Disappointing: Rent but don't Buy

Rating: 6/10 (23 January 2004)

Vampires vs. Werewolves. What could be better for a fan of either or a fan of both? Unfortunately, this movie does not deliver in what could have been, and should have been, one of the coolest vampire/werewolf movies ever made.
The whole movie seemed to meander, even in the action scenes. I think there wasn't enough time dedicated to the screenplay, though it seems like the storyline and backstory had been well thought out. This led to the feeling that a lot was implied but left out.
Beckinsale looks great in her catsuit and cape, the sets were simple and stayed in the background, but the special effects left a lot to be desired. The werewolf transformations were terrible, and not much more advanced than those in "American Werewolf in London." I think they should have sped it up just a little bit more and that might have passed muster. I think it was silly that the professional vampire "Death Dealers" would stand around in the middle of a fight and wait a few seconds for their opponent to transform into a werewolf. It would have been better to have the transformation occur in the middle of combat, allowing the editor to cut a lot and break the special effect up into more believable bits.
I recommend that if you are a vampire and/or werewolf fan, go ahead and rent this move, but please don't spend $20 on it, or you will regret it.