I was not expecting to like this movie. I didn't like the original and I'm not a fan of Colin Farrell. I was pleasantly surprised, however. Not only did I enjoy the movie, I added it to my "must buy" list (but not until after Christmas. Everyone knows you stop buying for yourself this time of year.)Charlie (Anton Yelchin) is trying to survive high school. It seems to be working out so far. He's dating a hottie named Amy (Imogen Poots), he's ditched his loser best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and is on his way to being cool. Then a new neighbor moves in next door. Jerry (Colin Farrell) works construction on the Las Vegas strip, necessitating blacked-out windows and a nocturnal schedule. Ed, however, seems to think that Jerry is responsible for the disappearances of several families in the area. He tries to convince Charlie that Jerry is a vampire, but since everyone agrees that Jerry is a terrible vampire name, no one believes him. And then Ed goes missing. Reluctantly, Charlie comes to accept that all is not right with his neighbor. He seeks out vampire expert and Vegas showman Peter Vincent (David Tennant) to help him destroy the evil before it takes everything he loves.
I was enjoying this movie in a vague way until David Tennant showed up. That's when I decided I had to own it. If you've only ever seen him as the 10th Doctor, you are missing out. Marti Noxon did the screenplay and, while that is probably not a household name for many of you, her writing is whip-smart. She cut her teeth on TV shows like Angel and Buffy the Vampire Hunter then moved on to Mad Men and Glee. These seems like disparate shows but they're all characterized by great dialogue. Nothing feels forced or stilted and that goes a long way with a remake.
The CGI gets a little dodgy in parts and the vampire faces are a little cartoonish, but overall, an excellent effort.
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