It's a Blast for the Right Audience

Rating: 10/10 (11 June 2012)

Did you jump out of your seat, and get angry when your father sneaked up from behind and said "Boo" while you and your siblings were mesmerized while watching The Original Dark Shadows?
Did you get angry with your older brother for breaking the suspense when he placed his hand in front of the TV and said "The hand is coming to get you" when The Hand of Count Petofi was about to strike on The Original Dark Shadows? You were so scared because you never knew if that hand was going to do good, or do bad and your brother was too stupid to realize how important this was!
Does the thought of I-Ching wands fill you with fear, or does it fill you with both fear and amusement now?
Do these memories continue to fill you with anger and fear, or do you now look back and laugh at the absurdity of it all while still longing for the emotional intensities of the unique, Gothic, passionate soap opera that was Dark Shadows?
If you know and loved the story line of the Original Series, but also have the ability to laugh at yourself you are going to love this movie. It successfully combines the elements that made the Original DS grand while acknowledging it's inherent absurdness through the use of humor. I was spell bound AND thoroughly entertained at the same time while watching this movie.
The acting was superb. The characters were great as they were only altered from their originals to accommodate the humor that was added to this adaption of Dark Shadows. The story was based on the original but moved along quickly as it tried to capture some of what was told over a 5 year story line. The scenery was lovely and haunting with Collinwood, Collinsport and dramatic coastline resembling what the Original Series could only hint at with its limited budget.
If you are a die-hard purist DS fan who can still suspend your disbelief and want the same level of seriousness, intensity and characterizations of the Original Series, you probably are not going to like this film. Though it offers the same level of drama, passion, mystery and occult, it does so from a tongue-in-cheek perspective.
If you were not a DS fan and don't know the story line of the Original Series, this film is going to be fun, but feel wacky and convoluted because too little of the story and background can be told in a 2 hour film. But don't fret, it still offers great fun and entertainment with a soap operatic, Gothic format. Sit back and enjoy, and if it raises your curiosity to discover the Original Series, that is all the better. Go ahead and find out what it is that DS fans saw some 45 years ago and kept them hooked.
All in all it's a different feel and unique film because it deals with our ability to suspend our disbelief through the use of humor. The film that has managed to entertain me more than any other movie has in a long, long time. I'm glad I can laugh at myself and enjoy Dark Shadows for all the fun that it is.