Saw it, nice premise, nice build up, failed to close the deal

Rating: Null/10 (4 October 2003)

First of all, I want to get this off my chest. I don't know whether anybody else commented on it, but I don't care. It's "Lycan" not "Lichen"! As in Lycanthrope, which is the particular term for a Shapeshifter that Werewolves are.
Second of all, the underlying story of the way Vampyres and Werewolves came into being is an interesting and novel approach in this day and age of genetic mutations and human genome projects. So is the classic story of love unrequited that is the start of the war between the two species.
The movie fails however, by being more about the visual than substance. When I begin the movie (watched with a theatre full of Seattle Goths), I am willing to suspend disbelief and follow where the director takes me. And moody cinematics do not automatically throw me. However, when the climatic scenes has the whole theatre laughing instead of cheering (especially since this is not a comedy!), something is terribly wrong.
I'll use Viktor as an example. For the whole movie, up to and including his revival, we (the viewers), are quite willing to believe his strength and power. Right until we see it in front of our eyes and find it comical. His end at the end of a sword in some sort of samurai-ninjitsu (was that A-B-F on the PS2 controller?) move and his head sliding off like the climactic scene from the highlander movie (There can be only one, movie that is, all others shall be purged from our collective consciousness...).
Anyway, the true test is whether I felt cheated by paying full price. And I can say, sort of. Will I see it again, no. Will I own it on DVD? Probably not. Unless I get a bug to collect Kate Beckinsale's works.
Meanwhile the highlight of the evening was probably the Resident Evil: Apocalypse trailer. Not that it showed anything new or was even a good trailer... but, Mila... (drool...). Can't wait to see it!
Why did I wait so long to comment? Because, really it was not worth taking the time out to do, until a lazy Saturday morning downloading trailers and having some time on my hands...
Patrick