A decent vampire flick which is meant to entertain

Rating: 8/10 (20 October 2007)

This is my first review ever on here, and given the last guys review of this, I feel I should start here.
You can always tell when people have never tried acting or being on camera themselves when you see comments about how unemotional a person acts on-screen. I've seen it a million times about Keanu Reeves, and it seems to be something Josh Hartnett is garnering a reputation for. If you actually pay attention during this movie, let it take you in, and aren't such a smartass and mocking it throughout, then you'll realize that Hartnett, while mostly intense throughout this movie, has a reason that is very underlined and very subtle. He's a protector, he cares for the town and it's people, just as he cares for those around him. In the midst of an attack by vampires, which shouldn't be real, he doesn't panic or get scared...he protects and does what he does best. Which if this situation were real, would take incredible courage and guts. Every other piece of acting is good...EXCEPT for the stranger. His character is good, his actor does a good job getting into it....until he says his 'bar the windows...try to hide' line. The way he says it just sounds so forced.
Aside from acting is the violence and gore, and there is a lot. If you have half a brain, from watching the trailer, you know this isn't a shy away from the violence type of film. While a lot of the violence is done in quick cut style, there are times when it flips and shows you a hell of a lot more than you're expecting....like near the end when Billy meets his end by first getting attacked and having half his throat ripped out, then pushing a vampire into a massive grinder, into which his hand gets sucked in, which is shown in great graphical detail, bones and all, and then he is beheaded before he changes, which again, in great graphical detail, unlike most of the beheadings before.
My only complaint about this movie is it's slight lack of realism when the characters move from place to place. They don't show it most of the time, they just suddenly pop up in the new spot except for the main characters. It isn't explained to us as if we were sheep, so it does require some thought and doesn't always make sense. The only reason I complain about this is because the general public will hate this, and it will make them hate the movie, which is a shame.
If nothing else, this movie is worth seeing for the incredibly interesting take on what vampires look like...many of which have their faces contorted in such sharp angles they almost look like a half changed werewolf at times...and to see the final confrontation between Hartnett and the ringleader of the gang of vampires....a very very awesome conclusion to that fight which has to be seen.