There may be some minor unintentional spoilers in here, so, avoid this review if you plan on seeing the movie...
Blood And Chocolate is not a terrible movie. It is not memorable enough to enjoy that dubious distinction. This film just ambles along until you get to the completely obvious conclusion. I'll try to give a breakdown on different aspects. Bear with me, because as time goes on (I saw it yesterday), I find it more difficult to remember anything about it.
Story: About a group beings that can transform between their human and wolf forms at will. Not werewolves, in the sense that you usually see on film, but a very intriguing concept on the surface. Of course, the "evil" humans have been hunting down this species for ages, because we are afraid of them...blah blah blah we've heard it all before. As we delve deeper into the history of the Loups-Garoux, we realize that they are not that powerful. Just a bunch of bullies that attack in groups, with all of the advantages against their lone, wounded, human prey.
Acting: Agnes Bruckner (Vivian)- While certainly attractive, she wades through her dialogue like a sloth in a quagmire. The script itself didn't help, but her wooden portrayal of Vivian was hard to watch at times.
Hugh Dancy (Aiden)- Just couldn't come up with any sympathy or empathy for his character. His ridiculous back-story and "dark family secret" didn't help matters any.
Oliver Martinez (Gabriel)- I enjoyed his turns in S.W.A.T. and Taking Lives (both horrible movies, IMO) better than I did this. His a a cowardly leader of the pack who is just looking to bed a new beauty every 7 years. You don't fear the character of Gabriel as much as you just dread his return to the screen.
Brian Dick (Rafe)- Plays a whiny little spoiled brat that happens to be the son of the leader (Gabriel). Very uninspired performance all around. There is also the disturbing little incestuous attraction to his cousin (Vivian).
Katja Riemann (Astrid)- She plays the only semi-sympathy inducing character of the bunch. As the washed up ex-concubine of Gabriel, mother of the extremely annoying Rafe, and Vivian's aunt, she invokes pity, if nothing else. She longs for her youth and Gabriel, who is, of course after the much younger Vivian.
SFX/Stunts/Choreagraphy: The human form-wolf form transformation becomes tiresome after the second or third occurrence.
Another tiresome aspect was the constant jumping up to step off of walls and stair railings like a group of despondent x-gamers who had to pawn their roller blades.
There were a couple of decent fight scenes, but nothing that really stands out.
Final Take:
As a whole, this was a convoluted chick-flick/action flick with some quasi-horror elements thrown in. Think Underworld, only much worse. There were times that I thought the story was going to get interesting, then those hopes were dashed. A different take on the werewolf mythos, and not as bad as some werewolf films I've seen. (Cursed, anyone?)
I won't say avoid at all costs, but, don't get your hopes up for anything great.
3/10
Rex
Blood And Chocolate is not a terrible movie. It is not memorable enough to enjoy that dubious distinction. This film just ambles along until you get to the completely obvious conclusion. I'll try to give a breakdown on different aspects. Bear with me, because as time goes on (I saw it yesterday), I find it more difficult to remember anything about it.
Story: About a group beings that can transform between their human and wolf forms at will. Not werewolves, in the sense that you usually see on film, but a very intriguing concept on the surface. Of course, the "evil" humans have been hunting down this species for ages, because we are afraid of them...blah blah blah we've heard it all before. As we delve deeper into the history of the Loups-Garoux, we realize that they are not that powerful. Just a bunch of bullies that attack in groups, with all of the advantages against their lone, wounded, human prey.
Acting: Agnes Bruckner (Vivian)- While certainly attractive, she wades through her dialogue like a sloth in a quagmire. The script itself didn't help, but her wooden portrayal of Vivian was hard to watch at times.
Hugh Dancy (Aiden)- Just couldn't come up with any sympathy or empathy for his character. His ridiculous back-story and "dark family secret" didn't help matters any.
Oliver Martinez (Gabriel)- I enjoyed his turns in S.W.A.T. and Taking Lives (both horrible movies, IMO) better than I did this. His a a cowardly leader of the pack who is just looking to bed a new beauty every 7 years. You don't fear the character of Gabriel as much as you just dread his return to the screen.
Brian Dick (Rafe)- Plays a whiny little spoiled brat that happens to be the son of the leader (Gabriel). Very uninspired performance all around. There is also the disturbing little incestuous attraction to his cousin (Vivian).
Katja Riemann (Astrid)- She plays the only semi-sympathy inducing character of the bunch. As the washed up ex-concubine of Gabriel, mother of the extremely annoying Rafe, and Vivian's aunt, she invokes pity, if nothing else. She longs for her youth and Gabriel, who is, of course after the much younger Vivian.
SFX/Stunts/Choreagraphy: The human form-wolf form transformation becomes tiresome after the second or third occurrence.
Another tiresome aspect was the constant jumping up to step off of walls and stair railings like a group of despondent x-gamers who had to pawn their roller blades.
There were a couple of decent fight scenes, but nothing that really stands out.
Final Take:
As a whole, this was a convoluted chick-flick/action flick with some quasi-horror elements thrown in. Think Underworld, only much worse. There were times that I thought the story was going to get interesting, then those hopes were dashed. A different take on the werewolf mythos, and not as bad as some werewolf films I've seen. (Cursed, anyone?)
I won't say avoid at all costs, but, don't get your hopes up for anything great.
3/10
Rex
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