Great concept and atmosphere spoiled by too much "product"

Rating: 7/10 (23 September 2003)

First off, let me say that Len Wiseman really did his homework for
this film. Bringing in the real life (and still living) Corvinus family
and several other historical incidents of vampires and werewolves
added authority to the film. Wiseman was a set designer, and his
attention to detail and atmosphere shows up well. The weird
monochrome blue cast reminds me of the best black and white
cinematography from the 30s and 40s. Let's face it; Kate Beckinsale leaping, jumping floating and
slithering around in a glossy black latex corset is no small reason
to see this film either. Maybe the most intriguing aspect of all is the
novel idea that Vamps and Lycans have a genetic mutation to
thank for their immortality rather than a supernatural cause. I really tried to like this film. It IS above average (10,000 times
better that the God-Awful Dracula 2000) but not as exceptional as it
could've been. Wiseman seems to be trying to make a John Woo
horror flick. There's just too much gunplay and too little script. The
young male leads prove that Hollywood is taking full advantage of
gender role reversal by hiring lots of male "metrosexual" actors
who know a lot about "Hair Product" and very little about how to
deliver a line onscreen....the lead male Lycan is perhaps an
exception. After the umpteenth gunfight, I started yawning. The final gun-free
battle gets better when Beckinsale joins the fight and at least
delivers a stirring ending. This is a B movie with an A budget,
elevated to higher status by superior sets and Kate Beckinsale. It
has some pretty novel ideas, and could possibly develop into a
really good series if Wiseman can focus a bit & Beckinsale
returns. It's worth a look if you're into Vampire flicks.