Customer Reviews

Never Cry Werewolf

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Imagine "Rear Window" and "Fright Night" rolled into one movie and you've got a pretty good idea of what "Never Cry Werewolf" is about. Teenaged Loren (Nina Dobrev) thinks there's something odd about her new neighbour, Jared (Peter Stebbings), so starts spying on him from her bedroom window using her brother's telescope. It turns out that Jared is a werewolf and a serial killer, although the police won't believe Loren when she tries to tell them. This leaves Loren to deal with Jared herself, which she does with the assistance of Redd Tucker (Kevin Sorbo), a washed-up television hunter.

"Never Cry Werewolf" is an entertaining film and for a made-for-TV movie, it is above average in quality. However, there is something about this film that just didn't sit right in my mind. Although all of the scenes appear in a logical sequence and form a coherent story, there is something disjoint about them, to the point of being almost episodic, and the director never seems to quite make up his mind as to whether this is a horror-comedy or a straight horror film. Add to that the fact that Kevin Sorbo doesn't appear until halfway through the film and the fact that the idea of Stebbings (who has some pretty obvious wrinkles) being romantically interested in a high school girl is kind of creepy, and you've got a pretty flawed movie.

Given that it was made-for-TV and on an obviously low-moderate budget (the werewolf looks like a stuffed grizzly bear), there is a surprisingly large amount of blood and gore. Less than you would find in a cinema-release horror movie, but more than in most telemovies. This might put off some viewers, especially those used to Sorbo's other telemovies (such as "Avenging Angel") which are extremely family friendly. Of course, this might also appeal to some viewers, in particular the teenagers whom this film is so obviously aimed at.

Overall, in spite of its flaws, I enjoyed "Never Cry Werewolf". It's a fun film to watch and Sorbo's small role is cheesy but makes the film worthwhile. It might not be as good as other werewolf movies, such as "Silver Bullet", the "American Werewolf" films or "Ginger Snaps", but I still anticipate rewatching it sometime in the future, which, as far as I'm concerned, makes it worth the price of purchase.

When I first heard about this movie,I wasn't sure I would like it since I've never been one for werewolf movies. I wasn't disappointed! Kevin Sorbo does a great job of playing a guy,down on his luck,who gets a chance to do something to change his life,but yet is reluctant to do so. Yet he takes the challenge to prove to himself what kind of man he really is. As for the young girl,she was good. Kudos to the special effects people for a dynamite job on the werewolf head-it was down right scary! I recommend this to any Sorbo fan and to anyone who likes werewolf films in general.

This movie is more for teens and youngsters than a die hard horror movie fan. This movie doesn't have anything on BAD MOON, or THE HOWLING. It would be a good movie for some teens to sit down and watch at a slumber party. It is entertaining to a point but not scary at all.

"Never Cry Werewolf" is the very definition of horror lite. I'm about sick and tired of PG-13 DVD's being advertised as "unrated". Don't get me wrong, this isn't an unwatchable mess of a film that will leave you angry about the 90 minutes of your life you can never get back, but if you watch werewolf movies for gore, nudity, and terror than don't hesitate to pass this by. This is another intended for the tween crowd.

The lead actress is one thing this flick has going for it. Doe-eyed brunette cutie-pie Nina Dobrev pretty much carries this entire film and she does a pretty solid job at it. Geek demi-icon Kevin Sorbo (Hercules The Legendary Journeys) is slightly amusing as a celebrity outdoorsman tapped by our heroine to help her take out her new neighbor, who for some reason can turn into a werewolf at will by wrapping a strip of some pervert's neckskin around his knuckles. Yeeeeaaaah, the werewolf mythology on this one is shaky at best. Also, he can bite people and apparently turn them into living lycanthropic plastic surgery disasters. Whatever. Throw in a pathetic love interest with awful emo hair, an annoying little brother, the creepiest dog this side of Cujo, and a pot of eyeball stew and you've got a lame-but-watchable horror romp that even my two year old son laughed at. A lot. There's some blood splatter going on, but very little actual gore unless you count a wolf exploding into translucent goo as gore. I do not.

While "Never Cry Werewolf" offers some creeps, a hot protagonist, and a pretty cool werewolf (realistic: no. Cool: yes.) there is not enough to scratch that horror itch. There is however, some cannibalism which can only help. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously, which is good. But probably half of the scenes are ripped off wholesale from other films. That is bad. Couple making out in car hears noise, boy steps out to investigate upon girl's urging. Gee, I wonder what happens next? Lameness, that's what. Telepathic werewolf: why?!?! Reincarnated lost love? That's not even a werewolf movie convention, that's either a mummy or a crummy vampire flick! Come on! They even rip off Hitchcock, though I imagine a lot of people will think it's Shia Lebouf being robbed. I can say that I've genuinely never seen a werewolf take a hostage to use as a human shield to protect himself from the assault of a teenage girl before. I wish I could still say that. So much wrong.

As bad as this movie is, it is still better than Cursed, and that one had gore. There is some smirk-worthy humor, a few genuinely creepy bits -most involving that damn dog-, and did I mention the attractiveness of the lead actress? All-around a watchable movie, but just don't go in thinking you're getting a full-on unrated frightfest. This is a bare-bones release, but I don't imagine there'd be any special features I'd actually want to watch anyway. Have a look if you're in a light-hearted mood and have seen every other werewolf movie. And if you have seen every other werewolf movie; my condolences on having sat through the unspeakably terrible Howling sequels. Those make this one look like An American Werewolf in London.

2 1/2 stars, rounded down for false advertising.
Again, do not sell a PG-13 DVD with an "unrated"label! I will cut you if I find you.

I will admit that the main reason I watched this movie is to see Peter Stebbings. That said, it's not the best werewolf movie I've ever seen but it's cool. It's more geared towards teens and it's solution is too simple for my taste. But, since it is a teen movie and there isn't a lot of time spent on the back story of the mysterious neighbor, I suppose I should be happy with what we got.

Seeing Kevin Sorbo is a reluctant hero role was nice for a change too. I thoroughly enjoyed Peter Stebbings performance but I don't think the lead female (Nina Dobrev) was written as well as she could've been.

A lot of people are calling it a "rip-off" of Fright Night. Whatever. I liked it and so I recommend seeing it, especially if you are a Stebbings or Sorbo fan, it's worth the watch.

It's another sifi channel special if your looking for a terrifying and scary werewolf film keep looking. If you looking for another werewolf film to fill out your collection.
Ya buy, it's not bad, and it's not good. It's average horror fare.
My only recommendation is that the werewolf head looks good.

I mostly watched it because I started to like Nina Dobrev from her role in The Vampire Diaries. Unfortunately, it's a little too similar to that (substitute werewolf for Vampire) and unspectacular as compared to that.

My advise, just watch the Vampire Diaries instead.

Have you ever had the feeling that the guy who moved into the house where the registered sex offender was murdered was a werewolf? Then you might want to see this movie. If instead you suspect he's a vampire, then see Fright Night. If he's just your run-of-the-mill psychopath then Disturbia might be a better suggestion.

You see, all of these movies are about a protagonist confined to their home with a really creepy neighbor. Said neighbor has a dark secret, but only our house-bound hero knows the truth. The fun part is that he does everything a logical person would do: scream, tell his friends, and call the police. Due to disadvantages ranging from physical disability to social status, nobody believes him. And so it's up to our hero and perhaps a few unwitting fools to battle the monster in his lair.

Never Cry Werewolf has a few differences, but they're skin deep. The werewolf (Peter Stebbings as Jared Martin) has a creepy allure worthy of a vampire; seems 16-year-old Loren Hansett (Nina Dobrev) reminds him of his long lost love. He also has an ill-tempered dog and a motorcycle, which makes him something of a celebrity in the small town. When prostitutes begin disappearing, Loren becomes increasingly desperate, culminating in a visit to Stebbings' house. Which is exactly what he wanted all along...

Never Cry Werewolf gets several things right. The werewolf myth is accurate; medieval scholars believed one could become a werewolf by wearing a strip of flesh from an evil man, which is precisely how Stebbings' power works (and why he murdered the sex offender). He is accompanied by a black dog, his familiar - embracing the magical side of werewolf lore. Despite the obvious age difference between Stebbings and Hansett, he has an animal magnetism she finds difficult to resist. Sure, it's a little creepy that an older man is literally sniffing around a younger girl - but then, this is a horror movie, right?

Just like Fright Night, Never Cry Werewolf ropes in a has-been celebrity (Kevin Sorbo as Redd Tucker) who unwillingly joins the fight, only to find his acting skills are more useful than his legendary persona. Complicating matters is lovesick Steven Kepkie (Sean O'Neill) who has a crush on Loren, and her younger brother Kyle (Spencer Van Wyck) who is just an all-around pain in the neck. What's a teenage girl to do?

Kick butt and take names, that's what. Where Fright Night was a coming-of-age tale in the 80s, Never Cry Werewolf is a grrl-power parable in the tradition of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. By the time Hansett strips down to her black sports bra, she's all woman.

The werewolf effects are suitably menacing, the acting predictably cheesy, and the plot keeps tongue firmly in snout. Never Cry Werewolf may not be very original, but then neither was Fright Night. If you happen to be a photographer with a broken leg living next door to a salesman carrying mysterious heavy packages, you might be interested in a little film called Rear Window...

In the land of direct-to-video Horror, few werewolf films manage to survive past their initial release. BLOOD MOON and GINGER SNAPS are two rare exceptions, and while NEVER CRY WEREWOLF does not quite stack up to these modern classics, its adaptation of the voyeuristic themes first presented in REAR WINDOW into an "after-school special" creature feature make for an enjoyable watch. The plot is simple enough, with two high school students trailing their creepy neighbor after they become suspicious of his lunar activities. Though its premise is clearly derivative, FRIGHT NIGHT and DISTURBIA fans can surely appreciate the familiar structure and expected scares, while werewolf fans will be pleasantly surprised by its impressive costume designs. NEVER CRY WEREWOLF overcomes its budgetary limitations in its brief use of computerized imagery by introducing a sleek weredog design that is far more creative and cleanly rendered than any of the other films sharing its size and scale. Outside of a cheesy cameo by Hercules' Kevin Sorbo, the acting here is also much better than one might expect. NEVER CRY WEREWOLF won't appeal to everyone, but it is worth seeking out for the hardcore werewolf fans.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

Using the oft-revisited plotline of "Rear Window" as a base, mixing in a few parts of "Fright Night" and every film in which an attractive starlet wears a skimpy outfit in order to kick butt, "Never Cry Werewolf" gives horror fans a decent rainy day matinee flick to watch.

"Degrassi: The Next Generation" star Nina Dobrev heads up the film's cast as Loren Hansett, an attractive teen who's got a sneaking suspicion that her new neighbor, Jared Martin (Peter Stebbings), isn't exactly a nice guy. When people go missing and strange things begin to happen at Jared's home, Loren does a bit of investigating and discovers that her neighbor favors a full moon.

Jared, on the other hand, believes that Loren is his long lost love reincarnated. He'll stop at nothing to win (or at the least take aggressively) her love.

Enter Redd Tucker (a hilarious Kevin Sorbo), a man's man-type of television hunter who's actually a complete poser. Loren enlists him and a neighbor with a huge crush on her, Steven (Sean O'Neill), to help her stop Jared's murderous ways. What ensues is a mix of humor, light horror, and decent special effects.

For what it is, "Never Cry Werewolf" works. It's not a great film, but it won't leave you feeling as if you've wasted an entire afternoon or evening watching it. It has a bit of everything for fans of the werewolf genre, including a wicked "pet" that's actually one of the highlights of the film.

Dobrev, Sorbo and Stebbings all do good jobs in their respective roles. Dobrev in particular did a very convincing job as Loren. She also appears to have channelled Jessica Biel a la "Blade: Trinity" for her outfit (which suits her just fine). Sorbo hams it up with his character. This might turn off some viewers, but I found myself pulling for his pitiful character once he enters the story. Stebbings pulled of his character's sinister streak perfectly, making Jared quite believeable.

Much like many of its predecessors, the film uses a lot of humor to move the story along. This borders on campiness at times, but the film manages to stay grounded enough in the horror vein that you won't think you're watching a spoof.

In summary, "Never Cry Werewolf" has its problems, but relishes in the fact that those problems are what give the film its character. A likeable cast, decent special effects and a good (though unoriginal) story make "Never Cry Werewolf" a three star film. Recommended as a rental to light horror fans and perhaps a purchase for those who like their scares with a campy tinge to them.