30 days of night: ramblings

Ah, 30 days of night, a horror movie built upon an extreme version of the Norwegian situation. At some point, when the sun goes down, it's not going back up again for a good while, now, what doesn't happen in Norway, at least to my knowledge is fanged, clawed creatures of the Night, enjoying the restriction free gore-filled superhappyfuntime for 30 consecutive days.

I didn't have all that high expectations to this movie, I figured it'd be good vampire hacky-slashy fun, ye' oldee Evil Dead style, except with vampires instead of demons. Still, I can't help but feel a little dissapointed. Maybe it is that it doesn't quite feel like 30 days of night as much as “30 days of 'nightlit' hollywood filmstudio.” Yeah, for a movie that's all about the darkest of the dwellers of darkness, 30 days sure is bright. Sure, I couldn't quite expect The Hills Have Eyes-style darkness, but it'd be nice if it looked a little less like an overcast day where I'm from.

Also, the vampires annoyed me a little, mainly since they seemed to suck quite a bit at a job they've had centuries to perfect. To stop beating around ye oldee bush, they don't drink blood all that well. Sure, you can't expect all vampires to be aristocrats a la Anne Rice-bloodsuckers, but these people seem more preoccupied with making a bloody mess rather than eating. It could be their tendency to slash their victims needlessly with their claws, or their general eating habits in general. I mean, if they captured people and drained them properly rather than run up to them on the street, take a few slurps of redrum and then make sure the lest pumped all over the surrounding snow. Don't get me wrong, snow covered with blood is awesome, but one would think the vampires had learned self-control and planning, especially considering how much work went into the whole op. Also, I can understand them gorging themselves a little when their plan finally bear fruits, but if they have 153 people to eat during 30 days, you don't eat or kill 148 in less than ten and then try to sniff out the remaining ones later. That's just bad planning.

While on the topic of bad planning, let's have a look at the idiot ball, our old friend and business associate. The main character, Elbert seems to be juggling a couple of these and a hero ball. His almost lemming-like desire to sacrifice himself to save someone, quite frankly anyone, quickly gets old, almost to the point where he finally succeed worthy of a laugh track. Y'see, emotionally involving, this movie ain't , although I realize there could have been some more dexterous plucking of our heartstrings, had the pacing allowed it. Still, it leaves the mushy, pinkest part of my heart somewhat unsatisfied. In itself not unusual in the genre I like to call my favorite.

Finally, the movies climax is somewhat lacking. Again, I feel I might be requiring a bit much from my movies here, but the duel between two vampires should not look like a drunk tavern brawl with the power turned up to eleven. Sure, we can't all fight elegantly, and the ridiculously overcompensating guns of Hellsing are nowhere to be found, so I s'pose the superpowered rednecks would have to do, still, it ain't greatlike.

All in all, you can do worse than "30 Days of Night," but it's not the best horror movie you'll see.