Five years and alter after the Teen Wolf collection finale introduced the saga of MTV’s furry hero to a satisfying-if-uneven conclusion, Scott McCall’s story continues in Teen Wolf: The Film. The issue is, regardless of Teen Wolf beginning out as a 1985 Michael J. Fox characteristic movie, this incarnation seems to work greatest in collection type, and no quantity of pushing and pulling to make it match an extended-length canvas can obscure that. With an unwieldy 140-minute runtime, a lot of which is spent deep within the collection’ lore and more likely to wave off newcomers, that is very a lot a “fans-only” affair. Sadly, past the simple pleasure of seeing these characters once more, these followers will possible be dissatisfied by a revival that looks like a litany of fan-service moments searching for a motive for being.
The script, by collection creator Jeff Davis, picks up within the Teen Wolf’s residence turf of Beacon Hill 15 years after the present’s 2017 finale, with erstwhile Alpha werewolf Scott (Tyler Posey) utilizing his energy over animals to help folks every time he can. The last decade-and-a-half time bounce, regardless of solely a 3rd of that having handed in actual time, was a sensible resolution on account of the truth that Posey, at 31, is way previous the purpose the place he can credibly cross for a teen.
Quickly sufficient the demonic Nogitsune (the massive unhealthy from season 3) reappears, intent on revenge and culminating in a finale that’s lengthy on “The tip is nigh!” portent however whose climactic monster-on-monster throwdown can’t escape the too-evident limitations of a made-for-TV finances. There’s additionally the matter of the mysterious resurrection of misplaced love Allison Argent (Crystal Reed), who died in Scott’s arms (additionally in season 3) and is now nursing a case of amnesia alongside a mad-on for werewolves. These star-crossed children simply can’t catch a break!
Teen Wolf: The Film is directed by Russell Mulcahy, who helmed the primary two Highlander movies in addition to 1994’s The Shadow. At all times in a position so as to add a stylistic flourish even when the scripts weren’t holding up their finish, Mulcahy does what he can to make “The Film” within the title imply one thing, however regardless of his greatest efforts Teen Wolf is hopefully constrained by its scope.
Posey and Tyler Hoechlin, who’s again as Scott’s werewolf mentor Derek Hale, profit essentially the most from having the ability to reprise these characters this a few years later. Specifically, it’s enjoyable to have Hoechlin lean into his expertise enjoying a superpowered dad on Superman & Lois to do one thing comparable within the Teen Wolf sandbox as he offers together with his 15-year-old son, Eli (Vincent Matti), not fairly having the ability to wolf out like expensive previous dad. Efficiency anxiousness, maybe?
It’s additionally good to have so many members of the expansive Teen Wolf solid make encore appearances right here. Linden Ashby is a welcome presence as long-suffering Sheriff Stilinski, as is Seth Gilliam as Scott’s ally Dr. Deaton, and Holland Roden’s Lydia. The return of Reed as Allison, then again, feels much less like a obligatory story ingredient than it does the easy achievement of long-desired fanservice. Scott had his most terrible loss together with her demise, a second that propelled his development for the remainder of the run. Possibly it is smart on paper to undo that, besides some issues stay unclear and unusual because of the nature of her resurrection. For example, is she the identical age she was 15 years in the past? In that case, it doesn’t precisely make sense to simply choose issues up the place they left off.
As regards to returnees, the presence of so many acquainted faces makes the absence of Dylan O’Brien’s Stiles so obvious. Whatever the causes behind O’Brien passing on this movie, Stiles was integral sufficient on the present that his lacking out on these occasions can’t assist however strike a false chord. To a big extent this was possible out of the writers’ palms, however their failure to consider a believable method round his absence works towards Teen Wolf nonetheless.
With the present vogue for limited-run revivals (reminiscent of Paramount’s personal Felony Minds resurrection), one wonders why they didn’t go an analogous miniseries route for Teen Wolf, particularly provided that Paramount+ premieres the brand new (unrelated) present Wolf Pack, additionally from Davis, on the identical day.
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