DAYBREAKERS

Review of Daybreakers

I went to the Dollar Matinee this weekend to see Daybreakers. It’s set in the future, 2019, and the majority of humankind has suffered from a disease that turned them into vampires. Humans are on the brink of extinction because of the supply and demand of human blood. The humans are hunted and culled for their blood by marine like vampires. But, vampires are facing a horrendous evolution of their species and the very likelihood they’ll all become monsters. Because of the blood shortage, the vampires are starving. Worse than that, starvation turns them into a vampire monster, with wings, pointy ears, and spiky predator fangs. Deformed into a bald, shriveled up creature, a shell of their former vampire selves, their strength that surpasses the vampires and the vampires are convinced the creature cannot be allowed to live. There’s only one problem, all of vampires are headed down this path because of the blood shorter. This movie holds true to some of the old “classics” like the vampires are allergic to sunlight, turn to ash if exposed to sunlight too long. Stakes are also a classic killer of this species.

(Human database where blood is drained from humans at Bromley Blood Bank)

Edward is a vampire hematologist that works for Bromley Blood and he’s working hard for a blood substitution, but a test run of a blood substitute ends in gory fashion and ultimately it doesn’t work. Then by accident he crashes into a group of humans and his life takes a 360 degree turn. He discovers a cure for vampirism, but wouldn’t you know it, the owner of Bromley doesn’t want anything to do with a cure because there’s no money in a cure.

One could hope in a virus infested world where vampires rule, they’d have their act together. But, of course, this isn’t the case in Daybreakers. The vampires are just as corrupt, lacking in morals and using the government for their own gain rather than the good of a country or the world and definitely not humanity. While this movie was set in the future, I wasn’t awed by the “future” visuals. This movie could have been set in the present day for no more gadgetry than was shown.

(Monster vampires turn into without blood)

I wouldn’t say this movie was a flop. It entertained me and I was never bored, but I wasn’t enthralled by its quality or riveting storyline. I’m glad I only paid $1 to see it instead of $9. After being entertained with movies like Underworld, Interview with a Vampire, Queen of the Damned and the Blade Series or even television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Supernatural and Fringe, I expect more quality than what I got in Daybreakers. While I don’t want to tell you the ending, I did like the twist on lore that led to the cure for vampirism.

Viewers on Internet Movie Data Base or imdb.com gave Daybreakers a 6.7 out of 10 rating. I think that was a fair assessment of all the movie had to offer. I might have given it a flat 6, but certainly not a 7.

But this is just my opinion. Tell me yours!

(Note: All pictures snagged from Photobucket. No copyright infringement was intended and these photos were used solely as a visual aide for this review.)