Movie review: Fright Night (2011)

Fright Night (2011) 

Starring:  Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Toni Collette 

Director: Craig Gillespie 

Touchstone Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Reliance Entertainment, USA, 2011. 

This movie is a remake of the 1985 film. 

Charley (Anton Yelchin) is a high-school Kid living in suburb of Las Vegas with his mother (Toni Collette). He has a girl friend Amy (Imogen Poots). To be cool and popular in high-school, Charley is being evasive to his old geeky friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). Ed wants to talk with Charley because many students and their friend Adam have gone missing. 

Amy (front) with her friend Bee (Grace Phipps)

Amy and Charley

Charley's former friend Ed

Charley has a new neighbour Jerry (Colin Farrell) who is a suave ladies' man. Jerry says that he is a night-worker so he sleeps all day. Ed suspects that Jerry is a vampire and spies on him. Charley thinks that Ed is crazy and childish. Ed goes to hunt vampires alone, but that is not a good idea. Ed disappears. 

Charley's mother

New neighbour Jerry

Charley goes through the evidence that Ed collected. He begins to believe that Ed was right about Jerry. After seeing Jerry acting strangely, Charley decides to take care of his mother and Amy. Amy is not happy with Charley peeping the neighbours. Charley seeks help from magician Peter Vincent (David Tennant), a self-proclaimed vampire hunter who hosts a Fright Night stage show. Peter thinks that Charley is a nutcase and throws him out. Jerry gets annoyed when Charley spies on him. Charley, mom and Amy must escape when Jerry attacks the house. Jerry chases them with a car but they manage to excape. To further add to Charley's problems, Jerry is making vampires of his victims and sending them after Charley and Amy. Because the vampire tries to take Charley's girl, Charley must convince Peter to fight against the vampires together. 

The magician Peter Vincent

Charley must become a vampire hunter

Jerry has a big mouth

The movie location is a small town in the middle of a desert, being a bit different place for vampire to hide. David Tennant is good as a rock-star type magician and brings some comedy to the action. Colin Farrell does a good work as a serial-killer style vampire. Also Imogen Poots and Toni Collette get a chance to hurt some vampires. At the half-point the movie changes it's style quickly from the sleuth-style mystery to Buffy-style vampire hunt. The movie is better than expected horror remake with some comedic elements. Although not very original, it is still an entertaining vampire flick. 

Rating: Good