"BloodRayne" Movie Review

Kristanna Loken, best known as the female T-X terminator in Terminator 3, provides the most convincing reason to see BloodRayne, the story of a half-vampire, half-human 'dhampir' on a vengeful quest. Sir Ben Kingsley appears as Bloodrayne's nemesis, the vampire Kagan, and Michael Madsen stars as the leader of a society of vampire hunters. Billy Zane and Michelle Rodriguez also co-star. It's unfortunate that the infamous director Uwe Boll persuaded Kingsley, Madsen and Zane to show up for filming but was either unable, unwilling or uncaring when it came to inspiring these actors with passion. None has a clue as to what is required to make their roles effective. In the absence of a competent director, Kingsley is ineffective, Madsen is inappropriate and Zane is incomprehensible. Nowhere does Kingsley display the qualities that would make his character Kagan fearsome or powerful. He's an imitation Bela Lugosi in an era in which Gary Oldman set the standard for old-school vampires with his chilling portrayal of Dracula. Ironically, one of the most effective scenes in BloodRayne is a sexually charged tryst between Rayne and one of her vampire hunting allies that comes out of nowhere like a sucker punch. It's a hot scene, almost pornographic, and it's indicative of the energy with which Kristanna Loken attacks her role. Given the lethargy of the rest of her cast, her commitment seems misplaced and feels out of synch. Comparing BloodRayne with the new Underworld: Evolution is to realize what might have been, given the similarity of story lines. Both are lurid, unapologetic odes to vampiric violence and vengeance, each with a nod to somewhat gratuitous sex by their beautiful female stars. When it comes to delivering a truly effective scene, the makers of Underworld go for the throat, while most of the particulars of BloodRayne go through the motions. Awkward editing and camera work undercut the production values of BloodRayne, and its poor script undercuts the potential within the story. Playstation and XBox gamers may be familiar with the dhampir character of Rayne, the character upon which this film is based. Fans of the game will have to readjust their expectations, as the time frame, the costumes, the weaponry and the very personality of Rayne have been reinvented to fit a medieval setting.