Rating of
1/4
Intriguing Premise Severely Underdeveloped
newmans_own - wrote on 10/20/07
In its ever-present advertising over the past few weeks, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT promised a terrifying new vision of the vampire. But what detracts from the norm is not always new, nor is a vampire always terrifying.
These vampires are indeed different from the usual breed; there are no flowing capes, no intense vampiric stares. These creatures are more animalistic predators than anything else. However, the film uses these animal-like behaviors as the main crutch of its suspense sequences, making nearly every potential scare a jump scare that is completely expected. Only in the typical and clichéd finale does the film try a different kind of suspense, but the viewer has long since lost interest.
There are a few strengths, however. The film is ably acted by its leads, with Hartnett, George and Danny Huston (unrecognizable as the head vampire) delivering solid performances with precious little to work with. However, Ben Foster as the comic relief (or so I assume, since his performance elicited so much laughter from the audience) gives the exact same performance he gave earlier this year in 3:10 TO YUMA. Pretty much the same accent as well, curiously enough. Director David Slade (2005’s HARD CANDY) imbues the film with a sophisticated visual style, much more defined than the average horror film. If only the film’s level of terror matched the director’s eye, we would have a film worthy of its story.
C-
Full review at http://newmanscorner.blogspot.com
