A Movie Review By Anthony Ritter
Werewolf by Night is a new special presentation that just launched on Disney Plus. Monster hunters come from around the world to determine who will be the next hunter to earn the Bloodstone and Leadership of the other hunters. The hunters enter a labyrinth where they must hunt down the beast with the bloodstone while fending off the other competitors. One hunter though hides a dark secret that would make the target on his back even bigger.
What follows is The Good, The Bad, and The Spoilers of Werewolf by Night.
The Good
Werewolf by Night has a great classic monster movie vibe. This is achieved not only by having the entire movie in black and white, but also through the over-the-top acting by the more whimsical characters like the step-mother and butler. One of my favorite parts early in the movie was the very small amount of CGI and the bigger focus on special effects. This ranged from the monster heads mounted around the wall, to the Ulysses Bloodstone automaton that very comically talks to the hunter. I also like that when we finally see the werewolf, he is also a character that is more make-up and special effects than CGI.
I loved the cameo of Ted, aka Man-Thing.
The Bad
This Marvel special presentation Werewolf by Night is not going to be for everyone. There are no big cameos, except Man-Thing, and no major connection to any current MCU stories. That doesn’t mean there isn’t some way it will be tied in at some point, but currently I could find none. Unless you know the more obscure side of Marvel, you may watch this wondering how it is Marvel at all.
Marvel has become a very kid-friendly franchise. Very young children love watching superhero movies. Werewolf by Night is, at times, a darker, more violent movie than previous Marvel movies. Parents may feel the need to give it a watch first, before the little ones.
My Overall Opinion
I enjoyed Werewolf by Night, but there are many who will not care for this new Marvel project. If you like a classic monster movie, this one meets the criteria. It’s mildly comical, while also slightly suspenseful and, of course, being filmed in black and white is the cherry on top. If you are watching this movie hoping to see some big Marvel superheroes, MCU story connection, or lots of CGI riddled battles, you are sadly going to be disappointed.
On his blog “GoodBadSpoilers.com”, Anthony Ritter critiques and writes a review on selected movies. Once you see a movie that Ritter has reviewed, visit his blog and share your point of view.
