Daybreakers

Daybreakers is another vampire film in a year highlighted by stories of these unkind creatures. Unlike many modern takes on vampires such as the silly sparkly vampire in the Twilight movies, this movie goes back to the roots of what a vampire is. It simply places those creatures on a modern setting.

The film stars Ethan Hawke (Edward Dalton) who plays a leading hematologist at a company that farms human blood for the vampire population. Edward is a vampire who is uncomfortable with being a vampire, and while being assigned the task of finding a blood substitute, he questions whether that is the solution to the problem of violence and scarcity of such supply.One day home he encounters a group of fleeing humans, and is instantly eager to help them escape, but is also captivated by their female leader Audrey (played by Claudia Karvan).

Edward later is contacted by the leaders of the group of remaining humans to help with finding a cure not to substitute the blood but actually reverse vampirity. The key to finding a cure is Lionel (Willem Dafoe) who after a car accident and exposure to ultraviolet radiation was turned from being a vampire to being a human once again. In their search for replicating the accident that cured Lionel they are hunted by Charles Bromley (Sam Neil) who is the owner of the corporation seeking a blood substitute.

I liked this film because once again vampires are vampires, just placed in a futuristic setting (2019 to be exact). They are killed by sunlight, have no reflections, and need human (not animal) blood to survive eternity.

Ethan Hawkes prescence as the lead character is quite enjyable, but he is about the only asset to the acting in this movie. Willem Dafoe who has great potential for any movie falls short as he plays a very one dimensional kind of dick in this movie. He is just not given much to work with.

On the other hand the story is quite entertaining, but nothing too new. Some sequences such as the role of Charles Bromley's daughter (played by Isabel Lucas) are irrelevant to the story as a hole. The special effects also are clearly visible as special effects in some instances.

Either way this film is very enjoyable compared to all the nonsense that has surrounded what a vampire is and should be lately. There is no teenage drama here, just good old fashioned vampire slaying and explosions.