AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN PARIS (1997)

Directed By: Anthony Waller
Written By: Anthony Waller, Tom Stern & Tim Burns
Based on Original characters by: John Landis
Cinematography By: Egon Werdin
Editor: Peter R. Adam

CAST: Tom Everett Scott, Julie Delpy, Vince Vieluf, Julie Bowen


Everything about this film is all wrong. It doesn't come close to being a quality sequel to the original AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. All the more tragic is if it had been successful there would have been a bunch of sequels in different regions directed by a different master of horror, Hopefully with their own spins on the series. The film was in development for 6 years and it's sad this was the best they could come up with. Original director John LAndis even wrote a script that was considered but dumped which was when he decided he'd rather not direct the sequel.

The director her is Anthony Waller who made a impressive film debut with MUTE WITNESS. So i could see why he was left with the franchise in hopes of revitalizing it, but from the start it feels like the film is doomed.

The tone of the film is supposed to be horror-comedy, but it plays more like a lame attempt at comedy. which doesn't help the horror part when the star of the film looks more goofy then dangerous or serious.

The scenes of so called horror lack gore and the werewolves are all digital and look digital so it's really hard to be scared of a cartoon.

I can blame the climate of the time it was made. When it came to mainstream horror back then it was either PG-13 or borderline R which for some reason didn't like to show too much violence or gore but plenty of blood was ok. I can't blame the climate totally the film is just bad. No matter what the intentions were. Plus this was around the time that CGI was just really becoming the norm. So every stdio seemed to think this was a godsend to cure any special effects problem.

Another problem is that werewolf movies get short shrift. Vampire films are usually romantic or the go to horror villians. Where as werewolves since they are considered more animalistic beasts are usually portrayed as savages who can't be controlled and since most movies want a romance. That is why the market is flooded with vampire films and are seen as better creatures. Well yeah if 100 vampire films are made a year and 1o of them are good that's a better percentage then 15 werewolf films and none are good. Plus the werewolf films are usually relegated to DVD. The good ones you usually have to discover. Vampires have TWILIGHT, DRACULA, THE LOST BOYS, FROM DUSK TIL DAWN TV shows and literature. Werewolves only have a handful of memorable films like AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, GINGER SNAPS, DOG SOLDIERS and IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES. That's really it and how many of the ones i mentioned are that well known.

THe story takes place when a bunh of thrill seeking young men come to paris to bungee jump the eiffel tower. one of them is attacked by werewloves and survives the attack he ends up falling in love with a female werewolf who is trying to stop a gang of werewolves who want to slaughter humans and take over paris. It is just a ridiculous movie. The link to the original is that the female werewolf is the daughter of the main character's from the original film.

Skip It

GRADE: F