There’s something inherently dishonest in the title of this film. After all, it does not really have anything to do with the 2011 remake. If anything it counts as a remake. We have another Charley Brewster (Will Payne) who clearly shares no history with the “previous” film. Ditto Amy Peterson (Sasha Parkinson), Peter Vincent (Sean Power), Ed Bates (Chris Waller) and the vampire Gerri Dandridge (Jaime Murray). So in what sense is this Fright Night 2? For that matter, rather than a re-telling in any way about a specific undead, it re-identifies the antagonist as Countess Elizabeth Bathory!
Which hardly means a bad movie! That depends upon actual details–specifics of script, direction, acting and so forth. So how does this measure up?
First, one can hardly fault the casting of Jaime Murray (from Dexter, Warehouse 13, Spartacus, etc.) as a vampire! She’s a riveting, as well as beautiful, actress with the kind of charisma that makes the idea of her playing Elizabeth Bathory attractive. Sad to say, she very nearly seems wasted here. The script gives her no great lines, not that many interesting motives and even her character frankly comes across as rather petty. She wants to walk unharmed in the sun. Okay, that makes sense. But the story doesn’t really explore why this is so important to her, although Murray herself seems to offer a clue. It seems a pleasure she resents deeply being denied her. But that frankly comes across as a nuance from the actress, not a facet of the script.
Quick note–the back story of the Blood Countess is recounted via a comic book entry, that animates a la the story of the three brothers in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (kinda/sorta). Fair is fair, that ends up rather cool. The story given bears no resemblance to previously told legends nor the pseudo history we often hear, but it does at least offer the possibility of genuine sympathy for the character. One suspects some wandering away from an original idea for the film. The hint that her quest for “new moon virgin” would cure her vampirism frankly sounds a bit intriguing (if technically unbelievable it would take this long–I mean there are at least twelve new moons every year–and for centuries she hasn’t found a single virgin born during one?). One of several missed opportunities in the story.
But let us note the good as well as the mediocre. This film’s re-imagining of Peter Vincent as the host of a reality show ‘hunting’ signs of vampires and the supernatural frankly makes a lot of sense! So too the idea a vampirized Ed feeling rage and indignation his “idol” doesn’t believe.
Likewise the movie has some very good visuals (even apart from any nudity on the part of Murray), such as a ‘battle’ within a subway train or the startling bath of blood at the film’s climax (although one must presume that much liquid is mostly water–it lacked any of the weight or texture actual blood possesses, and didn’t seem to be clotting at all). This Amy Peterson succumbs temporarily to the vampire charms in a scene that hovers between seduction and rape, the erotic and horrific entwined. More, the whole climax at least doesn’t really copy many previous films so kudos to everyone for that! Even if one does end up wondering–again–why a vampire who burns in direct sunlight wouldn’t brick up her windows? Unless we saw her liking to live dangerously? Maybe?
On the other hand, as ever the characters in movies that generally go for cliches include very little real characterization. Charley is just a Grade B Reluctant Hero/Boyfriend (Non-Nerd Nice Guy subcategory) we’ve seen hundreds of times before this. We can sense his attraction to Amy, but his friendship with Ed needs some explaining. That this Charley and this Amy, having met so recently, end up falling in love to the point where the former practically jumps onto a grenade for her seems baffling, if formulaic. Ditto the hints she’s already fallen in love with him after spending a few hours in his presence. He rescues her from the monster, okay. But part of what made the original so compelling was their shared past, the dynamics that already existed.
Which helps explain why this ended up as a direct-to-DVD feature. It might be fun to watch, but who in their right mind would spend close to $30 to take someone to a cinema to see it just once? Far better to rent the thing on Netflix or pick it up at a bargain sale for the price of a few candy bars.
