Directed by: Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, Willem Dafoe
Plot: In the year 2019, a plague has transformed most every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind. Taken from www.imdb.com.
Let me start this review by addressing all of the people who didn't like The Spierig Brothers' previous movie "Undead." *ahem* Fuck you for hating on an original, well-put-together, technically and comedically brilliant film because it did something a little different. I do not understand you zombie fans that have to have that shit started by a virus and only a virus every single fucking time. Just because somebody tries to use aliens or some supernatural explanation it is not sacrilege. Just because George A. Romero invented the fucking things doesn't mean everyone has to copy his exactly. "Undead" was genius and you're morons for not recognizing this.
That said, I was naturally excited for the brothers' sophomore effort into horror movies. The fact that Sam Neill was involved only served to excite me even more. I will watch anything -except "Jurassic Park 3"- over and over again.
Our main character is Edward (Ethan Hawke), a reluctant vampire who works at a blood bank. I doubt this was intentional but given that he only drinks pigs blood and is kind of a pussy, it makes for a nice touch.
Edward is looking for a blood substitute so that vampires will not have to rely on the ever-dwindling human stock for sustenance. His employer Charles Bromley (Sam Neill) is especially concerned about this due to his love of being a vampire. It seems that when a vampire goes without blood, they turn into a Count Orlock-looking bat creature called a Subsider.
With blood supplies dwindling to practically nothing and Subsider epidemics popping up all over the city it's looking like the end of vampire society as we know it. That's why it's fortuitous when Edward runs into a group of humans trying to escape the vampires.
It seems that the humans are in the midst of a man named Elvis (Willem Dafoe) who has managed to accidentally cure himself of vampirism. Edward and Elvis work to replicate this effect for the benefit of the world as a whole.
Ethan Hawke gives a more than passable performance as Edward Dalton. I don't know if it's Hawke's fault but Edward is a rather boring character who doesn't really have much growth throughout the film. He becomes less of a pussy toward the end but that's about as far as it goes.
Claudia Karvan plays Audrey Bennett, the head of the human resistance. She feels like a tacked-on character added simply to have some sort of lead female in the movie. She brings nothing special to the table and as such I'm not going to talk about her any longer.
Willem Defoe rules every scene he's in. He doesn't go over the top with Elvis, but it could hardly be said that he's playing the character straight either. Elvis speaks in a deep southern accent that seems to fade in and out at will. Given that the film takes place nowhere near where there should be southern people I believe this was an intentional way to bring across what an eccentric person the character is.
Sam Neill is also great as our villain and it is honestly a shame that Bromley and Elvis never share a scene together. Perhaps this would have caused the movie to explode from trying to contain too much greatness in one place. Unfortunately the role is a bit too small for the actor, Bromley is a bit of a generic evil bastard and is given little characterization beyond this to exploit.
Claudia Karvan plays Audrey Bennett, the head of the human resistance. She feels like a tacked-on character added simply to have some sort of lead female in the movie. She brings nothing special to the table and as such I'm not going to talk about her any longer.
Willem Defoe rules every scene he's in. He doesn't go over the top with Elvis, but it could hardly be said that he's playing the character straight either. Elvis speaks in a deep southern accent that seems to fade in and out at will. Given that the film takes place nowhere near where there should be southern people I believe this was an intentional way to bring across what an eccentric person the character is.
Sam Neill is also great as our villain and it is honestly a shame that Bromley and Elvis never share a scene together. Perhaps this would have caused the movie to explode from trying to contain too much greatness in one place. Unfortunately the role is a bit too small for the actor, Bromley is a bit of a generic evil bastard and is given little characterization beyond this to exploit.
"Okay, who just said 'Jurassic Park 3 sucked?'"The story is a pretty straightforward affair, nothing that's not been touched on in a myriad of other films numerous times. What makes "Daybreakers" unique is the way it immerses you in its world. We're treated with small tidbits throughout the film that lend themselves to bringing this world to life.
There are toothpaste ads featuring people with pearly white fangs. A brief mention is given to forest fires being started by vampire animals going into sunlight and at one point we see the aftermath of one such happening though it's just something we see in passing during a chase scene. Mirrors are all video screens because vampires don't have reflections.
The Spierigs do their job in making this world feel real and not like something just dreamed up for a movie. It's impossible not to compare this movie to the "Blade" movies, which failed to immerse you in a similar world in any way.
In many ways "Daybreakers" is what movies like the "Blade" and "Underworld" series' should have been. Also, in comparrison to both of those movies, this one doesn't skimp on the gore. This movie doesn't just show blood. There are several disgusting gore effects and one scene toward the end is basically an bloody orgy of death and dismemberment.
There's some dodgy CGI at a few points but I blame this on the movie's modest budget and not the film-makers.
"Shoot it! It's sparkling for some reason!" It doesn't re-invent the genre but it certainly breathes some life into it. Not the best vampire movie out there but it's one of the few that manages to be good enough to watch twice and though it could have done more it's a great second effort from a couple of promising film-makers who I hope to hear from again very soon.
I give "Daybreakers" a 5 out of 5. If you like horror at all, make it a point to see this one.
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