Superior Species

Based on the novel of the same title by Whitley Strieber, (The Last Vampire: A Novel) the 1981 sci-fi horror film, Wolfen has the makings of a first rate suspense thriller, but by wandering off in the horror genre, with a slightly new age twist, it winds up as merely an average quasi-horror, psychological thriller. It is nowhere near as entertaining as An American Werewolf In London*, a black comedy on a similar theme, with eye popping special effects and a tight story line.

When a wealthy couple is found savagely mutilated in a New York City Park, a crusty veteran Police Detective, Dewey Wilson, (Albert Finney) is called in to investigate the murders. The City Coronor (Gregory Hines) is somewhat mystified by the configuration of the wounds that do not appear to be caused by familiar conventional weapons. Criminal Psychologist Rebecca Neff (Diane Venora) is assigned to assist in the investigation as the victims, of seemingly varied social status (drug addicts, homeless people) begin to mount. Forensic testing soon reveals that hairs left on the victims are not from a human species.

The investigation takes a strange twist when the Police investigation begins to focus on the political enemies of the wealthy murder victim, while Wilson stumbles upon a folklorish tale by a Native American (Edward James Olmos) about a superior species The Wolfen that once roamed the area, and are now living and hunting in the slums.

Chaos ensues when Wilson and Dr. Neff come face to face with a gang of The Wolfen. Wilson must use all of his nerve and intellect to discern the motivation behind the mutilations, in order to save his life.

Credit should be given to Director Michael Wadleigh for his inventive use of camera work, shot through dense filters, that depict the motions of the characters as seen through the eyes of The Wolfen. The addition of the thumping heartbeat during the stalking process adds to the intensity of the attack scenes, which are quite graphic, and expertly staged.

The biggest problem with the film is the convoluted plot that starts out as a normal police procedural and then spins off into a mystic, supernatural, twist with the Native American folklore subplot. In order to tie it all together in the end, the final scenes come across a bit contrived and implausible.

This film features the screen debut of Gregory Hines, who adds a bit of mild humor to an otherwise serious film. Albert Finney and Diane Venora deliver credible performances, within the confines of the unwieldy plot and underdeveloped characters. Tom Noonan adds a fine performance as ill fated, intense, Police Chief Ferguson.

Although Wolfen manages to create a few suspenseful moments, and some great panoramic view of the Big Apple, it is a bit heavy handed in it's message of exploitation of the Native American population and the anti-urbanization revenge factor in The Wolfen attacks. Unfortunately, this undercuts the horror features of the film, and all that is left is a tense, gruesome, sci-fi flick, loosely based on the ancient werewolf legend.

See my review of An American Werewolf in London:

http://www.epinions.com/content_42105343620