A Werewolf Boy (2012/CJ Entertainment DVD)

 

Picture: C     Sound: B-     Extras: A     Film: B+

 

 

An old woman remembers her childhood, when a young, feral mute boy was brought to her home. Shunned by society the take him in, but when a lustful, corrupt, rich and spoiled landlord threatens the family, the boy's darker side surfaces.  Can beautiful Suni tame this wild beast of a boy or will she have to do the ultimate betrayal to the boy who has shown her unparalleled kindness and devotion?

 

In Jo Sung-hee’s A Werewolf Boy, a young gal named Suni is being home schooled because of her medical condition and stays away from the outside world.  That is until a wild wolf boy enters her life, who is more miserable and alone than hers.  As she slowly trains him to live in the civilized world and with the family she falls in love with the boy, but unfortunately not everything loves the boy back.  Envied by a lustful and jealous bully landlord, he tries to get authorities to get rid of this 'beast', but then triggers the boy's anger and transformation for trying to tear the family apart. In the end will Suni have to abandon him to save him?

 

This was a touching and mostly funny movie, sort of like a Korean version of Twilight, a young girl falling in love with supernatural creature, but in the end the creature was not as scary as the evil in man's heart, the werewolf boy while wild, still was a noble savage.  However, this offered much more in the way of character development and is highly recommended.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is softer than even its horror movie styling should have it be, but the lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is pretty effective and could have even sounded better on Blu-ray.  Extras include making of the film, deleted scenes, commentary, alternate ending, language of Cheol-Su, poster shoot, and trailers.

 

 

-   Ricky Chiang