Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 108 minutes

Okay, I know it hasn't been getting great reviews. But how can a freak for vampires like me not go see a movie like this one? I haven't read any of the books on which this movie is based, so I went into the theatre with an entirely open mind. Unfortunately, I left the theatre feeling like something was still missing.

The movie opens in the middle with the funeral of Darren Shan (Chris Massoglia). His best friend Steve (Josh Hutcherson) and his family are clearly devastated. But then the camera pans toward the casket and zooms directly inside it where we see Darren occupying himself by playing with a handheld game. Clearly, he's not dead. In the very next scene, we head back to the beginning of the story and what seems to be an ordinary school day for Darren and Steve. It's ordinary that is, until someone tosses a flyer out of a car. And it's that flyer that sets the boys on the path that will land Darren in that coffin.

The flyer advertises the Cirque du Freak, and the boys are fascinated from the moment they see it. Their interest is only piqued further when a teacher catches them with the flyer and tells them how wrong it is to exhibit those who have some deformity or another. The boys sneak out late that night and head to the theatre where they find themselves in the front row. Both are simultaneously fascinated and appalled by the performers, but then Steve claims he recognizes one of the performers as a real vampire, one apparently featured in a book he has.

The alleged vampire, Mr. Crepsley (John C. Reilly) is less than thrilled that Steve thinks he's a vampire. But everything might have worked out for the best anyway if Mr. Tiny (Michael Cerveris) hadn't appeared. He apparently has plans for the boys, plans that don't bode well for anyone. Oblivious to the sinister undercurrents, the boys sneak into Crepsley's dressing room, both of them for dramatically different reasons. And it's what happens next that sets the tone for everything else.

The Vampire's Assistant is actually the second in the Cirque du Freak series. I suspect that the writers combined a couple of the books to put this movie together, and that turns out to have been a bad idea. The movie seems to gloss over some things too quickly; it also includes a whole host of characters, many of whom might be very interesting if only we weren't limited to a glimpse of one, and a word or two from another!

The acting is fine. I've been a John C. Reilly fan ever since I saw him in Chicago, and he doesn't disappoint here. I also found Mr. Cerveris' Mr. Tiny to be a really creepy guy which is, I'm sure, just what I was supposed to think. The young men who play Darren and Steve are quite good, especially Josh Hutcherson (you'll recognize him from some previous movies I really enjoyed including Zathura). You'll also see a number of other familiar faces, although some are all but unrecognizable at first glance (I knew Ken Watanabe was in the movie, and still didn't recognize him right away). That only made it worse, though, when so many got so little screen time.

Director Paul Weitz does a perfectly fine job with the script he's been given, one which is rife with limitations. Unfortunately, Weitz also co-wrote the script, so no excuses here! In truth, the script isn't bad. It just tries to put too many things into too short a time frame. Maybe it would have been better to concentrate on one book at a time. If it helps, the special effects are very well done, and the sets are terrific.

BOTTOM LINE: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant isn't a bad movie. It's just not an especially good one. I will tell you that I liked it well enough that I ordered the first several books of the Cirque du Freak series today. I suspect I'll like them quite a bit. And after reading them, maybe I'll have a better appreciation for this movie which, while it delivered the goods, didn't deliver anywhere near enough of them.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant is rated PG-13 for "sequences of intense supernatural violence and action, disturbing images, thematic elements and some language." That may be a little harsh, especially for kids who like vampires and similar beasties. Unless your child is particularly sensitive, I think this one should be okay for children of about 10 or 11 and up.

POLITICAL NOTES: None.