BLU-RAY SPECS
Release Date: December 13, 2011
Rating: R
Running Time: 106 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: English DTS 7.1 MA-HD
Subtitles: English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, French, Spanish
Special Features: Deleted scenes, "Peter Vincent" Promo Spot, "How to Make A Funny Vampire Movie" Guide, Bloopers, Kid Cudi music video, Extended and Uncut "Squid Man" home video
THE SET-UP
A high school senior named Charlie (Anton Yelchin) discovers his neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire, who is slowly working his way through the residents of his Las Vegas neighborhood. With the help of a magician/vampire expert (David Tennant), Charlie must stop Jerry before he adds his girlfriend to his list of victims.
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
THE DELIVERY
This new version of Fright Night is an updated version of the 1980s cult classic, and like the original, is great fun to watch, but falls short of attaining classic film status.
The basic premise is the same: a young kid realizes his next door neighbor is a vampire. Of course, there are updates, and this time, the whole vampire mythos has to contend with the stench of the Twilight movies, which has ruined their identity. They do manage to reference the Twilight phenomenon early in the film, and it is clear this will not be that kind of film.
Thankfully, Colin Farrell does a great job setting us straight as to what a vampire should be, and his delightfully evil character of Jerry (that's right, Jerry, like the original movie) is pitch-perfect. Unfortunately, Farrell does not get enough scenes to let the character unfold, so he does not quite get that iconic line or scene that would make his performance unforgettable.
Yelchin is great as Charlie, and his performance here really shows off his ability to be a young actor who audiences root for in films. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is sorely underused as Charlie's friend, who provides a good chunk of comic relief when he is around. David Tennant, otherwise known as Dr. Who on the BBC, steals the show as Peter Vincent, who is a Vegas magician, vampire expert, and all-around douchebag.
Keep an eye out for Chris Sarandon, who played Jerry the vampire in the original film, in a brief but fitting cameo. Toni Collette is effective in a small role as Charlie's mom.
The first hour of the film has more laughs than real scares and chills, but the final half-hour goes big on the vampire-staking violence. Unfortunately, the film features some terrible CGI at times, so the effects aren't as effective as they should be. I personally found the vampires in the original to be more terrifying.
I am not a fan of 3D in general, but it is put to fairly effective use in this film. It fits well with the general mood of the movie, which never takes itself too seriously. The only drawback is the flying CGI blood. High definition only highlights how fake it looks. The overall low light of some scenes affects the 3D, but the quality of the 3D presentation, even the in-your-face stuff, was surprising and entertaining. I found the movie more enjoyable by watching it in 3D over the 2D version. I can't say that about every recent 3D film.
True horror fans may prefer the edgier, harder core of the original, but this version, even though more lighthearted, is fangy fun. Like the original, Fright Night 2011 will not be a classic vampire film, but it is cheesy fun, and worth a watch, especially around Halloween.
VIDEO AND AUDIO
The video image on both the Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray is excellent. In fact, it may be too good; the image is so sharp, it makes some of the CGI stand out, and not in a good way. Some of the CGI effects should look more photo-realistic than this. Otherwise, the generally dark film looks good, even in the low light.
The audio is 7.1 DTS HD-MA, and is not as active or immersive as I would have hoped. It sounds fine, but the surround effects, as well as low-end bass, were underwhelming.
SPECIAL FEATURES
There are some nice special features included on this disc, including five deleted scenes exclusive only to the Blu-ray, which are quite good. Perhaps the best extra is a featurette that breaks down (tongue-in-cheek style) how to make a funny vampire movie. It includes a number of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage that is interesting.
Staying true to the film's cheesy feel, the disc also includes a full promo for Peter Vincent's Vegas show as well as the complete "Squid Man" home movie featured in the film. Both are very good, but I enjoyed every second of the badly overacted but hilarious "Squid Man" video.
A pretty good set of bloopers and a music video round out the extras on the disc.
THE BOTTOM LINE: BUY IT OR REDBOX IT?
Ratings
Movie: A-
Video: A-
Audio: B+
Extras: A-
Overall Grade: A-
Fright Night 3D is a fun vampire movie that doesn't quite scare as much as it should. Even so, Colin Farrell is great in the lead role of Jerry, and makes the whole effort worthwhile. The 3D is effective, but the CGI effects fall short at times. It is a great movie to rent for fans of the genre, but if you are looking for a good 3D Blu-ray to try out your glasses with, this would be a great choice.
Fright Night 3D is now available on Blu-ray from Touchstone Home Entertainment
