Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Kevin Munroe: Most Dead Undead(Dylan Dog:Dead of Night)

The misbegotten horror-comedy gets a jolt of otherworldly life with a bizarre, uneven new film from burgeoning 80's child Kevin Munroe. His Dylan Dog: Dead of Night casts a half assed spell of disquieting delight.

Adapted from a culty graphic novel series, Munroe wants to capture the bygone glory of master Sam Raimi, pitching terror giggle tent somewhere between The Evil Dead and Crimewave. Utilizing the most recent Superman, Brandon Routh, for his average joe/he-man charm, Munroe steeps us in New Orleans film noir territory, embroiled in a lighthearted horror vein. Dylan(Routh) is a detective of the undead, adrift in an atmospheric night world of friendly zombies(Sam Huntington), menacing werewolves(Peter Stormare) and power mad vampires(Taye Diggs).

The film feels familiar enough, meshing the world of Raymond Chandler and golden era crime drama with 80's horror, a smirk on it's face throughout. They don't make movies like this really anymore, and despite the feeling that it doesn't all quite come together, its still a step up from the director's mediocre CGI take on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles awhile back.

Routh's golden boy charm, Huntington's gifted physical comedy and likability as a character actor contribute to the feeling of affability permeating this oddity. Klaus Badelt's brilliant themes are smoky and irreplacable. While not for all, this strange little gem has all the makings of a modern cult movie.

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