PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I was scrolling through PopHorror articles recently and was reminded that WolfCop recently got a sequel called Another WolfCop (read our review here). Then I remembered, a long time ago, there was another movie with werewolf cops, but I couldn’t think of the title. Then it hit me… Full Eclipse (1993)! You know how most B movies are hit or miss? Full Eclipse hit a walkoff grand slam! Twenty-five years after this movie was released, it’s still damn good. Scriptwriters Michael Reaves (Batman: The Animated Series) and Richard Christian Matheson (Masters of Horror’s The Damned Thing 2006) teamed up with Director Anthony Hickox (Hellraiser 3 1992) to give an entertaining look at werewolves doing some justice for once.
Officer Max Dire (Mario Van Peebles: New Jack City 1991) and his partner, Jimmy (Tony Denison: Island Prey 2001), are conducting a routine bust when Jimmy is shot by a nefarious gangster. Somebody slips something into Jimmy’s IV at the hospital, and the very next day, he shows up to the precinct fit as fiddle. On a second bust, Jimmy now has super powers, and Max starts to suspect something, but before he can get any answers, Jimmy blows his own head off.
Max is invited to join a special strike team under the disguise of counseling led by Adam Garou (Bruce Payne:Warlock 3 1993). Adam’s crew features Casey (Patsy Kensit: Lethal Weapon 2 1989), Ramon (John Verea: Collateral Damage 2002), Liza (Paula Marshall: Hellraiser 3 1992) and Doug (Jason Beghe: One Missed Call 2008), a super team that takes down drug dealers, pimps, thieves, flim flammers and lawyers. At first, Max goes along with it, but soon realizes these are no ordinary police officers, especially once they all start showing superhuman strength and senses.
The idea of a werewolf police force is an interesting one. Full Eclipse was the first well known movie to take such a story to the big screen. The writing itself does get convoluted with subplots and loose ends, but the scriptwriters do attempt to tie them all in. Character development is a bit of a let down because, apart from one little pow-wow where the wolfpack tells their life stories, all of them have the same abilities except for Adam, their leader. It would have been interesting if each member had their own strengths or super powers, much like Stryker’s hit team in Wolverine: Origins. Unfortunately, one wolf is the same as another. At one point, a guy is reluctant to go full wolf, but that’s about it for character development.
SFX aren’t a problem if you take into consideration that this was a low budget movie from 1993. I won’t ruin the ending, but the final wolf looks very menacing. The acting ranged from top notch to abysmal, depending on the actor. Some of them phoned in their performances, while others took it very seriously. On a side note, any time Patsy Kensit does a nude scene is good cinema, so if there’s nothing else going for you in Full Eclipse, there’s that at least.
Now for the million dollar question… is Full Eclipse a good movie? Yes, if you know what you’re getting into. Expecting Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Jurassic World in terms of budget, writing or SFX would be a waste of time. If you can settle for what it is, grab yourself a bowl of popcorn and just enjoy werewolves taking down bad guys. If you liked Wolfcop, then be sure to check out the movie that launched the genre.
