LoginI wasn’t really expecting much from this flick but since there was a pretty cool cast involved, I thought I might as well check it out. Apparently, during the whole 'Twilight' frenzy, there was actually another book adaptation dealing with vampires and teenagers but it was eventually barely noticed. It is too bad because there were actually many things to enjoy here : some cool visuals with some nice details, some fun characters and a really good cast (John C. Reilly, Josh Hutcherson, Ray Stevenson, Ken Watanabe, Salma Hayek, Orlando Jones, Willem Dafoe, Jane Krakowski). I especially enjoyed John C. Reilly who gave here another really neat performance. However, I was still not really blown away by the whole thing. Indeed, the story was honestly rather messy. Basically, there were too many characters, too many storylines and too many intrigues and the whole thing was, as a result, still rather half-baked. You could feel that it came from a book where they probably fully developped all these elements whereas, here, it was all rather rushed. Anyway, to conclude, it was nothing great whatsoever but it was still a fairly enjoyable flick and it is worth a look, especially if you like vampire flicks but cannot stand 'Twilight'.
An average movie
Posted : 12 years, 1 month ago on 22 March 2012 08:59
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Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant review
Posted : 13 years, 9 months ago on 1 August 2010 05:18
This movie really pissed me off. For one thing the acting was completely horrendous, the only half-decent person in the whole movie was that Josh Hutcherson kid. Also, please stop with the vampire movies. Can Hollywood be a little original for once? Another thing that pisses me off is that everything happened way to fast. One minute he's telling him he can't leave the campground, the next there fighting in a frigin' forest. The story was pretty decent, but it was ruined by the terrible acting and bad special effects. One of the only reasons I bothered to watch this movie was because of Willem Dafoe, one of my favorite actors. His name was put in the main credits, but he's only in two scenes! I'm not under exaggerating. Two, count em'. But the number one thing that pissed me off the most was that Salma Hayek grew a beard. Was that really necessary? Babes and beards do NOT mix, doesn't matter what kind of movie it is. 0.9
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Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant review
Posted : 13 years, 12 months ago on 3 May 2010 01:46
Impressive.
It's not a movie you would pick up at first when you see it on a shelf at "Blockbuster". At all.
But then you watch it and have a delightfull surprise, discovering a history which would make a brilliant saga! I totally reccomend.
It's not a movie you would pick up at first when you see it on a shelf at "Blockbuster". At all.
But then you watch it and have a delightfull surprise, discovering a history which would make a brilliant saga! I totally reccomend.
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Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant review
Posted : 14 years ago on 26 April 2010 11:49
Meet Darren. He's sixteen going on immortal.
Loved this one. I wasn't really expecting much, so this didn't disappoint me. I actually loved John C. Reilly as a centuries old vampire, plus Salma Hayek was subtly funny as a psychic bearded lady. I was expecting more of Willem Dafoe, but he only had two scenes (spoiler :p), so I felt that his presence was a tad bit underused. Still, a good fantasy film about vampires and other forms of freaks.
Darren Shan (Massoglia) used to be a sixteen year old who led a perfect life. Popular, an A-student, excellent family, lovely sister....as opposed to his best friend, Steve (Hutcherson), who hasn't seen his dad in years and whose mum is a drunkard. Nevertheless, the two are close friends, even though Darren's parents want him to stay away from Steve, since they believe that Darren won't get anything good out of Steve. Both have their own fascinations: Darren loves spiders, while Steve is obsessed with vampires. During a carnival freak show, Steve recognizes one of the performers as a centuries old vampire, Larten Crepsley (Reilly). He immediately tries to get Larten to change him into a vampire, but one of the rules of the vampires is that children cannot become vampires. Larten tests Steve's blood, but he finds it to be "bad", thus infuriating Steve, who swears that he will one day make Larten pay. Unknown to Larten, Steve, and another vampire, Gavner Purl (Dafoe), Darren is hiding in the closet. He had sneaked into Larten's room in order to get a closer look at Larten's pet spider, Octa. When the three leave the room, Darren seizes his chance and makes a mad dash for the exit, taking Octa with him. Outside, he is ushered into the limousine of a mysterious man, who goes by the name of Mr. Tiny (Cerveris), as well as his intimidating henchman, Murlaugh (Stevenson). Darren is dropped off at the front of his house, but Mr. Tiny tells him that they will "keep in touch". The next day, Steve is bitten by Octa after trying to squish the spider with a broom. The bite proves to be fatal, and Steve slips into a coma. Desperate, Darren goes to Larten and strikes a bargain. If Darren becomes Larten's assistant, he will give Steve the antidote to the spider bite, thus saving his life. The catch? Darren HAS to become half-vampire (enough so that he can still walk around during the day) and leave everyone and everything he holds dear.
Fun movie, really. The freaks are fascinating and cool, especially Evra the Snake Boy (Fugit), who is actually a frustrated singer/rockstar/songwriter. The others are a thrill to see, and I loved the visual effects. Simply stunning, although there were instances when prosthetic use revealed itself. A good family film, despite it riding the wave of the vampire trend.
Loved this one. I wasn't really expecting much, so this didn't disappoint me. I actually loved John C. Reilly as a centuries old vampire, plus Salma Hayek was subtly funny as a psychic bearded lady. I was expecting more of Willem Dafoe, but he only had two scenes (spoiler :p), so I felt that his presence was a tad bit underused. Still, a good fantasy film about vampires and other forms of freaks.
Darren Shan (Massoglia) used to be a sixteen year old who led a perfect life. Popular, an A-student, excellent family, lovely sister....as opposed to his best friend, Steve (Hutcherson), who hasn't seen his dad in years and whose mum is a drunkard. Nevertheless, the two are close friends, even though Darren's parents want him to stay away from Steve, since they believe that Darren won't get anything good out of Steve. Both have their own fascinations: Darren loves spiders, while Steve is obsessed with vampires. During a carnival freak show, Steve recognizes one of the performers as a centuries old vampire, Larten Crepsley (Reilly). He immediately tries to get Larten to change him into a vampire, but one of the rules of the vampires is that children cannot become vampires. Larten tests Steve's blood, but he finds it to be "bad", thus infuriating Steve, who swears that he will one day make Larten pay. Unknown to Larten, Steve, and another vampire, Gavner Purl (Dafoe), Darren is hiding in the closet. He had sneaked into Larten's room in order to get a closer look at Larten's pet spider, Octa. When the three leave the room, Darren seizes his chance and makes a mad dash for the exit, taking Octa with him. Outside, he is ushered into the limousine of a mysterious man, who goes by the name of Mr. Tiny (Cerveris), as well as his intimidating henchman, Murlaugh (Stevenson). Darren is dropped off at the front of his house, but Mr. Tiny tells him that they will "keep in touch". The next day, Steve is bitten by Octa after trying to squish the spider with a broom. The bite proves to be fatal, and Steve slips into a coma. Desperate, Darren goes to Larten and strikes a bargain. If Darren becomes Larten's assistant, he will give Steve the antidote to the spider bite, thus saving his life. The catch? Darren HAS to become half-vampire (enough so that he can still walk around during the day) and leave everyone and everything he holds dear.
Fun movie, really. The freaks are fascinating and cool, especially Evra the Snake Boy (Fugit), who is actually a frustrated singer/rockstar/songwriter. The others are a thrill to see, and I loved the visual effects. Simply stunning, although there were instances when prosthetic use revealed itself. A good family film, despite it riding the wave of the vampire trend.
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Usually hate vampire films but this one was good..
Posted : 14 years, 4 months ago on 9 December 2009 02:34
I didn't know hardly anything at all about this film when going to the cinema to see it. The only thing I knew is that it was a film about vampires. I usually hate vampire films and that explains the reason why my expectations weren't very high. When I saw it, I was pleasantly surprised at it because it is a fun film to watch that is just pure entertainment. It wasn't as dark as other vampire films that I have seen. I have heard that the film is based on two books of a franchise of vampire books. It is a film that teaches no matter what they look like, its about who they are. This probably would scare some children under the age of 8 but I don't think it was scary at all. I think the one thing that I dislike about vampire films is that they are all the same. The plots are too similar. As far as this one is concerned, it obviously had vampires in it but had the arch enemy of vampires.
Chris Massoglia's performance as Darren was alright. I mean, he was young and he deserved a chance but I do personally think his performance could've been a lot better. I don't think he made Darren a very powerful character. He made him look more like a complete idiot who should just be shot dead. John C. Reilly's performance was absolutely fantastic! I think he was the one who made this film really good. He is a very good actor but I have to say he was a brilliant choice for the character he played. He made this film quite amusing especially when he was swearing quite a bit and also the jokes he said regarding Darren and Rebecca. Josh Hutcherson is without a doubt one of the best child stars of this generation. He has proven it once again with another great performance as Steve. Steve is Darren's best friend. Steve's father abandoned him and his mother is an alcoholic. Josh is awesome at playing a villain. His performance was awesome in this one but prefer other films that he did like Zathura and Bridge To Terabithia.
Paul Weitz directed this film rather well because I think he managed to make it suitable for any child at least over the age of 7 because it isn't a violent film and it isn't very scary either. I mean, the comedy, the action and the imagination that kids can use has made it a kids film as well. Its the same with Twilight, really, apart from that Twilight is crap. Weitz is a director of pure entertainment and Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is another success to his entertaining flexography.
Overall, Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is a good film with entertainment at its finest. One of the most entertaining films of 2009 and I feel that it became a pleasant surprise.
Chris Massoglia's performance as Darren was alright. I mean, he was young and he deserved a chance but I do personally think his performance could've been a lot better. I don't think he made Darren a very powerful character. He made him look more like a complete idiot who should just be shot dead. John C. Reilly's performance was absolutely fantastic! I think he was the one who made this film really good. He is a very good actor but I have to say he was a brilliant choice for the character he played. He made this film quite amusing especially when he was swearing quite a bit and also the jokes he said regarding Darren and Rebecca. Josh Hutcherson is without a doubt one of the best child stars of this generation. He has proven it once again with another great performance as Steve. Steve is Darren's best friend. Steve's father abandoned him and his mother is an alcoholic. Josh is awesome at playing a villain. His performance was awesome in this one but prefer other films that he did like Zathura and Bridge To Terabithia.
Paul Weitz directed this film rather well because I think he managed to make it suitable for any child at least over the age of 7 because it isn't a violent film and it isn't very scary either. I mean, the comedy, the action and the imagination that kids can use has made it a kids film as well. Its the same with Twilight, really, apart from that Twilight is crap. Weitz is a director of pure entertainment and Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is another success to his entertaining flexography.
Overall, Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is a good film with entertainment at its finest. One of the most entertaining films of 2009 and I feel that it became a pleasant surprise.
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Your mouth says no, but your beard says yes.
Posted : 14 years, 5 months ago on 21 November 2009 12:28
''Vampires don't need cellphones.''
A young boy named Darren Shan meets a mysterious man at a freak show who turns out to be a Vampire. After a series of events Darren must leave his normal life and go on the road with the Cirque Du Freak and become a Vampire.
John C. Reilly: Larten Crepsley
It's very easy in this day and age to dismiss any film based on a successful young adult book series as just a studio's attempt to throw something up against the wall that could effectively begin a franchise and seeing if it sticks. You have every right to be suspicious of that, based upon the number of fantasy books that have tried it and been mostly unsuccessful - The Seeker, The Golden Compass, Narnia, The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Bridge to Terabithia, Eragon(Shudders!), thus the list could go on and on and on.
One begins to feel as if the studios are really becoming desperate to attempt to launch something new into the genre thus make more profit from it. I'm sure that's what everyone is thinking about this adaptation of Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak books.
It probably doesn't help that the movie features vampires that don't have fangs and seem to have one side not wanting to kill humans and the others do. Believe me, I'm getting tired of this story-line since Twilight. But that's pretty much where the comparisons end here, all the alternative vampires featured in the film definitely have a lust for human blood and the main bad guy, Murlough, actually files his teeth into fangs. This is also not just a story about fighting vampires; Yes, the main conflict in the film is between two groups of the bloodthirsty undead; factually there are many different types of characters that we run into on our way through the film. You've got Patrick Fugit as a snake-boy, Salma Hayek as a bearded lady with psychic powers (and an amazing rack/body I might add!), Tom Woodruff, Jr. as the Wolfman, Orlando Jones as a guy with his skin missing and his ribs exposed, and an extremely evil fellow that seems to play everyone against each other to get what he wants named Mr. Tiny. He seems to have some kind of bizarre magical powers that weren't completely explained.
''College! Job! Family! And one day, if you're really lucky, you'll be standing here yelling at a teenager of your own.''
Just with the names above, you can see that there was no expense spared in pulling together a pretty impressive ensemble cast. Then add to that Willem Dafoe as a rather eccentric acting vampire and a very unexpected John C. Reilly as the freak show vampire Larten Crepsley. Reilly really delivers in the role, being witty and slightly scary in the as Crepsley. He almost veers completely off his normal path of the idiot friend or relative that he has paved for himself by being in Stepbrothers, Talladega Nights, and Walk Hard. The reason I say almost is he still retains a sense of humour, but in a more traditional manner confined to the storytelling.
I found Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant to be a pretty enjoyable, and entertaining film. It had a darkly comic, richly sarcastic vibe that many of the films based on these types of books seem to miss out upon. I haven't read the books of this series, but this film definitely seemed to incite me to do so.
Will this be one of those times where the film will make enough money for the studio to kick off a new franchise? Who knows.
Darren Shan: So do I turn into a bat
Larten Crepsley: NO! NO! That is Bullshit.
A young boy named Darren Shan meets a mysterious man at a freak show who turns out to be a Vampire. After a series of events Darren must leave his normal life and go on the road with the Cirque Du Freak and become a Vampire.
John C. Reilly: Larten Crepsley
It's very easy in this day and age to dismiss any film based on a successful young adult book series as just a studio's attempt to throw something up against the wall that could effectively begin a franchise and seeing if it sticks. You have every right to be suspicious of that, based upon the number of fantasy books that have tried it and been mostly unsuccessful - The Seeker, The Golden Compass, Narnia, The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Bridge to Terabithia, Eragon(Shudders!), thus the list could go on and on and on.
One begins to feel as if the studios are really becoming desperate to attempt to launch something new into the genre thus make more profit from it. I'm sure that's what everyone is thinking about this adaptation of Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak books.
It probably doesn't help that the movie features vampires that don't have fangs and seem to have one side not wanting to kill humans and the others do. Believe me, I'm getting tired of this story-line since Twilight. But that's pretty much where the comparisons end here, all the alternative vampires featured in the film definitely have a lust for human blood and the main bad guy, Murlough, actually files his teeth into fangs. This is also not just a story about fighting vampires; Yes, the main conflict in the film is between two groups of the bloodthirsty undead; factually there are many different types of characters that we run into on our way through the film. You've got Patrick Fugit as a snake-boy, Salma Hayek as a bearded lady with psychic powers (and an amazing rack/body I might add!), Tom Woodruff, Jr. as the Wolfman, Orlando Jones as a guy with his skin missing and his ribs exposed, and an extremely evil fellow that seems to play everyone against each other to get what he wants named Mr. Tiny. He seems to have some kind of bizarre magical powers that weren't completely explained.
''College! Job! Family! And one day, if you're really lucky, you'll be standing here yelling at a teenager of your own.''
Just with the names above, you can see that there was no expense spared in pulling together a pretty impressive ensemble cast. Then add to that Willem Dafoe as a rather eccentric acting vampire and a very unexpected John C. Reilly as the freak show vampire Larten Crepsley. Reilly really delivers in the role, being witty and slightly scary in the as Crepsley. He almost veers completely off his normal path of the idiot friend or relative that he has paved for himself by being in Stepbrothers, Talladega Nights, and Walk Hard. The reason I say almost is he still retains a sense of humour, but in a more traditional manner confined to the storytelling.
I found Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant to be a pretty enjoyable, and entertaining film. It had a darkly comic, richly sarcastic vibe that many of the films based on these types of books seem to miss out upon. I haven't read the books of this series, but this film definitely seemed to incite me to do so.
Will this be one of those times where the film will make enough money for the studio to kick off a new franchise? Who knows.
Darren Shan: So do I turn into a bat
Larten Crepsley: NO! NO! That is Bullshit.
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