An American Werewolf in London

The film’s indisputable centerpiece is the protracted werewolf transformation sequence.

Although AWIL's comedy/horror elements aren't always cosy bedfellows, the film retains its original, quirky charm. Great effects for the day, too.

While Rick Baker's special effects work is remarkable (and won the first competitive Oscar for makeup), Landis seems content to simply showcase it, shooting it in close-ups and bright lighting without any attempt to build any emotion into the sequence.

For me, it tends to be a recipe in which you can't taste either of the constituent ingredients. The big man-to-wolf transformation scene is still a marvel.

When the movie backfires, which it finally does, it's because too much grisly footage has been used too lightly. Mr. Landis's comic detachment, which has been fascinating throughout much of the movie, is something he holds on to even when a deeper response is needed. Eventually it becomes less comic than callow.

Gratuitous gore prevents this monstrous movie from becoming the competent comedy it might have been. [21 Aug 1981, p.17]

It's a failure, less because the odd stylistic mix doesn't take (it does from time to time, and to striking effect) than because Landis hasn't bothered to put his story into any kind of satisfying shape.

La mejor película de hombres lobo de toda la historia del cine, tan sólo la escena de la transformación le gana a cualquier cosa relacionada al tema.

Most notable for it's incredible werewolf transformation scene, An Amrerican Werewolf in London's mix of horror and comedy doesn't quite work as intended and it ultimately feels a little flat on numerous occasions.

An American Werewolf in London (1981) is one of those horror classics that definitely shows its age. The special effects and visuals are very old-school, so if you're more used to modern CGI and polished sci-fi horror, this can feel dated. The story itself is solid and has a good idea behind it, though for me it felt pretty predictable - I could see most things coming. The acting is okay but not on a very high level; the cast doesn't really stand out in a big way.That said, the movie does have its bright moments, with some emotional touches and a sense of mystery that carries through. It's not something I would rewatch over and over, but as a classic from its time, it's worth seeing at least once to understand why it has a place in horror history.

Good special effects for like 5 seconds of the movie, the rest is bad acting and bad special effects. Just watch the trailer, the wole story is there.

This is the worst werewolf film of all time. The story is completely stupid and lazy, I could write better crap than this and It would a million times more entertaining than this gong show. The acting is cheesy, the comedy is not even that funny and there is barely any screen time for the werewolf. The worst of all is the the unbearably nauseating romance between David Kessler and Nurse Alex who both only met in the first few days and start snogging in the shower. Like any movies back in the 80's, the Americans are the stars with their clueless and annoying attitudes and end up getting laid with the first foreign girl they meet. Not to mention, sexy nurses were trendy back then and the English ladies do love the American boys. I still don't know why a lot of critics call this the best Werewolf movie ever, it was pretty **** and really had no sense of genuine horror to it. The Wolfman is the greatest Werewolf film of all time and this film directed by a director who had no idea what werewolves really are. This is not a piece of horror art, this is what comes out of my ass and into the toilet after eating expired Chinese food