The Ability to Grow: Another WolfCop (2017)

My dear readers, while I try as best I can to limit my exposure to blackguards and scoundrels of any variety, the unvarnished truth of the matter is that some of the individuals with whom I associate have found themselves running afoul of the law. To provide but one brief example, I once became an investor in a one-man theatrical adaptation of John Carpenter’s The Thing, the inherent difficulties of which, I was assured, would be easily overcome by the transformative talents of our lead actor. The details of the young man’s performance were indeed extraordinary and the extent to which he was willing to employ “method acting” would have netted headlines well beyond the Arts and Entertainment section. Sadly, the producer who roped me into the whole business had failed to secure the intellectual rights and ultimately exposed us all to the most shameful legal scrutiny.

Capable of transformation but largely unchanged

Another WolfCop is another notable intersection of jurisprudence and metamorphosis. It is a film which finds its eponymous hero largely unchanged since his first cinematic outing. Lycanthropic lawman Lou Garou (Leo Fafard) is still prone to excessive consumption, his juvenile shenanigans still vex his partner Tina (Amy Matysio) and he still practices a rather gory form of law enforcement. What has changed, however, is the caliber of villainy available in Woodhaven. During an otherwise routine scofflaw slaughter, Lou discovers an insignia that suggests darker-than-average forces are at work.

A little sleuthing uncovers a connection between these insignia-bearing hoodlums and Swallows (Yannick Bisson), a corporate overlord who plans to revitalize Woodhaven’s lackluster economy by making it the principal manufacturing site for a beer known as “Chickenmilk Stout.” Despite Swallows’ obvious marketing savvy and purported concern for this community of alcohol-loving indigents, his brewing venture is little more than a sinister plot to transform the town into an incubation chamber for a race of lizard-like aliens. While regular law enforcement is understandably unequipped for such matters, Lou Garou is well-suited to be a furry adversary of cosmic criminality.

For any dubious viewers who found themselves asking, “do we really and truly need Another WolfCop,” writer and director Lowell Dean responds strongly in the affirmative. Though the vulgar humor of the first entry is still very much on display, Mr. Dean also allows for a heathy handful of absurdity, expanding the narrative to include were-cats, Frankensteinian enforcers, phallic parasites, reptilian extraterrestrials and lunar drug abuse. Though I would hesitate to use the word “maturity’ to describe a film where Kevin Smith plays an elected official, Lowell Dean nevertheless displays a willingness and ability to grow. If such transformations are possible between entries, then I, for one shall be looking forward to yet another WolfCop.

Another WolfCop runs 82 minutes and does not possess a certified rating in the United States.