Surprisingly enjoyable

Rating: 8/10 (3 June 2008)

First, when I read an Empire article, I almost cried. Another Underworld? CGI overkill with the photography through the blue, grey or sickly green filter? The positive tone of that sleazy rag did not really help, either. I mean, USUALLY I avoid the filthy perversions of human flies... err, critics and movie magazine journalists like a John Waters movie, but hey, this was an article of a monster mash, so how could I resist not to buy the rag? Anyway, after seeing the movie I found my fears unwarranted - despite the plot less action, all the CGI, awful cooler-than-thou nods to James Bond (movies I hate) and Kate Beckinsale's strrrong woman I found this Universal homage surprisingly enjoyable. The fairy-tale version of "late 19th century Tränsylveinia", a place of the aristocratically evil vampires, sinister castles, moonlit forests, the werewolves and Frankenstein's monster, won me over. The gorgeously dressed vampire brides were especially fun, managing to steal the whole show with their looks and fun attitude. The only good Stephen Sommers film.