not see a whole lot of the bandaged villian. That works as a strong point because story, cast, and production are all top-notch. I wish they had not deleted the scene in which title character has it out with a grizzly bear!(Possibly, though, it looked too cheesy when they viewed it in dailys).Excellent Universal fare of the early 1940s.Sequel is Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman.
Rating: 
Summary: Split decision
Review: THE WOLFMAN has always been my least favorite of the Universal monsters. It never really offered my any chills as a kid in addition to other problems I have with the film, mostly opinions about Chaney Jr's acting, probably not worth mentioning. This entry in the Universal Monsters DVD collection is a worthy addition to the series however, whatever one may think of the film itself. The film itself looks great. The best print of the movie I've ever seen. The extra features are up to the usual high quality of other entries. The documentary, however, often goes off on tangents I could do without. The package contains the best feature commentary of any of the films so far. Tom Weaver shows that you can get the needed information across to the viewer AND have fun at the same time. Weaver's light, spontaneous approach is a much welcome change over the leaden, difficult-to-get-through deliveries of the other entries in the Universal Monsters collection. If you love THE WOLFMAN, you'll absolutely love this DVD. If like me, you don't care for the movie itself, pick this up anyway. The extra features alone make it well worth the price.
Rating:
Summary: Truly a Classic
Review: When I was a little kid, NOTHING scared me quite like The Wolf Man! The other monsters had their moments, but there was nothing as all-out frightening as Lawrence Talbot's hairy, snarling, fanged late-night alter ego. Some decades later, it may not terrify me anymore but it is still fun to watch. This movie is brimming with more good points than can be listed; among them a stellar cast featuring a fantastic performance by Lon Chaney Jr. (a quality performance which you could tell he cared about; we would not always see out of Lon in later years) as likable, good humored Larry; his performance really evokes sympathy as he realizes his cruel fate. Other fine performances come from Claude Rains as Larry's gruff conservative father; the lovely Evelyn Ankers, Ms. '40s Horror Movie Heroine, as our token love interest (the centerpiece to a love triangle that actually somewhat holds interest for a change); and a cameo from Bela Lugosi as the original werewolf who starts ALL this trouble for poor Larry. The story and script by legendary Curt Siodmak is well paced and slick(especially considering the era this film was made in), and there is an underlying psychological edge to all the werewolfry (it sounds as if the film was originally intended to be more of a psychological thriller than an all out monster film). Competently directed by George Waggner, who sets up scenes that have more flash than substance (but never lacks either one). A great moody musical score keeps fresh throughout the entire movie. WIth all these good points, in the end probably the best thing this movie has to offer is that great outdoor set of the gloomy woods; you know the one, where it is perpetually midnight, the trees are lifeless and shadowy, and there is always about a foot of fog over the ground; in other words, the perfect setting to which one could imagine that a werewolf might actually be on the prowl......perfect viewing for late October.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent addition to the second horror film cycle!
Review: Of all the Universal horror classics this is the one that is the most relative. It's setting is a quaint Welsh countryside and the people of the community are basically likable and average folks. To this setting comes one Lawrence Talbot, home from spending a lengthy amount of time in America. While it's a little hard getting used to the surroundings, he manages within no time to strike up a friendship with a local girl. Most of the pathos (and there is plenty) in the story comes from that relationship. After Larry is bit he becomes the perfect tragic character, a victim of circumstances. And his love for the girl is overshadowed by the fact that he changes into a wolf when the full moon is out. That situation and how he and the girl deal with it is the meat of the story and one of the saddest of any horror film. THE WOLF MAN starts light enough with an almost humorous feel to the story. Lon Chaney, Jr. and Evelyn Ankers have a certain chemistry that is all the more amazing considering that, according to the commentary and documentary included in this DVD, they didn't get along very well. Their first scene together is light enough but also foreboding of the story to come. It's also the first time we hear the "Even a man who is pure at heart...." recitation. There is a lot going on in this rather short scene and definitely let's the audience know they are in for a very fast 70 minutes. Chaney has seldom been better. His performance as Lennie in OF MICE AND MEN a couple of years earlier is the only time in his career he surpassed his work in this film. He manages to evoke tons of sympathy from the viewer while cutting an attractive figure as a leading man. While most of his more physical stunts were probably done by a stunt man, his facial expressions and overall performance as the half-man, half-wolf side of his personality are quite perfect and work beautifully with the excellent Jack Pierce make-up. Evelyn Ankers as the pretty girl Talbot falls in love with is quite good. Ankers had the misfortune to be terrorized by nearly all of Universal's famous monsters during the 40's, but she was never better than she is here. The film also happens to have one of the best supporting casts of all the "creature features" from Universal. Claude Rains as Larry's father is quite good. He portrays the character with a good deal of stubborness that is befitting of a father who doesn't want to believe his son turns into a wolf. Ralph Bellamy, in an early role, plays a local detective set to trap the wolf. Patrick Knowles is quite appealing as the boyfriend of Ankers. And Bela Lugosi has a small but important role as Bela the gypsy fortune teller. When it is discovered that he is afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy, he is quite effective at showing the terror and disgust just before the transformation. However, Lugosi is not given a chance to act with the make-up that Chaney, Jr. uses. A real wolf or dog was used to fight with Talbot. But the best supporting performance in the movie belongs to the legendary Maria Ouspenskaya. As the old gypsy woman and mother of Bela, she is absolutely fascinating, especially as she speaks a prayer over the prone Larry Talbot's body: "The way you walked was thorny, though no fault of your own....". Not enough can be said for the visual effects. Chaney, Jr.'s transformation was an incredible piece of movie magic for 1941. It is so real looking you temporarily believe he is turning into some kind of a beast. The make-up by Jack Pierce is nearly as amazing as his make-up for Frankenstein's creation. It was originally designated to be used for the 1935 WEREWOLF OF LONDON, but for various reasons (not the least of which probably had to do with the film's star, Henry Hull, not wanting his face to be covered so extensively) it was discarded. What a pity! Although an enjoyable film, WEREWOLF..., would have benefited greatly from the more terrifying make-up eventually used in this film. The music score by Hans Salter, Frank Skinner and Charles Previn (all uncredited) is one of the best . Much of what was originally heard in THE WOLF MAN was later used for many of the 40's Universal classics. Technically the film is quite excellent. The set direction and sound effects are appropriately eerie. You often forget you are watching a film which was shot almost entirely on sound stages. The DVD presentation is the best of the five Universal "monster" classics. The print used is in excellent condition. It looks as though it is brand new. The usual documentary, photo presentation and commentary presents many interesting facts that are not commonly known. But unlike the other classics the informative commentary here is very well presented. Tom Weaver shows an obvious love for the subject matter in his spontaneous and humorous delivery. If only all the classics had comments as well delivered. To sum it all up, while THE WOLF MAN won't exactly have YOU howling at the moon, it is a classic in every sense. With it's intelligent story line and well written, attractive and easy to relate to characters it stands on it's own. It's nice to finally see it presented in such an respectable way.
Rating:
Summary: great horror classic
Review: this is one of the best in the classic universal line up.It follows the werewolf legend almost cmepletely.Even though Bela lagosa is a wolf when he is killed and is found in cloths after he turns back.And when Lon Chaney turns he is in an under shirt and dress up pants,and then hunts in the forest in his classic green out fit.But its an old movie go figure.
Rating:
Summary: The third best horror classic!
Review: The Wolf Man is, without a doubt, one of the chilling movies of the 1940s. I remember watching it with my grandpa when I was little and it scared the be-Jesus out of me. Well, now I have gotten older and my grandpa has since given me the video, and let me tell you, it still scares me! Excellent horror film- a great portryal by Lon Chaney, Jr.
Rating:
Summary: Pushed what Universal had to offer over the edge.....
Review: Of the five mainstay Universal Horrors (Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolf Man and The Creature from the Black Lagoon), the last two on that roster were the only ones to emerge as serial characters where the studio had no literary material to fall back upon to make the screenplay just an adaptation. Stoker, Shelley and media hype (in the case of the Mummy, but with a little Stoker thrown in there as well) had seen to it that only three characters were charted in this manner. On 'The Wolf Man', the production team outdid themselves and there are absolutely no complaints I can bring to mind when reflecting on this picture. Well, perhaps this: while watching, I did become a little annoyed at the cliches of the fog-laden ground, the overexplanatory acting and the way you can tell who's going to die next (way easier than even looking at the guy in the red suit on the old Star Trek series) before I realised that the cliches that would come into being all stemmed from here. This is a tremendous work that seems to have more in it than the 69 minute job documented on the back of the case. The set is delicious and has every right to star alongside Lon Chaney, Jr., who, despite his physically cumbersome style, is in his element here. The supporting cast are excellent, especially Lugosi (good to see him take a ride in the back seat for a change) and the enigmatic Maria Ouspenskaya. Now, I should take some time to rant and rave about the superb make-up but that would be childish.....you know how good a job Asher does on Chaney. The strongest point of the movie? Definitely the set. Not only does the mist fulfill a functional role but the atmosphere it donates to the picture is mindblowing. You want to hide yourself in this mist and feel the adrenalin rush of watching the werewolf strike somebody else....very cosy and conducive to horror indeed. I'm a younger viewer (25 years of age) but had seen this on TV a few times in my early life. I had to have it. This is an honest Universal original that doesn't have the cramped, stagey feel of 'Dracula' or the strained, overly proud presentation of 'Frankenstein' or the 'remember-that-mummy-thing-?-Look-what-we've-gone-and-done-about-it' flavour of 'The Mummy'. Not to attack any of those earlier smash hits but Universal studios had matured a little by the turn of the Forties and was ready to give back something all of its own. If you find anything corny in this movie then blame yourself for having become biased by modern cinema. This is arguably the best of the classic horrors; unarguably good value for money when it comes to shocks and atmosphere.
Rating:
Summary: Mesmerizing
Review: This movie is still a gem to watch. I remember seeing it as a kid and it still holds up today. The atmosphere in this film is very good. The only thing i noticed was when Lugosi was killed as the wolf and had no clothes seen, when found after he transformed back into a man he had his clothes and of course Lon Chaney has a scene when he first changes and takes his shirt off only to have his under shirt on and pants but when you see him as the Wolfman he is wearing dark pants and a dark shirt. I guess the wolfman had a change in clothes tastes. Anyway, if you forget about that, the movie is still one of the best!
Rating:
Summary: Best DVD of the year?
Review: The movie is wonderful. It transports you to that ill-defined time and place that is the world of the Universal horror classics. It introduces you to a number of memorable characters, most importantly Lawrence Talbot, the man destined to walk and stalk as a wolf by the full moon. Lon Chaney Jr delivers a pleasant tragic performance, and the supporting cast is particularly outstanding. The DVD presentation is terrific. An excellent transfer, with THE BEST commentary I've ever heard and a very strong documentary accompanying it. This is easily the best DVD release of a Universal horror classic so far, and could be the best DVD release of 1999. If you have any interest at all, don't hesitate to buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: I hated this movie because the wolfman wasn't in it for long
Review: The only thing I liked about this movie was the cover. I have watched most of the horror classics ,and I did not like this movie because lon Chaney jr. played larry Talbot more that he did the wolfman. A movie called the wolfman should have the wolfman in it more. I liked Bela Lugosi in this movie and Lon Chaney Jr. Ian Grant Thompson age six.
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