Friday, April 29, 2011 at 8:03PM Movie Review - 'Dylan Dog: Dead of Night'
| Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
Starring Brandon Routh, Anita Briem, and Sam Huntington
|
Woof. Where to begin with this one? Well, at the risk of my review becoming a complete movie-bash session let me begin by saying that I am very impressed that Dylan Dog: Dead of Night managed to earn a theatrical release. I was pretty sure that films like these were designed and produced for DVD consumption, but the powers that be behind this off-the-wall, undead comedy found something in this mess that they deemed worth the financial risk. I am sincerely hoping for their sake that the fans of this Italian comic come out in droves to see this, or it very well might be a complete wash.
The film introduces us to our hero Dylan, a private eye for the undead whose job was once to operate as an impartial justice between the zombie, werewolf, and vampire clans. After an unfortunate string of incidents, however, he has taken to low-level P.I. work, until a mysteriously motivated werewolf attack on a human peaks his interest and pulls him back into the world of the supernatural.
Unfortunately, said hero was utterly miscast. Not only did Brandon Routh appear far too young to play a character with such a rich and seemingly long professional history, he completely lacked the comic irony to carry such a ridiculous film. Instead of driving the film, Routh appeared to have been directed into the unfortunate realm of understatement and disinterest. The same can be said for Anita Briem who plays the mysterious love interest, Elizabeth. It seemed as though these actors had the necessary skill, but for some reason Kevin Munroe lacked a complete enough vision to build characters that could potentially exist in the world created by the comic.
As they say, however, every cloud has a silver lining, however thin. This shining halo comes in the form of Sam Huntington, who breathes life, comedy, and dimension into his role of Dog’s sidekick Marcus. Thankfully, he provides many laugh-out-loud moments that greatly pick up the pace of the movie. If not for his bumbling, fearful antics, along with the amusing mythology and stereotypes created for the zombie world, this film could have very well put the audience to sleep.
Another aspect of this film that deserves merit is the artistry of the cinematographer, Geoffrey Hall. Despite some sophomoric special effects near the end, Dylan Dog looked great. From the swooping aerial shots, the suspenseful close-ups, the fight sequences, and the film noir-esque lighting, the action spills across the screen with effective skill. Unfortunately, editor Paul Hirsch could not keep up. For this reason, the character’s punch lines consistently miss, and some of the scenes ramble on to eternity.
To add further insult to injury, this production made absolutely no use of the New Orleans backdrop they chose to use. Though it was obviously shot on location, none of the gothic beauty of the city was used to add character and depth to the themes of the film. It was a perfect choice of location due to the age, superstition, and dark eclecticism inherent in the Big Easy, but they utilized none of it. The film could have just as easily been shot in Cleveland.
That said, this movie really could have been good. The story, though sloppily relayed, was interesting, the folklore creative, and the dialogue quite fun. With the right director at the helm we may have had the next Shaun of the Dead at a theater near you, but sadly this was not the case.
I think it goes without saying that I would not advise you pay to see this movie in a theater. With any luck on the side of this film’s producers, Dylan Dog will end up airing late night on Syfy where, if you are so compelled, you can watch this film without the guilt of having spent gas money on misdirected schlock.
Reader Comments (9)
I actually maybe possibly plan to watch this. Inebriated. Extremely inebriated. Is it at least ironically entertaining?
Ha, Vince, I love it. That is exactly how you have to watch this film.
I think it is supposed to be ironically entertaining, as you put it, but,
as you'll see, our little Routh doesn't quite hit the mark. You can clearly
see the potential for this film, inebriated or not, and I think you'll be
as frustrated as I was.
Bad films I can get, but a bad film that could have been much better is probably the worst thing I can imagine in a movie.
The previews reminded me of Johnny Utah in Constantine.
Terribly casted.
I think it is supposed to be ironically entertaining, as you put it, but,
as you'll see, our little Routh doesn't quite hit the mark. -Maurice Lacroix Roger Federer replicas cheap
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