Weekly Review -- Skipping class

Vampire Academy (2014) -- I have never read Richelle Mead's popular series. Being a genre fan and feeling like watching a fantasy film, I thought I would give this bloodthirsty spin on teen angst a shot recently.

The cinematic problem with elaborate literary worlds is that they rarely translate well to the screen. Time constraints are a definite part of the reason, but so are attempts to endear a particular work to an audience that might not necessarily be part of the devoted fan base. The need for exposition needs to be balanced with bringing a rich realm to life and not every film can achieve that feat. While it does have its darkly humorous moments, Mark Waters's Vampire Academy resembles its poster upon viewing -- flashy yet empty.

Half-vampire and half-human Dhampir Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch) was sworn to protect Moroi princess Lissa Dragomir (Lucy Fry), member of a peaceful vampire race that co-exists with humans. Studying at St. Vladimir's Academy, the Dhampir students are taught to become the Moroi guardians against the Strigoi, a race of immortal vampires that hunt and kill. After Rose and Lissa's psychic bond reveals that Lissa is in danger, the two escape the school. They are eventually located and taken back, but the visions persist...

The film plays out like a combo of Mean Girls and Clueless with a supernatural twist. Unfortunately, it cannot even compare with those two charmers. Whatever it accomplishes through barbs aimed at the high school experience is hampered by atrocious acting -- Deutch being the exception -- as well as a lack of chemistry and an overload of supporting characters that we know and care very little about. It is too bad, since the novels seem like fun reads and Mead had researched vampire mythology from beginning to end in order to create a fascinating world. There are some nice details, such as the aspect of donors and Dhampirs being the only ones that are able to go outside in the daytime, but the film is in dire need of more engaging elements. The adaptation appears to be scratching the surface of Mead's creation; some expository scenes and character development would have done the trick for cinema audiences. 

As I mentioned, Deutch is the sole actor that manages to flesh out her character. She has spunk and charisma and her Rose is tough, smart and witty; I loved every scene she was in. The connection with Dimitri (Danila Kozlovsky) did not work for me, though. I could not buy the two as a potential couple, partly due to the perceived age difference and partly due to the shoddy dialogue. Fry does what she can with her two-dimensional role, and I am willing to give her leeway due to Lissa being an overprotected royal, but her portrayal still feels underwhelming. Gabriel Byrne seethes with megalomania as the villain, yet another underwritten part. The rest of the cast fell flat for me, with their characters blurring together into one of two categories -- the Love Interest or the Bad Girl -- and making me forget them as soon as the credits started rolling. 

Even though Vampire Academy might appeal to its target demographic, it is still a generic entry in the paranormal pantheon. It is not well thought out, it does not offer anything new and it merely cashes in on the craze. In any case, with "The Strain" and Dracula Untold coming up, I am hoping that we are leaving the teenage/lovesick/feisty creatures behind and moving in a different and more serious direction. Personally, I am looking forward to these works, because I know that our beloved bloodsuckers can do so much better.

5/10