The Howling Reborn

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The Howling series just didn't need another sequel or addition or use of its name. Let's face it. This is a series that should just be allowed to spend its days in retirement, in reflection on where and how it all went so wrong. I think there some bright spots in the series after the first film (which is near and dear to my heart), but all too often so much more bad than good. Such, such bad. That said, in 2011 there was this attempt to revive the name, the brand if you will. I think it was just an attempt to slough off the name for a film that is closer to the Teen Wolf television show that anything associated with The Howling, at all. And I would be remiss to leave that as saying Reborn is even of the quality of Teen Wolf, a show I actually like. I think the Howling Reborn is merely an exercise in wishful thinking...thinking that perhaps this will lead to something similar to Twilight. Why not attempt the route of "college werewolves in love" and "look out because those werewolves are building an army" plot outlines for future endeavors? But there hasn't been another film or any content associated with this film after Reborn, so even as it was resuscitated, the end was swift and uneventful. This film will find its occasional revival on some premium channel when the night is right and the full moon is full. Perhaps then a case of lunar fever might encourage somebody to plop in a lineup late at night. Don't expect a film that will cuff you across the cheeks and embrace you with a kiss...this movie will just cough up some phlegm and spit it in your face. This is about teen romance, the Mama Wolf who wants her boy to be as ferocious as her and her pack, and a school that gets more than it bargained for thanks to werewolves in the midst. Now if only the film had anything remotely exciting besides Milicevic to save it.

Review from May 2012:

It's graduation time and there are werewolves on the loose. WillSimpson discovers that he is a werewolf and doesn't know how ithappened. Will's mother's death has continued to haunt him since herdeparture from his life in the womb. But is she *really* dead? My wifementioned that the lead is in the Canadian teenage series Degrassi andyou could very well consider this a Degrassi with werewolves. Thenarration, where Will waxes philosophical about life and decisions andlove, is as cheesy as the accompanying lovey-dovey soundtrack not tomention the Twilight-type romance between Will and attracted-to-dangerwild child Elliana. Will has a problem on his hands: an "alpha"werewolf, who is able to withstand silver, wants to unleash alycanthrope army to rule, planning to release the savage on a civilizedworld. You don't get werewolves until the end, so you must endure theteenage drama and romance, along with the "Teen Wolf" plot developmentswhere Will finds out facts about himself and how he must deal with thebeast that lives within. The lure of lycanthropy, the alpha leader'sappeals to him to join her army, and his decision to stop her potentialreign of terror all play out by film's end. With a frenzied camera andquick-cut editing, the werewolf costumes are only visible in smalldoses; if we see these werewolves for an extended amount of time, I'msure laughter might ensue. This new entry in The Howling series isn'tany worse or better than many others but at least is competently made(some of the sequels weren't so competently made, so that is at leastin its favor). Landon Liboiron is Will, Lindsey Shaw (wearing skimpyCatholic slut outfit) is his muse, Elliana, and the delicious IvanaMilicevic is alpha werewolf Kathryn, the main principles of the cast,with Jesse Rath as Will's buddy (always unfortunate in these movies),Sachin. Kathryn's posse of high school studs are right out of a TommyHilfiger or cologne ad and the high school plot elements (bullyingjerk, graduation woes, yearnings for the hot girl, the pangs of dealingwith the future, etc.) one associates with teenage melodramas are allhere and accounted for. Will draws sketches of Elliana while pretendingto be studying in class; she eventually pulls the sketchbook to look atthem, starting this love affair. It is what it is...