Big Bad Wolf (2006)

Director: Lance W. Dreesen

Starring: Trevor Duke, Kimberly J. Brown

Run Time: 95 mins

Certificate: 18

Plot Outline: Derek wants to fit in by joining a fraternity so he offers some of the members the chance to sneak into his asshole stepfather's cabin in the woods for a weekend of partying. However the weekend doesn't turn out well and everyone except Derek and his friend Samantha is killed by a werewolf. Derek has a suspicion that his stepfather is hiding a terrible secret and sets out trying to prove it. But the situation is made even worse when the stepfather realises what Derek is doing.

The Review: I've got to admit that the only reason I ever checked Big Bad Wolf out was because I saw a still photo from it featuring a werewolf grabbing hold of a semi-naked blonde girl in a manner almost too sexual to be a kill scene. Almost immediately, I decided that I had to see this and Big Bad Wolf doesn't disappoint. I wish they made more films like this. Something that pushes the boundaries of taste a little further than the norm. Something that doesn't give a crap whether it's corny, campy or sleazy. Something that isn't perfect and knows it. Something that is just fun and entertaining. That my friends, is Big Bad Wolf. It's not the greatest werewolf film out there but it doesn't fail to disappoint.

It's a lot of fun in an old school 80s way. The werewolf story isn't brimming with originality but at least some new twists are attempted to the old routine. The script works and gives us characters you'll like and characters you'll hate. It's a given in any film that you need some main characters to empathise with and in Derek (Trevor Duke), a bit of a wimp and an oddball, you have a rather different hero to root for than your usual good-looking, jock-like teenager. This dweeb is easy to like and cheer on, not only to stop the werewolf but to get the girl he wants too. As hilarious and gory as the action scenes are, I liked the scenes of the two leads trying to prove that the stepfather is a werewolf. The scenes add drama to the film and give the characters a bit of depth. But for all of it's decent casting and script, the beauty of the film is down to the sleaze and cheese factor. The kill scenes are full of splatter and gore as the werewolf gets messy, ripping arms off, slashing throats and having a good feed. There's also nudity from one of the great-looking chicks in the film. There's even a bit of rape and bestiality! In one really disturbing scene, the werewolf ropes the token slutty cheerleader character. Her boyfriend screams "she was a virgin!" as he tries to get into the room to which the werewolf sarcastically replies "well she ain't anymore!" If you've read that and you're laughing, then this film is for you. If you've read that and want to report the film to the censors board, then this clearly is going to offend you right from the get go.

Richard Tyson is great the sinister step dad who turns into the werewolf. He adds just the right mix of violence and sleaze to his character and that's both in human form and werewolf form. He's one of the ultimate asshole characters I've ever seen and that's before he even opens his mouth! The guy just has the "dick" vibe to him with his eyes. When he's in human form, he's good. When he's in werewolf form, he's excellent. You see this werewolf talks. And not only does he talk, he fires off one-liners and quips, most of which do actually hit the mark. But when he's not making light of the situation, he's one nasty piece of work. He's not just your token werewolf who acts like a rabid animal - this one still retains plenty of his humanity but in this case he has no morals and no control. He's quite happy to explore the darker side of human nature, unleashed repressed desires and indulge in shocking practices. And because he thinks he's unstoppable, his "you can't do anything about it" attitude is awesome. He gets his own way for a lot of the film. The only thing slightly disappointing is the werewolf make-up. It looks like a cheap Halloween costume at times but maybe that's where the fun in this is. The make-up does at least allow for Richard Tyson to be able to act through the make-up and convey lots of different emotions. The transformation scene is done with CGI and it's not convincing but thankfully it's not a regular occurrence. Once you've seen it, the film assumes you don't need to see it again.

Final Verdict: Big Bad Wolf has got a great sense of humour, loads of old school gore, a wise-cracking werewolf and naked chicks - what more do you want from a cheap b-movie schlocker?

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