WHEN ACTOR Benicio Del Toro was a young boy in Puerto Rico, he had a fascination with monster movies, especially 1941’s “The Wolf Man.” While the movie’s poster hung on his bedroom wall and fan magazines fed his appetite, play-acting the howling beast was probably the strongest indication of things to come. Years later, after winning an Oscar for his role as a tough in cop in “Traffic,” Del Toro’s clout as a rising star, with his rugged looks on not-to-be-messed-with on-screen persona, helped him to realize his early dreams to remake the original “Wolf Man” for modern audiences. His determination and vision were clear. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for “The Wolfman,” Del Toro’s remake, starring and produced by him, now in theatres nationwide.

Del Toro plays Lawrence Talbot, the son of a British nobleman, who as a young boy was sent to live with his aunt in America after suffering the trauma of seeing his mother with her throat slashed. Now an adult, Lawrence has returned to England touring the country as the star of “Hamlet.” He receives a letter from his brother Ben’s fiancée Gwen (Emily Blunt) informing him that his brother has disappeared. He returns home to the family estate called Blackmoor, now decrepit and cobwebbed, and greeted by his father (Anthony Hopkins) whose suspicious eyes say as much if not more than his words; their reunion is chilly. With Ben’s disemboweled body discovered, rumors of a diabolical predator in their midst and guilt pointing to a group of local gypsies, Lawrence shows up at the gypsy camp under siege by the townspeople eager to kill the menacing marauder. During the rampage, Lawrence sustains a bite. Thereafter, on the night of every full moon, he is transformed into the Wolf Man and begins his carnage. With the determination of a Scotland Yard inspector (Hugo Weaving), Lawrence is sent to an insane asylum to prove that his condition is psychological delusion. Meanwhile, the conflicted Lawrence, very much aware of his on and off predicament, decides to squash any budding amorous relationship between him and Gwen; and with vivid and painful flashbacks to his childhood (spoiler alert!), he digs deeper to understand his father’s connection in any of struggles.

The problem with the film is that Del Toro’s stated passion for the genre should have only materialized as a producer and not as the half man/half monster. His brooding persona doesn’t help create any sparks between him and Gwen – there’s no visible passion while he struggles with what has happened to him and his carnal desire for Gwen. The biggest problem with the film, however, may be that it has no teeth – pardon the pun. The director, Joe Johnston (“Jumanjii”), showed up after the first director Mark Romanek left before filming began, and a few writers had a stab at it. The story is simple enough, yet the film has no noticeable stamp on it; its tone seems flat. No undercurrent of tension threads the movie; you can tell when the monster is going to strike and then the tension is gone. I wasn’t quite sure if some parts were intentionally funny. While there’s plenty of evisceration and flashes of gore – presumably something to attract modern audiences - Del Toro’s transformation into the beast is first rate by 6-time Oscar winning make-up effects master, Rick Baker.

“The Wolfman” is MPAA-rated R: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian for disturbing violent content, language and some nudity.