There are a couple of Guillermo Del Toro movies I really like, but this is not one of them. This is a weird, fairy-tale-ish vampire flick that is atmospheric and moody without ever finding the right tone or pace. Or even the right music. There are interesting characters, in particular the protagonist, an adoring grandfather, and his granddaughter. I would guess the actress who plays her is about 7 in the film, and she needed a much stronger or more defined role. As it is, it's just disturbing to have this child in scenes that get more and more gruesome as the movie goes on. With her teddy bear.
Grandpa has turned into a vampire, but he's still a nice guy. Ron Perlman is the nephew in an uncle / nephew villain team trying to get the device that made grandpa a vampire. Perlman in particular is a mess. His character alternates between whimsical and jocular and incredibly violent and threatening. It doesn't work.
I think two of Del Toro's later films are great: The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth. Watch those and pass on this one. It was no fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment