Print Blood: The Last Vampire Review

Blood: The Last Vampire earns its keep by doing a lot with a little. As quickie exploitation films go, it fails to rise above decidedly lowered expectations, and anyone hoping for the second coming of Crouching Tiger is in for a big disappointment. The presence of a non-English director (Chris Nahon) does little to improve the less-than-stellar dialogue, and its special effects won't make anyone sit up and cheer. Yet it retains a certain inventiveness when blocking its copious action scenes, and succeeds in delivering some basic thrills in an energetic and quick-paced manner. We've reached the time of year when that's all that really matters.

The plot (based on a cult classic anime) closely matches that of Blade, except that it replaces Wesley Snipes with a little Japanese schoolgirl named Saya. Naturally, she knows kung fu and has a nasty way with a katana to boot. She's also immortal--half-human, half-vampire like Blade--and works for a shadowy agency charged with hunting down evil creatures across the globe. As played by Korean actress Gianna Jun, she remains all but invincible, slashing bloodsuckers down by the dozens while working her way up to the Supreme Ultimate Scary Thing Onigen (Koyuki), who waits for her in the bowels of 1970s Tokyo.

Blood exists for no other purpose than to watch her strut her stuff, and its grab-bag material reflects the need to keep things simple. Saya picks up a plucky American sidekick (Allison Miller)--the daughter of a U.S. general whose base is lousy with the undead--while fighting various backstabbing allies in the process of doing her duty. Beyond that and a few flashbacks covering her origins, it concerns itself mainly with Corey Yuen's fight choreography and making its leading lady look good in the pouring rain. A few clumsy analogies crop up about the Vietnam War and the way humanity's bloodlust attracts these demons, but even that feels way out of its league: transforming its earnest pretense into unintentional cheese that fits in well with its drive-in credentials.

Enjoyment of the film stems solely from one's ability to accept it on its own terms. Despite their sub-par nature, the special effects suffice for such an endeavor and indeed their clunkiness becomes part of the B-movie charm after awhile. Nahon adopts a typically spastic approach to the mayhem, but his efforts retain our interest while fulfilling the basic requirements for popcorn entertainment. Fans of the anime may be relieved to hear that the live action movie provides a better sense of closure while still remaining true to the overall spirit of the piece. All of which makes it easy to forgive the copious flaws… provided you're willing to go with the flow.

Nahon's biggest challenge is making it all work without a great deal of money. Blood sports a shoestring budget, rendering it utterly incapable of competing with the likes of Harry Potter or Transformers. It responds by finding imaginative ways of conveying its grand vision: most notably in the flashback sequences and a climactic showdown with Onigen set in an ash-laden netherworld. Here, Blood reveals a sense of identity which turns its collection of over-used action/horror staples into… well… a kind of fun collection of over-used action/horror staples. Jun maintains enough screen presence to build up some sympathy for her character, and her little schoolgirl outfit feels distinctive without descending into creepy pedophile territory. (Unlike a number of anime films I could mention.)

To be sure, it doesn't deliver anything that you won't forget the minute you reach the parking lot afterwards. But people are willing to forgive much worse from Michael Bay, and Blood's comparative lack of box office clout lends it an authenticity which becomes strangely endearing. If you can turn off your brain for the A-list films this summer, then the humbler efforts deserve the same consideration as well. Fast, cheap and only modestly out of control, Blood makes a perfectly serviceable distraction for those in search of something different at the multiplex.

Mania Grade: B-
Movie: Blood: The Last Vampire
Rating: R
Starring: Gianna Jun, Allison Miller, Koyuki, Liam Cunningham, JJ Field and Yasuaki Kurata
Written By: Kenji Kamiyama, Katsuya Terada, Chris Chow
Directed By: Chris Nahon
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Series:

Blood: The Last Vampire Review (Mania.com)