Subject: Review: Vampire Hunter D (2000)

From: Max Messier <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2001 20:13:28 -0000

VAMPIRE HUNTER D: BLOODLUST
A film review by Max Messier
Copyright 2001 filmcritic.com

I love Japanese anime on the big screen.  The gorgeous colors, the
daunting cel animation detailing the smallest blades of grass, the
complex storylines and character designs, and the thundering
soundtrack.  And the impending release of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust
has made me wet with anticipation.

The original Vampire Hunter D was produced for video only in 1985.  Its
twisted violence, a plot thick with deception and honor, perverted sex
scenes, and beautiful acts of heads and limbs being lopped off are a D&D
geek's wet dream.  Based upon volume three of Hideyuki Kikuchi's Vampire
Hunter D novel series, Bloodlust follows the continuing story of D and
his travels as a vampire hunter for hire.

In the distant future, vampires rule with an iron first over fiefdoms of
human-occupied lands with their minions of mutants and werewolves.  As
the years have passed, though, the vampire rulers have gradually lost
their power and are now being hunted by bounty hunters.  One of the most
famous hunters is a mysterious outcast named D, a "dunpeal" (born of a
vampire father and a human mother), who's equipped with a super-quick
sword, a black cape blowing in the wind, and a penchant for ass
kicking.  D's latest job involves a simple rescue operation to reclaim
an affluent family's lovely daughter Charlotte from the clutches of
Meier Link, an ultra-smooth vampire with a silly Eurotrash accent.  But
competition waits in the form of the Markus brothers -- a randy bunch of
mercenaries who use knives, strength, crossbows, and even a guy's ghost
to capture their vampire booty.  Along the way, the undead rise from
their graves, werewolves howl at the moon, and creeping evil in the
shadows crosses their paths at every turn.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a qualified success in the animation
department, combining fantasy with reality through the solid efforts of
Asian production house Madhouse Studios (also responsible for
co-creating the awesome HBO Spawn animated series).  But there's a
strong western influence in both set design and landscapes throughout
the picture.  As well, director Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Wicked City) handles
the action well and delivers a number of memorable moments that even
rival anime classics like Battle Angel.

On the flip side, the main problems with the film are that its plot is
weak and the characters fail to evolve.  Bloodlust never sells the
conviction of evil within any of the main characters, instead relying on
the age-old romanticism of the vampire.  Eventually it degenerates into
a standard love story/rescue mission.  Worse still, D's character is so
utterly invincible there's never a sense that the story could go any
other way than that he will save the girl and beat the evil bad guys. 
The film's humor, mainly projected by D's talking left hand, feels
forced and unsure.

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust earns enough points in the animation
department to carry the innocuous plot.  It's almost enough to make you
forgive the lousy title.

RATING:  ***

|------------------------------|
 \ ***** Perfection             \
  \ **** Good, memorable film    \
   \ *** Average, hits and misses \
    \ ** Sub-par on many levels    \
     \ * Unquestionably awful       \
      |------------------------------|

MPAA Rating: R

Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Producer: Mataichiro Yamamoto, Masao Maruyama, Takayuki Nagasawa
Writer: Yoshiaki Kawajiri
Voices: Andrew Philpot, Mike McShane, John Rafter Lee, Wendee Lee, Julia
Fletcher, Dwight Schultz, Matt McKenzie

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X-RT-ReviewID: 252265
X-RT-TitleID: 1102900
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X-RT-AuthorID: 1198
X-RT-RatingText: 3/5