Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Screen_Blitz For the past few decades, Hollywood has engaged in a long-running trend of remaking classic horror films from the 70s and 80s. More than not, these update have lead to lumbering disappointments in capturing the spirits of their original source materials. Fortunately, this remake of the 1985 horror flick 'Fright Night' is one of the few exceptions that does its duty. Directed by Craig Gillespie, this stylish vampire horror film carries roughly the same story and characters, executing these elements with proficiency while paying respect to its original source material. What are filmgoers in for? Not a film that will necessarily provoke nightmares in your sleep, but will provide a campy, gory fun with a solid dose of humor in the mix. And to add a little spicing, it is done in 3-D which will allow viewers to experience the action flying at them before their very eyes. Although Gillespie never boasts any improvements over the original film, his greatest success lies within his appealing execution of the man-versus-bloodsucker tale. Set in the suburbs of Las Vegas, this film follows 17-year old Charley Brewster (played by Anton Yelchin), a popular high school student dating a hot blondie named Amy (played by Imogen Poots) and hanging with his pals Mark (played by Dave Franco) and Ben (played by Reid Ewing). With his social standings rising, his popularity has put his former best friend Ed (played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse) in the shadows. When a handsome young man Jerry Dandridge (played by Colin Ferrell) movies in next door, Charley soon finds his and his mother's life in danger upon discovering that he is not the man next door, but a blood-sucking vampire out for human blood. And the only one who can help him is no one other than a vampire television show host Peter Vincent (played by David Tennant) who has the expertise on the world of vampires.Not once does this film try to be anything groundbreaking or particularly anything masterful. It is a teen-oriented vampire flick that knows what it is and embraces the soul that made the 1985 original at hit. And the good news is it knows how to have fun while not only splashing the screen with R-rated blood and gore, exhibiting intellect in the rules of surviving against a vampire. With the obvious rules being sunlight leads vampires into a fiery grave and the other way to kill them is by driving a stake through their heart, the story expands upon another notable rule involving the vicious monsters requiring an invitation to enter the house. If the house you enter is abandoned, the vampire exempt from the necessity of an invitation. This accounts to a scary, yet clever scene when Jerry enters the house that has been abandoned on foreclosure. As for the story, the director does a pleasant job on building up the tension that leads to an pulse- pounding climax. In the process, the film stays mostly engaging by not blanketing the atmosphere with endless dread but poking fun at the genre with character sprouting humor with witty dialogue. This aspect is greatly accomplished by the cast including Colin Ferrell, substituting Chris Sarandon who offers an unexpected cameo in one scene, as Jerry Dandridge who boasts a tasty performance as the infamous blood-sucker. Demonstrating a sense of wit and dark comedic appeal, Ferrell proves himself suitably fit in the antagonistic role. Then there is Anton Yelchin who shares some sweet chemistry with his co-stars including Imogen Poots as his girlfriend and most notably Toni Collette as his naive mother who makes for some humorous interaction with him, particularly in the scenes when he is imploring her about the sinister persona Jerry hides behind the mask. If there is anyone in the cast, however, that stands along Ferrell on stealing the show, it is David Tennant who boasts an energetic Russell Brand-like comedic presence with his wise-cracking humor and profane, yet explosively hilarious one-liners. Just wait for him to get a hold of some booze. Fright Night is a stylish, witty, and fun vampire flick that invites viewers, particularly horror fans, in for some sweet campy fun. By almost no means does this film shed improvement over the original film from the 1980s. Nonetheless, Craig Gillespie's rendition of the vampire tale strikes with one hell of a bit.

GL84 After a mysterious stranger moves into his neighborhood, a teen and his friends accidentally stumble upon his terrifying secret about being a vampire and recruits a famous vampire hunter to try to stop the trail of carnage left behind and his friends become the next target.This was a surprisingly decent enough affair that wasn't really all that bad with some good points to it. Among the better parts here is the absolutely fun storyline throughout here that does compare favorably against the original since the ruse is discovered early on. This has a lot of rather fun antics that really push this along, from their initial meeting that clues him, the strange way he continually creeps around the neighborhood to pop up at exactly the wrong time or the few behavioral ticks that give him away which all go wrapped together alongside the previously-discovered videotapes that all help to give this one the work needed to fully reveal the ruse. Beyond this, the scenes stalking around the house where he has to free the captive inside and her eventual fate not only gives this one yet another charge for the ruse yet also features quite a really suspenseful sequence to help build that section more beyond the friendly scenes. There's a lot to come off of that in its action in here, from the house destruction and eventual high-speed chase along the highway that has a lot to like about it during their various chases and encounters with him to the battle in the office that includes some nice stalking scenes through the endless rows of artifacts stored away or battling the creatures in the panic room. As well, this here has the final assault on the underground hideout with all the turned victims providing enough of a battle to allow for some big action moments before the one-on-one confrontation, which is rather entertaining in its own right as there's some rather fun fighting here with their contraptions and some decent enough gore scenes to make it interesting. Along with the vampire makeup and gore, this is a pretty good effort with a lot to like although there are a few problematic elements here. The film's biggest flaw is the fact that the ruse is found out far too early and far too easily, since there's little investigation required to find out his true identity and it's all out in the open with such little push- back or need to look further into who he is which makes for some questionable storyline points. Along with this effort, the film also manages to stumble somewhat in it's CGI which is rather cheesy and clumsy throughout here as there are some exceptionally weak shots in here. The fact that so many of them are due to the wounds inflicted upon him which is quite obvious due to his spastic movements and disorienting behavior during the attacks, and along with the transformation scenes and use of blood and gore all just make for a rather flawed experience. These do knock it down somewhat but not enough to lower it overall.Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

Jeffrey Burton Edit: While I still believe all the things I said below this movie has grown on me due to the late Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots and Toni Collette's performances. My outrage has died at this being another movie who's memory has been defiled by the 'let's do a remake and make worse than the original' crowd. The relationships have enough charm to have made this something a 'comfort food movie' for me. Here's to the memory of Anton. Wish he had lived longer. It seems like this movie was written by somebody whose top priority was to defy expectations. The result is a forced and unnatural movie that features the same title and character names of the original 'Fright Night' with none of it's wit, scares, charm or taut plot structure. The first 'Fright Night' was akin to a chess match. This one is more like roller derby. They really should have just called it some other title and invested more into the new plot and character development. That being said, on it's own, it's still a slightly above average Horror/Vampire flick.The late Anton Yelchin (sad face) is good as Charley and there is a talented cast of Colin Farrel, Toni Collette and Imogen Poots (new crush). I guess anybody who has played Dr. Who is supposed to be a genius but I thought this David Tennant dude, was a dud. Roddy McDowell lent so much more class and zeal to the role. I thought Farrel would have been great but where Chris Sarandon provided an air of mystery, depth and seeming enjoyment in being a vampire, Farrell just comes across as some guy who needs to suck blood to stay alive.The attempt to make the story more contemporary, like making the two love interests more sexually savvy, seemed to be jaded and uncomfortable. Also the 'Evil' character isn't given any of the great stuff the kid did in the original and just comes across sad. They even set up the possibility of a redemptive moment for two former friends who have grown apart and then don't deliver. The role of the Vampire's 'familiar', which added more humor and another foe to deal with is cut. They also totally sh!tcanned the Vampire and Amy 'love' plot line that drove the entire 3rd act. The dance club seduction scene that worked so well is reduced to what appears to be lewd make out session in the middle of crowded club. No romance, no mystery and nothing to drive the plot.The vampire 'does and don't' just seemed jumbled and unintelligible unlike the original where there were rules and the breaking or revealing of new rules.All the great special effects makeup of Steve Johnson in the original is now computer aided graphics and pretty lifeless at that. The penultimate shot of Farrel at the end is embarrassing.It's not all bad, hence the 5.5 of 10 rating but I can't think of a single scene or sequence in this movie that is superior or even equal to the original.Hollywood needs to stop with the remake crap and buy some new scripts.

Tony Hernandez This 2011 version of the latter-day classic _Fright Night_ is as good a time you will have watching a vampire movie these days. The cast is great, the direction fast paced and the script witty and reverent at the same time. And, while it is a remake of my favorite vampire movie of the 1980s, it is also pays homage to the best American vampire movie ever, _The Night Stalker_.While Charlie Brewster is getting the week-willed Peter Vincent to help him save Amy from Jerry Dandridge ("Jerry the vampire!?!"), the movie is also quoting pretty liberally from that classic 1972 Darren McGavin/Richard Matheson masterpiece. The new Fright Night shares a setting (Las Vegas) with the McGavin movie. But more importantly, the first half of the long sequence when Charlie searches Jerry's house and becomes a believer is an almost shot-for-shot quote of McGavin's suspenseful search of the vampire's house at the climax of _The Night Stalker_. Of course, the new movie has its own payoff to that scene, one that elicits a shudder and a laugh. The laugh comes from the fact that we should certainly have seen that payoff coming, but the suspense of the action just prior has thrown us off guard. This scene, like most of the effects shots, works even better in the original 3D.There are many other pleasures to this movie, including solid performances by Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots and Toni Colette as the frightened but sophisticated protagonists. Colin Farrell is able to pull off a modern version of the Dandridge character, sexy in a rougher, sweatier way. He may not have the gravitas of Chris Sarandon, but Charlie is right to be wary of this guy, vampire or not.David Tennant and Christopher Mintz-Plasse steal the show. Tennant updates Peter Vincent by turning McDowell's kindly but cowardly gentleman into a drunken primadonna, Simon Cowell as vampire slayer. And Mintz-Plasse's Evil Ed is hilarious in nerd mode and vampire/nerd mode. His longing for a lost friend is very real and makes his fate all the more touching.If you have not seen this, check it out. For some reason it did not do well at the box office, but it is the perfect antidote to the sparkling vampires and cuddly werewolves of recent years.