In trying to set up a new story about a teenage werewolf, Teen Wolf: The Movie fails the characters it already has, and makes a bigger mess in the process.

Any fans of the show howling for encore will likely welcome the “Fangs for the memories” nostalgia, as the characters reunite to face a new and mysterious threat. Even so, the executive falls flat.

This fantasy project about werewolves and demons and reawakened intellectual property has the rhythm of an old-school TV soap, with most scenes ending on a note of irresolution or incompletion.

While the action is brisk, the acting is often inconsistent. Some are better than others.