A good idea wasted

Rating: 3/10 (29 July 2008)

I don't even know why i watch vampire-movies any more. The genre has become a marsh-land of mediocrity. But i guess i liked the premise of this movie. Living in the north myself i can relate to long and dark winters, and how this would actually benefit the vampire (if he or she can stand the cold that comes with it).
My main problem with this movie is undoubtedly the fact that they wasted the whole premise completely. First of all they have no idea how winters in the north work. Here it's: one day there is regular sunlight, daylight for hours. The Next day it's complete blackness that goes on for thirty days. Doesn't that strike people as odd. They would have had almost no sunlight at all for a long time before it turns into complete darkness. Well, whatever. That's a minor point, even if it does make the plot a lot more nonsensical.
A larger part of the problem is that they haven't done anything fun with the darkness. There is no skulking vampires, no regular town getting picked off one by one while life tries to go on. Rather this is a sudden slaughter and then humans skulking around. Without revealing too much i have to say that i would have preferred the other way around. After all the vampires come there to have a steady food supply over the winter while being able to walk around 24 hours a day. Basically that's not what happens.
So, i liked the premise but not the execution. What of the other qualities of the movie? Special effects? Actors. Well, the effects are decent enough for the most part although it's nothing you haven't seen about a million times already. Vampires are pale with bad teeth, walking around wheezing and growling for no reason. The heroes are Mr goody two-shoes (Josh Hartnett) and a motley crew of not too interesting townsfolk. And of course there is the always-present ex-wife/girlfriend with a pretty face.
Honestly, this movie bored me. There is a lot more finesse required for the vampire genre to do it for me. And if not finesse then maybe a sense of humor or good action scenes. What we have here is basically a long wait for something to happen. And when it finally does, it's less than exciting. I actually found myself preferring the Blade-movies to this one. At least there something happens and the vampires are menacing in an entertaining way. This is mostly just a good idea completely wasted. I rate this 3/10.