Daybreakers

6/10 Screams

An innovative twist on vampires, but a lack of believable special effects or a solid script, leaves Daybreakers in the dark. Big names Dafoe and Hawke gave mediocre performances that were backed solely by unique scenes of gore and violence. Sam Neil contributed one of the best performances; the very convincing evil leader of a bloodthirsty army, hell bent on sucking the entire human race dry.

Placebo's Running Up That Hill in the previews, and a dark overall feel in this film's trailer had me thrilled to see what I thought would be the best film of this unavoidable Vampire season. An extremely dismal atmosphere set up some appealing shots and imagery. With plenty of vampire lore artfully sprinkled throughout, as well as some solid actors, this film was very amusing.

Ethan Hawke's performance was ultimately ruined by his oh-so-fake, gritty voice. Willem Dafoe could not steer clear of cheesy one-liners that grasped for irony, but came up with nothing but air. I have not seen Sam Neil in anything worth watching since Jurassic Park! Coming through for Daybreakers as one of the scariest villains I have encountered on the big screen in a quick minute, Neil calmly sips blood out of a wine glass as he orchestrates his nocturnal hellions.

The scenes of gore keep you engrossed with their inventive, malicious nature. They would have been much stronger with improved computer graphics, and a more traditional makeup approach. Limbs, arterial sprays, severed heads, what more could you want? This movie will have you treading blood in a sea of gore!

Daybreakers is not a sensational film, but will surely keep you entertained through the entire bloody mess. I would save your ten spot and wait for this one to come to DVD. Thanks for reading.