f you are looking for a decent vampire movie, here it is.
Sixteen-year-old Darren (Massoglia) is like most kids in his suburban neighbourhood. But when he and his buddy stumble upon a travelling freak show, things begin to change inside Darren. That’s the exact moment when a vampire named Larten Crepsley (Reilly) turns him into something, well, bloodthirsty.
Newly undead, he joins the Cirque Du Freak, a touring sideshow filled with freaks, from a snake boy to a bearded lady Madame Truska (Salma Hayek), and owned by Mr Tall (Ken Watanabe). As Darren flexes his newfound powers in the dark world, he becomes a treasured pawn between the vampires and their deadlier counterparts.
And while trying to survive, one boy will struggle to keep their brewing war from devouring what’s left of his humanity.
Adapted from the Darren Shan saga that spans 12 books, the storylines from the first three books are fitted into the 109-minute long movie. Fans of the books may be disappointed that several elements of the books were changed. A few characters were also added, and so is the relationship between Truska and Crepsley.
However, I can assure that you will get the excitement and dark humour you expect from this film.
Although Massoglia plays the main character, he is often over-shadowed by the wonderful performance of Reilly. Massoglia’s acting is bland and often emotionless.
The supporting cast of Watanabe, Hayek and Willem Defoe put up good performances. Reilly is one amazing vampire in this film. Shots of him walking from a distance wearing his long red cloak give one the goose bumps.
You will get lots of laughs in this film, too, as well as some fairly good fight scenes. CGI effects are not extravagant but they are still good. Overall, the movie is very entertaining and you should not miss it. – Chan Soo Wah
Cast: John C. Reilly, Ken Watanabe, Chris Massoglia
Director: Paul Weitz
E-Value: 8
Acting: 7 (9 for Reilly)
Plot: 7
