All Critics (43)
|
Top Critics (4)
|
Fresh (46)
|
Rotten (5)
|
DVD (33)
A clever mixture of comedy and horror which succeeds in being both funny and scary, An American Werewolf in London possesses an overriding eagerness to please that prevents it from becoming off-putting.
It's a failure, less because the odd stylistic mix doesn't take (it does from time to time, and to striking effect) than because Landis hasn't bothered to put his story into any kind of satisfying shape.
Seems curiously unfinished, as if director John Landis spent all his energy on spectacular set pieces and then didn't want to bother with things like transitions, character development, or an ending.
Considering its often campy competition, it's hard to argue that, if your in the mood for lycanthropy, London is the place to go.
Not just gory but actually frightening, not just funny but clever, 'American Werewolf...' has its flaws, but these are outweighed by the film's many, mighty strengths.
The best movie ever written by a teenager - Landis was 19 when he penned the first draft - and a constant comic delight.
But in a "comedy horror" picture, the "horror" bits aren't supposed to be this scary. He would have been better off dispensing with the comedy altogether.
Scary-funny is an acquired taste. For me, it tends to be a recipe in which you can't taste either of the constituent ingredients. The big man-to-wolf transformation scene is still a marvel.
The metamorphoses into the werewolf scenes are spectacular and the beast's rampage through Piccadilly Circus is marvellous. Splendid gory fun.
Still scary, violent and very, very funny.
Some of the special effects are a little creaky now, but the snap of Landis's editing and the razor's-edge balance of horror and comedy are still fresh.
An American Werewolf in London, like a fine wine, just keeps getting more and more vintage.
Undeniably delivers a good share of scares and dark laughs. And for all its lack of discipline, it's a model of directorial clarity when compared with Landis's subsequent work, which inexorably descended into indulgence and foolishness.
Carnivorous lunar activities rarely come any more entertaining than this.
One of the all-time great horror movies, a pitch-perfect mix of belly laughs and genuine scares.
Director John Landis brings humor to this offbeat reworking of the familiar tale for which Rick Baker received a well deserved Oscar for his makeup (in the first year of that category).
You've got to give John Landis credit for taking the well-worn werewolf tale and injecting it with new life, so to speak.
...creepy good fun, and in high definition on an HD-DVD Combo disc, you can have your blood and drink it, too. (HD-DVD Edition)
Landis leans too heavily on the shock effects provided by Rick Baker's lycanthropic transformation make-up.
Darkly funny, suspenseful and unforgettable.
More Critic Reviews
Top Critic
