I'm not above enjoying a shallow plot with lots of action. I don't come to a vampire movie expecting an intellectual discourse. I do, however, need to be able to suspend disbelief long enough to care--even on a superficial level--about the welfare of the characters.



"30 Days of Night" starts off with stark beauty, haunting music, and an eerie setting. We're quickly introduced to the estranged couple, Stella and Eben. We also get hints of the destruction to come, at the expense of some sled dogs. I was all set to kick back, grip my armrests, and get swept into a harrowing tale. On a number of levels, the movie works. The photography is crisp, yet muted, and the acting is along the same lines. The vampires are given their own language, which adds an interesting dimension that is sadly not explored more. Soon, though, the film's implausibilities begin to add up to the point of distraction.



After the initial setup of the town facing a month of darkness and vampire attacks, we find ourselves stuck in an attic with a band of survivors. Not only do they brazenly use a light, but they also clomp around in boots, and show no great plans for things as simple as going to the bathroom. They try to relocate, walking down the middle of the street. Later, with the amount of carnage they witnessed early on, they seem surprisingly unwilling to do what it takes to live another sunless day. The vampires, on the other hand, seem equally inept. Though they can smell blood, they are curiously unable to detect humans in a barren landscape unless it advances the plot.



I wanted to like the film, and I found it mildly entertaining. It had the potential for more, and instead resorted to cliches of the genre instead of exploring new territory. While that may be satisfying to some horror fans, it only left me unfeeling in my response. Maybe that was the point. Maybe, in feeling nothing at the end, viewers are meant to become like the very creatures the movie so shallowly portrays. If this was a Simon Pegg film, I might see some social commentary or irony in that. Unfortunately, I think it's only commentary on a run-of-the-mill plot.