That cold ain't the weather. That's death approaching.

Rating: 8/10 (20 October 2007)

As 30 Days of Night opens, the camera shows us horizons that stretch on for endless miles, snow as far as the eye can see, and a stranger that is wandering, seemingly, to his death. But as he crests the next ridge, we see he has spotted a town, not just any town, mind you, but Barrow (Salem's Lot anyone?) Alaska. The highest point in the U.S.
It is at this town, perched at the top of the world, that the gates of hell shall be opened, the nightmares of many will come true, and this little town will plummet from the top of the earth, and smash the lives of its residents to pieces.
I cannot stress enough how perfect this films' atmosphere is. It is some of the best I've seen in a long time. It lets you know that from the get go that this is a bleak, heartless, and most times hopeless place.
So, back to the story.
After the stranger is introduced, we switch over to Sheriff Eben Olsen and his partner Billy Kitka. They are standing over a pile of melted cell phones. Clearly, someone does not want E.T. phoning home.
They then get a call from the station, telling them that something has happened to one of the residents sled dogs.(guess what). There is also a subplot with Eben's wife, but I won't get into that.
The beginning of the film seems a bit rushed, and the rest of the film doesn't allow it to seem like these survivors are spending a month hiding from these Vampires.
Now let me tell you of these Vampires.
These are not your garden variety bloodsuckers here. They are feral beasts of violence and brutality. They don't run around in capes or a tux, and are not afraid of getting dirty. (At one point, the lead Vamp, played masterfully by Danny Huston, slicks his hair back with the blood of a fallen town person). They are athletic, strong as can be, and use group tactics to take down their prey. They are soulless, ruthless, and show no mercy. These are the real creatures of the night.
The acting you say? Well, Josh Hartnett is a little wooden in his portrayal of the leader of the survivors, and Melissa George is very competent as his wife and second in command, and the rest of the group does their job adequately, with the exception of one person.
Mark Boone, Jr. gives a stand out performance as a hermit who is caught up with the town folk, who come to rely on him.
On the villainous side of things, you couldn't ask for a better lead Vampire than Danny Huston. He brings a quiet menace and rage to his character which oozes out through the screen, and pools up in your lap until the end of the film. The rest of the gang also does their job, and that's about all I can say about them. Except for, once again, the Stranger, played by Ben Foster, (is there a villain this guy cant play to perfection?) He is the hailer of doom and death. Completely convinced that his masters will come back for him and repay him for his loyal service (we might as well call him 'Renfield').
Other than a rushed first 30 minutes, and what seems to be some script problems, I really enjoyed this movie. Its got the gore, the scares, and most importantly its got the villains, which might be some of the best put to the silver screen in a long time.
A solid 8 whacks to the neck with an ax, out of 10.