Wolf Wolf Wolf Wolf (Teen Wolf (DVD))

Member Name: Whizz11

Product:	Teen Wolf (DVD)
Date:	24/03/09 (157 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: 80's classic, Michael J Fox, basketball

Disadvantages: None

Teen Wolf

One of my favourite 80's movies of all times has to be Teen Wolf. It's one of those that you know all the lines to and can watch over and over again and still not get bored. I think it combines that classic 80's cheesiness with the perfect mix of teen angst, and love and friendship to bring you a great film.

The basic plot for the show involves a Scott Howard, a high school student who is struggling with the fact that he is able to transform into a werewolf. He keeps this to himself for a while but upon divulging it to his father, finds out that he too is a werewolf and gives him advice on how to deal with it. Scott doesn't really take his advice as he finds that, after some initial reservations from the other students it now gives him a edge at high school and he becomes the popular kid. Throw in a couple love interests, some sceptical friends, some enemies and lots of basketball, then you have the rest of the movie.

Scott Howard is played by the eternal high school student, Michael J Fox. I love him as an actor, (Back to the Future is another one of my favourites) and I really think he makes the movie. Teen Wolf was actually filmed before Back to the Future but was not released until after it, at which point it and MJF were an absolute success. Teen Wolf was released in 1985. What's ironic is that Michael J Fox was actually 24 when the movie came out but was playing a 17 year old high school student. He can get away with it though because he has such boyish features!

Basketball is featured quite a lot in this movie but you don't have to be a sports fan to enjoy the film. The basketball games are actually good fun to watch, yes predictable but hilarious. It's actually on the basketball court that Scott reveals himself as The Wolf. During a scrum for a wayward ball Scott gets angry and becomes the wolf for the first time in front of practically the whole school. It is quite funny to see their reactions and then weird in that everyone just carries on before like seeing a wolf man is no big deal.

What makes me laugh is that being the Wolf suddenly makes Scott a much better athlete. Before, he is just an ordinary player, a bit short but works hard all the same. Once he is the Wolf he is dribbling and hitting jump shots like the best of them. However, is this fair and should he continue to play as the wolf or be the bigger man and play as himself and with his team. This is probably the underlying message that the film is giving viewers, the difference between right and wrong and how a man can count on his true friends.

One of my favourite lines from the basketball court is during a game and one of the players on Scott's team has the ball. He is quite big guy and not the best player. He has been holding the ball for a while so the cute guy but baddie from the other team tells him to, "Shoot it, fat boy!" So he does, and gets a basket and gives the cute guy a sort of ha, eat that look, brilliant!

The makeup/wolf costume for The Wolf is quite good, basic, you can see it's obviously just a costume but all the same it does look quite good. Michael J Fox basically has hair everywhere so to get into the Wolf costume must have taken quite a long time. There's a really funny scene where he is getting ready for the school dance which he decides to go to as The Wolf. He is combing and blowing drying his hair which is really funny and cute. The music that plays is Staying Alive by the Bee gee's and whenever I hear that song now all I can think of is Teen Wolf. The rest of the soundtrack for this movie is really good too and fits the movie, lots of classic 80's tracks, soft rock etc.

All in all, this is a classic film that you can watch over and over again!

Summary: Teen Wolf