A
Priest (Paul Bettany) disobeys the orders of his
church called the Roman Clergy in order to go to
battle against a nest of vampires that he knows
is there because they stole his daughter Lucy
Pace (Lilly Collins) who had always thought of
his as her uncle and not knowing in dact that he
was his father.
When the clergy Monsignor Orelas (Christopher
Plummer) took him as a priest she had just been
born and never remembered him and left him in the
care of his best friend.
The head vampire Black Hat (Karl Urban) came into
her home and kidnapped her in order lure him to
their fighting grounds so they could get him to
join their cause of trying to make the Earth
human free.
The opening on the film seems to
start off nicely showing a narration and an
animation gory sequence with the history on what
is going on as this looked pretty well done as
well as showing a family in a shack and a
daughter acting a bit rebellious and arguing with
her parents as well as them saying grace at their
dinner table. Then suddenly they spot some
terrifying ghoulish creatures outside as this
looked very out of the ordinary along with them
locking their daughter in a cellar to protect her
while they are about to do battle in which this
gives you a sinking and sad feeling that they
know their lives will get taken which seems to
have an okay start to the film.
There's scenes on a fututistic looking city in
which I had a feeling this was a futuristic
vampire flick adding alot of sci-fi elements to
the story as well as a boring moment on a
Monsignor commanding Priest to do a duty in which
the writing was nicely put in with what was to be
told about his mission but yet it didn't do
anything for me.
Yet there's an amusing moment when there's a
salesman discussing vampires to an outdoor city
crowd which seemed to fit into the story as well
as Priest and his sidekick Hicks ruining his fun
which there's some interesting action moments
here for all of this.
Also some nice dark shots on a vampire named
Black Hat imprisoning Lucy Pale in some sort of a
case while a train is driving and her being
scared trying to convince him about letting her
go as this seemed to look interesting enough
while some of the other scene's were a bit bland.
Plus there's some nice scenery with a cave
infested by those vampire type creatures which
seemed cool to watch as well as Hicks and Priest
doing battle against a giant one showing good
effects here.
There's a great creepy moment with a dark railway
station and a train suddenly speeding and
stopping with things being silent in which you
have a creepy feeling that something bad is going
to happen here.
Some good stuntwork with Priest, Hicks and
Priestess doing battling against a bunch of
creatures on their futuristic types of battling
motorbikes as well as speeding by a railroad
track as the excitement looked well done here.
Plus there's also great battling sequences
between Priest and Black Hat when they are on top
of a train car. We also spot this train running
through a deserted area and it is a futuristic
looking steam train as this looked pretty nifty.
There's also nice explosions and other things
going on with these moments offering more good
special effects and dynamite action like you'd
picture in the Terminator movies.
In one of the train cars there's larva eggs with
these types of creatures inside of them as this
looked nicely done while Hicks tries to go past
them while they break out and the creatures try
to attack him as the suspense is at high pace
here. Another nice pointer here.
Bottom line is that the film was well done with a
great budget and nice effects along with creative
futuristic looking transportation devices along
with terrific scenery but yet the story didn't do
anything for me. Again that's me. I just find that
stuff like this has been done before like in
Resident Evil for one. Lots may get a great
enjoyment out of this since it's very crefty in
it's battling moments and it's prologue too. So
not the terrible film at all and suits action
horror films for this time period in which I
don't find these types the same like it was 20
odd years ago.
The
acting was good and solid with a strong cast like
lead actor Paul Bettany (Priest) seemed
to draw a great seriousness to his character as
well as knowing on how to get tough with his
battling skills which looked powerfully done as
well as not letting an ounce of energy down into
what he did with his part in the film. Plus had
the masculine looks which was a great plus to his
role looking like a true warrior. A nice aggressive expression with him storming in a cathedral.
Karl Urban (Black Hat) certainly shows off a
perfect dark appeal to him making him seem very
threatening as well as having a great hissy type
of speech in his voice making him come across as
a great mysterious head vampire in the flick. I
loved what he did in the film really bringing out
alot of great evil characteristics and wicked
charm into his role.
Kam Gigandet (Hicks) had a nice clean cut
but good tough guy looks at the same time with
what he does looking good portraying a soldier
type of role and knowing on how to get aggressive
whenever he needed to along with showing a good
suspenseful attitude too to top it all off. A
true character actor he is.
Maggie Q (Priestess) seems to do well
with her anxious type of behavior really bringing
role role to life big time as well as knowing her
fast paced movements well as she really studied
hard with her work in the flick and really grabs
your attention in her heroic type of image. A nice reaction with her acting stunned at first and then slowly drawing
in her lines and showing good energy on trying to
struggle with two of her cast members through a cave. Great raging reactions on her
vehicle while struggling to battle against
creatures and using weapons for a train showing
terrific intense expressions and energy here. Two
thumbs up for this woman indeed.
Lilly Collins (Lucy Pace) shows a good
emotional and frigtful attitude into what she did
in her role making this become quite effective
and knew her stuff as a victim to the head
vampire in the flick. Does well with her crying
emotions while going down in a cellar. Does well sobbing and choking
out her words towards her fellow cast member. She shows some nice
reactions with the troubles surrounding her.
Christopher Plummer (Monsignor Orelas) draws
a great gruff and seriousness to his part of the
film coming across as a strict type of preacher
who seems to have an unlikeable type of attitude
in everything that he does with his actions as
well as showing some good aggressions too.
Brad Dourif (Seller) had a small role in the
film but yet he does well with his high strung
and hyperactive speaking with his role as well as
showing a great intense nervousness to his role
as well in which he drew it in perfectly well and
can be well remembered for his role in this film.
Graphic
animated violence is revealed during the opening
of the film with bodies being torn up and sliced
Lots of bloody stabbing with various warrior type
weapons
Creatures are eating people
Bodies are sliced up during battling moments
A heart is ripped out
A decapitated monsters head is revealed
A person's body is nailed to a wall of a
passenger train car
There's
alot of great powerful classical music done by Christopher
Young as there's lots of chanting sounds
which really has a good echoey feel to it and of
course the quick violin playing and drum beats
too that flows in very well when the suspense
rises up here. It is really mainstream with all
that's playing here and full of energy. Alot of
the typical traditional gothic sounding classical
music was played as well which seemed necessary
to be used in this flick with how the story went
too.
|