2001, 2 hrs 40 min., Rated R for strong violence and gore, and sexuality/nudity.�Dir: Christophe Gans. Cast: Samuel Le Bihan (Gr�goire de Fronsac), Mark Dacascos (Mani), Emilie Dequenne (Marianne de Morangias), Vincent Cassel (Jean-Fran�ois de Morangias), J�r�mie R�nier (Thomas d'Apcher).

Caught a screening of Brotherhood of the Wolf via the Peachtree Film Society on Thursday, and for an idea of how much a cult hit this could be, there must've been a hundred people turned away due to a full theater.

Still, it may be a heroic picture that took Europe by storm (subtitle warning!), and biggest film in French history, but it made my butt sore. Yeah, there was some cool action, decent story and interesting characters, but seriously, 2 hours and 40 minutes? Cut forty and invite me back for another viewing.

However, I can't tell others not to see it, because Brotherhood sprinkles in just about every genre from action to horror to mystical and beyond in its pursuit of epic status.

Based on a French legend, the story involves the Beast of Gevaudan that fears man yet preys on women and children in the rural countryside, killing hundreds in a three-year period of darkness between 1765 and 1768.

You can expect some peculiar bits and pieces. Why, of course there are, they're French, why do you think they have outrageous accents? Go away or they shall taunt you a second time! Okay, so no cows were catapulted in the making of this film, although several wolves were flipped like circus acrobats. There are also some cryptic political scenes with aristocrats deciding the fate of those they care not about.

Your main characters are people you wouldn't recognize (all from Europe), such as lead Samuel Le Bihan as Chevalier Gr�goire de Fronsac, the pretty-boy doubting scientist who comes on the scene like Ichabod Crane, in search of a legend using facts, not fiction. De Fronsac's blood brother, Mani (Mark Dacascos), is a Mohawk Iroquois from "New France" (i.e. Canada). Mani seemingly learned to fight from watching Asian martial arts flicks, but maintains an earthy quality of feeling close to animals and trees (did you know they speak?) and enjoys body art.

The love interest, Marianne (Belgian Emilie Dequenne), is a doll. Not sexy (that would be the Italian character), but the settle-down-with type, very girl-next-door. She provides a love match that stabilizes our lead.

Some situations were unintentionally funny, especially when writer-director Christophe Gans seemed to be very impressed with himself. Plenty of slow-motion shots ensued during moments it was unnecessary (if it ever is necessary). The fights were shot zoomed in tight and quickly edited, and therefore not as convincing as they could have been. Still, there were plenty of oohs and aahs and Ohs! from the audience.

For those not easily impressed, who don't care if it's an epic or has decent action, humor and absorbing dialogue, there's also plenty of nudity and gore.

For those in the mood, it can be adorably over-the-top.

The verdict:

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