Rise - Bloodhunter Details

[Highly rated reviewer]

Not As Good As It Thinks It Is

Firmly aimed at the male demographic, Rise - Blood Hunter is a vampire film in the mould of Blade. Except without the cool martial arts. Or supernatural strength. Or humour. Or fun for that matter.

The film follows the actions of Sadie Blake, previously a reporter, now a vampire out to get revenge on the ones that tortured and turned her. And that's about it. There's a little time spent on Sadie's reaction to discovering her 'condition' and how she adapts to her new eating habits but this is done quickly and sporadically through flashbacks.

The overiding impression when watching Rise is that underneath what we're seeing is a pretty decent story, but it is hindered by lack-lustre performances, and non-linear editing. Personally I would have liked to have seen this film in chronological order, working towards the moment of Sadie's revenge, but alas we must join Sadie on her wanderings down memory lane instead. And this raises (see what I did there?) another problem with the film - Lucy Liu. Normally a funky addition to casts, here she sleepwalks through her role and struggles with the dull dialogue she's been given. Ironically, she repeats the word 'slow' many times throughout the film, which is a pretty good description for it as a whole. In fact none of the cast really seem to be sinking their teeth into their roles (okay, I'll stop now) but it's not entirely suprising considering the clunky script.

Rise is not the worst vampire film out there, but it certainly is a strong contender. Redeeming features are few, though the amount of naked flesh (particularly Lucy Liu's) will tick some peoples boxes. And the amount of blood will tick others. But overall I can't recommend this as a great example of a vampire movie - approach with extreme caution.

Disappointing

With the cast, i thought the story was weak. You did not feel threatened by the vampires at all.