There was once a time when vampires were considered absolutely horrifying; undead creatures of the night that had absolutely no problem tearing out your throat and draining your blood for sustenance…then Twilight came along and suddenly every vampire was misunderstood and full of angst over the fear of sparkling when exposed to sunlight. It’s no secret that I’m a huge purist when it comes to superheroes, but I’m also a pretty big fan of vampire mythology, so understandably, Edward Cullen has been pissing me off for years. Having never seen the original, when I first caught wind of Fright Night, I feared that Colin Farrell would only be perpetuating the stereotype of a romantic vampire, but it became quickly apparent that he would be nothing short of a sadistic predator. The horror genre may not be on my list of favorites, but an entertaining cast and the chance to see a classic type of movie monster redeemed was more than enough to compel my attendance at the theater. Critical reviews were surprisingly positive, but I was still slightly pessimistic, as a few bad decisions could easily turn Fright Night into a disaster.
Both genuinely scary and surprisingly funny, Fright Night is a highly entertaining adventure that pays respect to established mythos without taking itself too seriously. The film evokes classic horror strategies to bring suspense to life, but it also takes time to poke fun at some of the sillier elements of the subject matter that the script wisely adheres to throughout the narrative. This balance is bolstered by the strong performances delivered by the cast, the standouts being David Tennant as the frazzled vampire hunter and Colin Ferrell as the thoroughly evil antagonist who clearly loves to be feared. Strong special effects also accentuate the gore and action, making the end result not only fun, but also fully worth seeing in 3D. Plain and simple, if you are looking for a good scare or simply miss the horrific nature of classic vampires, then Fright Night is definitely something you should not miss.
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Overall Recommendation: Very High
