Review: Daybreakers

Hollywood loves trends, and Daybreakers is another addition to the Vampire genre that is all the rave right now. But those of you looking for Twilight or Vampire Diaries should look elsewhere. What you'll find with Daybreakers is an attempt to make a vampire flick that stands out from the rest, but in the end, falls short of leaving a mark.

Daybreakers takes place nine years after a virus (stemming from bats) spreads, making vampires the dominant race. Vampires live in a society much like humans—CEO's, doctors, coffee stands, rebellious teenagers, and homeless starving for blood. Humans are farmed and kept in blood banks run by corporations that maintain the blood supply for all vampires across the globe. But after nine years, the human race is almost extinct and the blood supply is running out. Edward Dalton, played by Ethan Hawke, is a chief Hematologist at one of these blood banks, and is put in charge of finding a blood substitute. His tests are unsuccessful and a growing number of starving vampires are mutating into bat-like creatures that threaten the structure of their society.

This is a social commentary movie about what happens when a society overly dependent on one resource is running out and the greed of those with power. I couldn't help but think of corporations wanting to cash in on alternative energy sources rather than solving the energy crisis.

All of this sounds cool and unique to the vampire genre, but the problem is... the filmmakers forgot what makes vampires cool. We get vampires that are monsters through corporate greed and not because they are creatures of the night. No super strength/speed, sexual seduction, or mind control. Essentially, all that makes them vampires is they drink blood and have a disdain for the sun. LAME!

It felt like the directors were trying to make a movie with the scale and atmosphere of a Bladerunner type movie. But where Bladerunner successfully created a world that felt grand, Daybreakers disappoints. The story feels claustrophobic–stuck in a small space, wishing it could break out into larger territory. In the end, it appears like a small budget being pushed to its limits.

I give kudos to the effects team for good work, especially the gore and vampire combustion. The way these vampires explode is probably the best I've seen, which was enhanced with some surprisingly great audio. I think this film will find a cult following once it hits Blu-Ray, but I don't see it lasting too long in theaters.

Lobo says: 2 out of 4 moons