Monday, October 10, 2011

The Howling: Reborn...Not!: A Movie Review



Director: Joe Nimziki.

Writers: Joe Nimziki, and James Robert Johnston.

Cast: Landon Liboiron, Ivana Milicevic and Lindsey Shaw

DVD Release Date: October 18th, 2011.

The Howling: Reborn does nothing to reinvigorate the dying werewolf genre. They have sadly become a creature of romance fiction, representing unbridled passions and carnal desires. In folklore they can be people who are paying penance for their sins or simple country folk cursed by gypsies. These were creatures that were once feared.

In the films of today, they are merely representations of kinship and they exude a different kind of sexuality that not even Dracula could emulate. It is not just a gang war where the leaders are vying for the affections of a girl. The romantic angle can hardly be avoided, and for those fans of Twilight, they may like this film. It cleverly blends the "Smallville" formula with shades of Harry Potter. There is romance, action, bloodshed and a rite of passage to be found. At least for the hero, Will Kidman (Landon Liboiron), he has that adult Daniel Radcliffe charm as he counts down the days to graduation.

His world is going to be ripped apart when he discovers that he is a werewolf, and thankfully this film is not like "Teen Wolf." Where this product fits in the Howling continuity is to try and reboot the franchise. As long as the film cuts are fast and furious, these creatures look great. But if the camera shots stay too long to study the shape, they look like simple costumes that can be squeezed into.

Kidman’s transformation, on the other hand, is more metaphorical. Near the start of the film, he’s a shy nerdy kid, with no huge aspirations in life. When he has to rely on the help of his best friend Sachin (Jesse Rath) to tell him that he’s a wolf, viewers should realize that he prefers to be a follower than a leader. When he starts accepting the fact that he is a beast, audiences start seeing a different side of him that has confidence.

Libolron’s acting is fairly confident. This film is interesting to follow because it uses his personal narrative to move the story along. Even the girl he has eyes for has the power to light up the screen. Eliana Wynter (Lindsey Shaw) as a simple screen presence and her chemistry with Kidman is interesting. With Kathryn (Ivana Milicevic), her role does not quite measure up even though she is supposed to be the sexy fox in this product. Like most villains, there is not enough backstory to establish this character’s importance. The reason on why she abandoned her pup is not made clear. Either she wanted to leave the pack she was in, or her history will be revealed in a sequel.

If the direct to video sales are good, another film will no doubt be made. To see the werewolf reclaim his place in cinema can happen; but when not everyone has appreciated Joe Johnson’s interpretation of the Wolfman, where these lycanthropes belong does require reinventing the formula. To wrap it under teen romance is not the most ideal. Where these monsters have gone towards in interpretation is more about who they can bed.

Furry sex can sell, but not even this film can tantalize at the end. This flick does not score enough gore, blood and nudity to make it a fun slasher movie either. It is mostly being covered up to score a PG-13 rating.

Overall: 6 out of 10.

A fan page for the film:

The Howling Reborn at Facebook

The Howling on DVD

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