Fright Night

Here are my thoughts on the remake of Fright Night. Though it isn't a film that relies on surprise, and anyone who has seen the original already knows the story, I'll try to be spoiler free since it is a new release. Here goes:


Fright Night
Directed by Craig Gillespie, starring Antony Yelchin, Colin Farell, David Tennant and Imogen Poots.

Charlie Brewster (Yelchin) is a normal teenager trying to make it through high school. In order to get Amy (Poots), the girl of his dreams, Charlie has shunned his nerdy childhood habits and friends. Everything is fine in the little world he's created until an old friend goes missing, and another claims Charlie's new neighbor Jerry (Farell) is to blame, because Jerry is a vampire.

Charlie dismisses the notion that a vampire moved in next door, but begins to suspect something isn't right when his seemingly paranoid friend turns up missing. Brewster soon learns the truth and enlists the aide of Peter Vincent (Tennant), Vampire Slayer, to combat the evil that has infested his town.

Kind of a bland description, but there are some things in Fright Night best seen, rather than read. Suffice it to say, Fright Night is good. While pacing issues and Antony Yelchin's flatness as Charlie Brewster hold the film back from being the greatest film ever, Fright Night does have some aces up its proverbial sleeve. Those aces: Colin Farell, David Tennant, humor and Imogen Poots.

Farell makes for a super cool vampire, so much so I almost rooted for Jerry the Vampire. What keeps the good guys in a favorable light is Tennant's extremely entertaining version Vegas Showman/Vampire Slayer Peter Vincent. Tennant's just-under over-the-top performance is riotously funny.

Like the original horror-comedy from the 80's, Fright Night is more comedy than horror. The humor provided, mostly, by Tennant's character is essential to Fright Night. Without it, the film would be a bland pseudo-horror remake. However, Marti Nixon's script balances the horror and comedy terrifically. The other piece to the puzzle is Imogen Poots. Every horror film has a hot chick in it, but Poots can act.

Pacing and a wooden lead character aside, the only real problem with Fright Night is the 3D part. Like any other 3D flick, very few elements are in 3D. The only added dimension throughout the entire film is the look of a bit of depth within the scenes. Beyond that only a handful of silly looking elements are actually 3D.

So, save a few bucks by seeing Fright Night in 2D. Or, give in to gimmick and see it in 3D. Either way, go see Fright Night.