Never Cry Werewolf (2008)

A young girl learns that her mysterious, handsome neighbor is a werewolf.

Not bad werewolf movie, light-hearted and fun

I caught _Never Cry Werewolf_ back in the spring of 2008 on the Sci Fi Channel. I really think that channel's previously awful Saturday night (and sometimes Sunday night) science fiction/fantasy/horror movies of the week have gotten a lot better in terms of actors, acting, production values, writing, special effects, and overall watch-ability. While I would never say any of these films were truly great works of the genre, _Never Cry Werewolf_ was one of the better ones they have produced in recent years.

Several things made the movie enjoyable for me. First of all, the movie, whether you want to say it is in homage to or rips off (I prefer the former, not the latter) a classic movie tradition, namely, that of a neighbor, usually one who is somehow "weak" or powerless to act, witnesses something terrible next door but only this neighbor knows what is going on and it is up to the neighbor (and a few trusted friends) to do something about it . The classic example is of course Alfred Hitchcock's _Rear Window_, but other more recent examples include the third _Mimic_ movie and Shia LeBeouf in _Disturbia_. In this case, a teen-aged girl by the name of Loren Hansett starts to piece together something about her handsome new neighbor (played by Peter Stebbings). Is he a serial killer? A cannibal? No, but close, he is a werewolf. Though Loren first goes a fairly conventional route, calling the authorities, the evil new neighbor is pretty slick as he has done this thing before, hiding his affliction and the bodies. So the young woman and her friends take it upon themselves to deal with the werewolf.

The young woman, Loren, was quite good. She was a pretty good actress and quite attractive (the actress being Nina Dobrev).Though at the end she might have been channeling too much Sarah Conner from _Terminator 2_ or Buffy, she was went a long way in making the movie enjoyable.

I also liked Kevin Sorbo's character, Redd Tucker, a man who on TV plays the big game hunter to beat all game hunters but in reality is a just an actor who only plays at being a big game hunter on TV and whose star is in decline (doesn`t his name just sound too good to be true for a mighty hunter?). He is sought out by the young woman but she is disappointed to find out the truth, that he is a just a washed out phony. At first understandably reluctant to help the young lady, the mighty hunter gets involved when circumstances force him into it. At first he is involved in fighting the werewolf merely out of a combination of personal and professional self-preservation but he eventually does it because it is the right thing to do. I liked the character in part because it poked fun at previous roles Sorbo had played.

The movie also had some real humor. While not really a comedy, it was light-hearted, didn't take itself too seriously without being campy, and wasn't a shrieking gore-fest.

I liked it. Some of my friends are disbelieving, having seen some of the awful fare that the Sci Fi Channel has put out and wonder at my sanity for liking ANY of their movies but I really liked this film. I have certainly seen worse at the theater! October 23, 2008

"Biting off more they can chew?" Definitely not!

Well... I don't know about anyone else, but I LIKED IT!

I mean, yeah, in some ways, it's campy -- but, that's what makes it work!

Personally, I have nothing against the actor, Peter Stebbings, who played the "Werewolf-Next-Door"! But, if I were the casting director, he would'nt have been my choice!

As for Kevin Sorbo, playing a "washed-up" actor, trying to reclaim his "15 minutes of fame", I thought it was brilliant! (The last time I saw him was in "Gene Roddenberry's ANDROMEDA"!)

As for the ingénue, Nina Dobrev, I could definitely see her follow in the path of Natalie Portman... or, perhaps, even Kirsten Dunst! (I see ALOT of "untapped potential" in her... and she's just getting started...!)

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October 21, 2008

Unexpected

This movie was not what I expected at all. It had all the elements of a scary movie, but then, out of no where... well lets just say it goes to something unexpected. Yes some parts were scary, but I truly bought this movie since some scenes were filmed less then a half a block from me. I really liked it... but I'm kinda warped anyway... October 21, 2008

Watchable, but offers little else

"Never Cry Werewolf" is the very definition of horror lite. I'm about sick and tired of PG-13 DVD's being advertised as "unrated". Don't get me wrong, this isn't an unwatchable mess of a film that will leave you angry about the 90 minutes of your life you can never get back, but if you watch werewolf movies for gore, nudity, and terror than don't hesitate to pass this by. This is another intended for the tween crowd.

The lead actress is one thing this flick has going for it. Doe-eyed brunette cutie-pie Nina Dobrev pretty much carries this entire film and she does a pretty solid job at it. Geek demi-icon Kevin Sorbo (Hercules The Legendary Journeys) is slightly amusing as a celebrity outdoorsman tapped by our heroine to help her take out her new neighbor, who for some reason can turn into a werewolf at will by wrapping a strip of some pervert's neckskin around his knuckles. Yeeeeaaaah, the werewolf mythology on this one is shaky at best. Also, he can bite people and apparently turn them into living lycanthropic plastic surgery disasters. Whatever. Throw in a pathetic love interest with awful emo hair, an annoying little brother, the creepiest dog this side of Cujo, and a pot of eyeball stew and you've got a lame-but-watchable horror romp that even my two year old son laughed at. A lot. There's some blood splatter going on, but very little actual gore unless you count a wolf exploding into translucent goo as gore. I do not.

While "Never Cry Werewolf" offers some creeps, a hot protagonist, and a pretty cool werewolf (realistic: no. Cool: yes.) there is not enough to scratch that horror itch. There is however, some cannibalism which can only help. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously, which is good. But probably half of the scenes are ripped off wholesale from other films. That is bad. Couple making out in car hears noise, boy steps out to investigate upon girl's urging. Gee, I wonder what happens next? Lameness, that's what. Telepathic werewolf: why?!?! Reincarnated lost love? That's not even a werewolf movie convention, that's either a mummy or a crummy vampire flick! Come on! They even rip off Hitchcock, though I imagine a lot of people will think it's Shia Lebouf being robbed. I can say that I've genuinely never seen a werewolf take a hostage to use as a human shield to protect himself from the assault of a teenage girl before. I wish I could still say that. So much wrong.

As bad as this movie is, it is still better than Cursed, and that one had gore. There is some smirk-worthy humor, a few genuinely creepy bits -most involving that damn dog-, and did I mention the attractiveness of the lead actress? All-around a watchable movie, but just don't go in thinking you're getting a full-on unrated frightfest. This is a bare-bones release, but I don't imagine there'd be any special features I'd actually want to watch anyway. Have a look if you're in a light-hearted mood and have seen every other werewolf movie. And if you have seen every other werewolf movie; my condolences on having sat through the unspeakably terrible Howling sequels. Those make this one look like An American Werewolf in London.

2 1/2 stars, rounded down for false advertising.
Again, do not sell a PG-13 DVD with an "unrated"label! I will cut you if I find you.



September 17, 2008

Sorbo plays a great reluctant hero!

When I first heard about this movie,I wasn't sure I would like it since I've never been one for werewolf movies. I wasn't disappointed! Kevin Sorbo does a great job of playing a guy,down on his luck,who gets a chance to do something to change his life,but yet is reluctant to do so. Yet he takes the challenge to prove to himself what kind of man he really is. As for the young girl,she was good. Kudos to the special effects people for a dynamite job on the werewolf head-it was down right scary! I recommend this to any Sorbo fan and to anyone who likes werewolf films in general. September 16, 2008

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