History YMMV / TheWolfman2010

* CompleteMonster: [[spoiler: Sir John Talbot]] is a literal and figurative monster. Cursed with lycanthropy decades before the film, [[spoiler:Sir John]] murdered his wife accidentally and allowed his young son Lawrence to be sent to an asylum to have the memory of the werewolf tortured out of him. When Lawrence's brother was going to leave the [[spoiler:Talbot]] home, [[spoiler:John]] didn't lock himself up on the full moon with the express intent of transforming and tearing his son apart. He allows himself to transform outside his cage shortly after, killing many innocent people and infecting the returned Lawrence. He allows Lawrence to transform and go on a killing rampage so he'll be blamed for the killings and be sent back to the asylum for more torture and insanity. [[spoiler:Sir John]] had given his Indian manservant Singh a gun with silver shells to stop him should he ever lose control, but upon Lawrence's return to the manor to settle things with his father, he finds Singh's butchered corpse and [[spoiler:John]] gleefully informing him he'd removed the powder from the shells years ago. Seeing his curse as power, [[spoiler:John Talbot]] believes that he is the superior species and can do whatever he wants to anyone, even his own sons who he views as nothing more than possessions.

* OlderThanTheyThink: [[http://www.comicbookmovie.com/horror/wolfman-a-rip-off-of-twilight-a15128 "Your Wolfman ripped off Twilight."]] ...um, ahem. The angry letter claims that the movie is ripping off ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' (2008) even though it's a remake of [[Film/TheWolfMan1941 the original movie]] (1941) which drew from the common mythology of werewolves (circa 60 AD). The context of the letter strongly indicates that the writer believes Stephanie Meyer invented werewolves.

** The director's decision to use a computer animated bear and deer. Also doubles as SpecialEffectsFailure.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:

* BetterOnDVD: Almost all DVD and home video releases of the film are the Extended Cut of the film, which gives more meat to the characters and makes the story more engaging before the werewolf setpieces commence.

* HarsherInHindsight: Sir John [[spoiler: defending Lawrence from the lynch mob seems a lot less fatherly once we realize that he wants Lawrence to be TheScapegoat for his attacks and is just making sure that he'll be around to transform and go on a rampage during the next full moon]].

* OlderThanTheyThink: [[http://www.comicbookmovie.com/horror/wolfman-a-rip-off-of-twilight-a15128 "Your Wolfman ripped off Twilight."]] ...um, ahem. The angry letter claims that the movie is ripping off of Twilight (2008) even though it's a remake of [[Film/TheWolfMan1941 the original movie]] (1941) which drew from the common mythology of werewolves (circa 60 AD). The context of the letter strongly indicates that the writer believes Stephanie Meyer invented werewolves.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Did the lynch mob really want to kill Lawrence or just keep him prisoner and/or observe him until the full moon was over?

* TheWoobie: You can't help but feel pretty crappy for Lawrence after his time in the asylum. You feel pretty crappy for him for most of the movie!

** Dr. Honegger: a sadist and a quack, or a misunderstood man with a poor bedside manner whose sincerely trying to help the mentally ill but restricted by the beliefs and methodology of his time. Notably, if Lawrence hadn't been a werewolf, then forcing him to confront the fact that he wasn't changing, in front of so many witnesses, might have been a useful step for curing him.

** In the midst of the werewolf son and father battle, Benicio Del Toro's character's love-interest Gwen runs into another room to escape the battling beasts. Suddenly, right in the next scene she is already on the other side of the lawn outside the burning mansion. The scene cut looked like she managed to cover that much ground in only a few seconds, and wearing a thick Victorian dress no less!

** The director's decision to use a computer animated bear and deer. Also doubles as special effects failure.

** The scene where the wolf is on the roof with the statue, howling at the moon. It's supposed to look all imposing and whatnot, but comes across as though he's raping the statue.

* RetroactiveRecognition: [=McQueen=] is Blackfish Tully.
* SignatureScene: Lawrence's slow, detailed, agonizing transformation in the asylum.

** The doctor's impalement on the asylum fence.
** And shortly after that, the scene where the wolf is on the roof with the statue, howling at the moon. It's supposed to look all imposing and whatnot, but comes across as though he's raping the statue.

* AdaptationDisplacement

* CrazyAwesome: Sir John is a proper, English gentleman who's also a keen shot with a rifle, a keen liar/actor, and a great hunter as he is dressed in different furs and his home is decorated with different stuffed beasts is a testimony of this. [[spoiler:He's completely INSANE and a werewolf to boot.]]

** Whenever the wolfman starts howling. However, it's more NarmCharm than pure out narm.

* SignatureScene: [[CrazyAwesome The werewolf fight at the end]].

* BetterOnDVD: Almost all DVD and home video releases of the film are the Extended Cut of the film, which give more meat to the characters and makes the story more engaging before the werewolf setpieces commence.

* RetroactiveRecognition: McQueen is Blackfish Tully.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: OnlySaneMan McQueen and CombatMedic Doctor Lloyd are killed with little fanfare the first time Lawrence transforms, when both could have played interesting roles in the final act.