I had read the comic book that this movie was based on just before the first previews came out. The book is phenomenal, and an impressive read. So I looked forward to catching this movie. I missed it in the theaters, but got my chance to see it with some friends. So, would the movie live up to the standard set by the comic?
Welcome to Barrow, Alaska. A town that sees no daylight for 30 days straight during the year. Many residents leave for a time, leaving local Sheriff Ebon Oleson (Josh Hartnett) in charge. But as the long night comes, the town is suddenly cut-off from the rest of the world, and is then invaded by a group of blood-hungry vampires looking to take advantage of the constant darkness. Ebon must then keep a group of survivors safe, including his estranged wife Stella (Melissa George), until the sun can rise again.
The movie keeps some basic principles from the comic book, and even manages to improve on its few weaknesses. The movie has a good flow, and is easy to keep up with. Many special effects and visuals (especially the gore) are done extremely well, especially a scene with an overhead shot of the town with the vampires running amok. Even Hartnett does a good job as the hero, going back to his role from "Black Hawk Down" for some similarity. Ben Foster's small role stands out as quite disturbing and authentic. The rest of the cast when displaying horror are convincing enough.
The same can't be said of Hartnett's counterpart George, whose character is almost unneccessary and stale. The vampires themselves are not intimidating either, as they just act more like zombies than a well-organized faction. The final showdown at the end of the film also falls flat, and seems to come-and-go before you realize it's all over. The faults I've pointed out, although they seem few, are major things that hurt this film as they are essential to it.
The movie is better catagorized as a survival movie rather than a horror one. The desparation of the "human" characters is more interesting than the purpose of the vampires. While the movie has its moments, the overall goal it intended to achieve is far off. Still, I do rate this movie better than all those "gorefest" movies that have nothing but violence and special effects for the gore, and require no acting ability whatsoever. However, this movie gets you tense at the most rather than getting you scared out of your wits. You do however get a sense of what you would do in a situation like this. Do you hold out and hope you're not found? Or do you attempt to fight off the threat? Of course, head vampire Marlow looked at fighting this way:
"When man meets a force he can't destroy, he destroys himself. What a plague you are."
Makes it difficult to choose how to get out of the hell that is Barrow......which should really be called "Sorrow" after the horror it's seen.
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