Weekly Review -- A bloody future

Daybreakers (2009) -- The rush of all things vampyric that has recently taken over pop culture is probably felt in the TV and cinema world the most. From the Twilight series to "True Blood" to the upcoming Fright Night and Dracula remakes, the media are getting, shall we say... revamped? The Spierig brothers' Daybreakers is the latest take on the mythology. In 2019, following an outbreak, the planet has been overrun by vampires. The human population is dwindling, making the food resources scarcer by the minute. Working for the largest pharmaceutical company, researcher Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) is attempting to find a blood substitute, while his boss (Sam Neill) is scheming to devise a way for the upper echelons to keep devouring the real deal. When Edward accidentally encounters a rogue group of humans, led by Elvis (Willem Dafoe), they inform him that they are creating their own concoction, one that could change the course of history... The big problem with Daybreakers is that the parts are actually much more intriguing than the execution of their sum. There are numerous interesting sequences and details, including some ingenious twists. I liked the opening scene, the idea of mutant vampires and the subtle hints at corporate machinations. Unfortunately, the story arc and the characters are not established enough for the audience to become truly invested in the characters' plight. I also wish more time and attention had been paid to the background of the plague that turned the world upside down. Hawke is convincing as the conflicted Edward, while Neill spews sleaze at every turn as the ruthless CEO Bromley and Dafoe hams it up occasionally as the cheekily named Elvis. Daybreakers offers a lot of originality, but not a cohesive enough package to present it. Still, its universe is different enough for the viewer to marvel at and its story is new enough for the filmmakers to expand upon.

6/10