The Wolfman 2010 is a aggresively old-school monster movie. The only concessions to the 21st century are the graphic evisceration of the werewolf's victims (oh, so THAT's what "rip your lungs out" looks like!) and some CGI effects mixed in with Rick Baker's makeup magic. Otherwise, it's all foggy English moors, decrepit estates, kerosene lamps, Indian manservants, and Gypsy travelers camping in the woods.
Benicio Del Toro, the swarthiest Oscar winner ever, is a peripatetic stage actor who returns to the aforementioned foggy English mansion/homestead when his brother is eaten by the Wolf. In residence amongst the kerosene lamps, playing his grand piano and reading his lines off cue cards, is a classically English Oscar winner who can be hired for ANY movie, Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins is Del Toro's father, reprising his Van Helsing role with less scenery chewing than I would have expected (and hoped for!) Hugo Weaving is fantastic as a sharp Scotland Yard detective who's willing to believe anything. The special effects vary wildly in quality from neat CGI effects to "a guy in a wolf suit" practical effects. I was surprised to discover the boring, indifferent score was by Danny Elfman? It didn't seem like his work at all.
There's no new ground broken here, and no surprises at all, but the drama and thrills are satisfying, if familiar.