30 days of blood and boredom

Rating: 5/10 (4 November 2009)

If it is a traditional gore fest you want, 30 Days of Night is just the thing for you. The film has its roots in Night of The Living Dead. Personally, I think this formula is getting a bit dull. Just occasionally a filmmaker shows up with a fresh idea in mind, Like Ruben Fleischer with this years hit Zombieland, or before that, Robert Rodriguez with Dusk till Dawn. Everything else is either a remake or a movie like 30 Days of Night. Although these vamps are about as ferocious as they come, they have about as little impact on the film as the heroes who fight them. 30 days of Night is just a bore.
In Barstow Alaska (the northern most point in the state, the last day of sun sees half the town pulling out to go south with the birds. For thirty days every year, no sunlight will ever reach that far north. It is the perfect feeding ground for a family of vampires who show up out of nowhere. The few dozen residents who are staying, get reduced to a few within a matter of hours. The sheriff, has to find a way to keep everyone alive for the next month, until Mr golden sun comes back.
To say that the movie fails because it is unoriginal would be ineffective criticism. More specifically the movie has no energy. It is too slow. Of course there is nothing wrong with that, provided the film offers solid suspense like Aliens. 30 days of Night offers none. Instead it gives us copious amounts of blood which won't even make you flinch.
The only positive thing that stays with you when you walk away from the film, is Danny Huston's performance as the head vampire, kind of amusing. A few nice shots here and there as well as a credible electronic score shine through, but I think 30 Days of Night is dismissible, and should be left in the shadows.