Monday 26 December 2011

Final review page






MAGNIFYED EYE
· The exact same vampire teeth were used on Hadjisavvas and Konde.
· It’s actually tomato ketchup used to represent blood on the actors.
· The last scenes of the film were shot outside the residence of Hadjisavvas.

Being a new vampire franchise entering the market, you wouldn’t expect anything exciting from this low budget production to begin with. In fact you’d probably be saying, ‘Ooh vampires – I’ve seen Dracula a thousand times – ooh teenaged victims? This is just a Twilight spin-off.’ Right? Right? Wrong. Konde has got critics itching with excitement. The film industry is excited to recruit such a promising young talent to deliver a new breed of greatness directly to the big screen.  This 21st century teenaged epic isn’t anything like the gothic romantic Twilight series or the traditional classic Dracula movies, because Vamparactive is not on a higher, but on a different level to any of those. This considerably emotional but thrillingly sinister joy-ride leaves the audience on the edge of their seats with anticipation. Its high-octane chase sequence features some impressive stunts, curtsy of Mozumder’s ingenious stunt coordinating.  Konde’s ability to choreograph a variety of emotions within the ‘red alert’ vibe of the film is certainly impressive. The teenage characters being turned into protagonists and antagonists as the story progresses, allows it to be, in a sense, more thrilling and exciting. There’s just something about having kids doing the action that screams recklessness, restlessness, rawness and adrenaline pumping feats of youthfulness. The pure energy conveyed by the actors captured by the impeccable camera work of Mizgin Sarica has shaped up an instant hit. One crucial letdown though lies on the lack of goriness when a character is either bitten or stabbed. It doesn’t look convincing enough to have the main antagonist look as though he’s been licking his victim, instead of looking as though he’s just finished draining the very blood from their neck. Not enough ketchup or the use of ketchup itself - being faint in colour on the face - is a result of this. It seems like a rushed job from the make-up artist but in all honesty they could have used something a lot more convincing than ketchup anyway. On the other hand the characters do live up to the film’s unique title - It’s a fantastic performance from Hadjisavvas, who although hasn’t been scripted a line to utter in the entire story, displays a real sense of that restless, hyperactive super natural character he’s intended to portray – very Vamparactive indeed. In the short time Hawa performed, she marks the audience for her innocent Little Red Riding Hood like character and her frightening Vamparactive revival in the closing scene. Mozumder plays a great protagonist, reminiscent of the stubborn and defiant protagonist; Robert Thorn in The Omen, and Konde himself who not only directs, but stars in his debut film also displays his acting talent. It’s clear that he has undoubtedly created one of the most exciting ‘must see’ films of 2012. A sequel is most definitely being anticipated.
Verdict
A priceless cliff-hanger, breathtaking performances, more blood needed but a fine effort none the less.