BLOODRAYNE

Rayne is a half-vampire with extraordinary powers, her mother was killed by the vampire Kagan and she was imprisoned in a circus and exhibited as a freak show. Having gained her freedom, Rayne will seek revenge with the help of a group of brave knights, but intrigues and betrayals will make her mission fraught with obstacles and only the discovery of three dark and powerful relics will allow her to prevail in the final battle against absolute evil. One could write an essay on the rise of Uwe Boll to the Olympus of the worst directors in the history of world cinema, let's skip over petitions that would demand his removal from the scene or the crowd of furious fans for his adaptations of beloved and played video games by millions of players, which became films that calling them bad would be an understatement, but let's focus on his latest product, also based on a video game, "Bloodrayne", a story of vampires with a gothic flavor, a classic tale populated by half-breed creatures, armies in conflict, relics with dark powers and revenge. Bloodrayne (Kristanna Loken) is a half-vampire, born from the violence perpetrated by the powerful vampire Kagan (Ben Kingsley) on a young woman. Now, chained, she lives in a traveling circus and is exhibited as a freak to the numerous visitors. Freed, she finds in the hunt for her kind a purpose in life and while she is in search of three relics that would help her kill the vampire responsible for her mother's death, she is in turn sought by a trio of expert vampire-slaying knights whose leader Vladimir (Michael Madsen) leads a group that fights the army of the powerful vampire Kagan intent on conquering and subjugating the entire kingdom. Bloodrayne discovers during her journey that she is a "Damphir", a creature that would be capable of killing the most powerful of vampires, and a gypsy (Geraldine Chaplin), warning the young girl about the risks of the mission she is about to face, will reveal her destiny. Let's say that this time Boll had an intriguing plot, a good budget, and a respectable cast, and as usual he churns out another little film. A positive note can be seen in the care for costumes and scenery, essential to immerse us in this medieval-flavored world; stunning the locations situated in Romania, what better backdrop for a vampire story? But now the negative notes. Throughout the film, you have the feeling of watching an episode of "Xena: Warrior Princess", a respectable TV series produced by Sam Raimi; the screenplay is soporific and, even trying to save something, it's frustrating to see the Oscar winner Ben Kingsley in the role of a vampire who is anything but unsettling. Michael Madsen sports his famous squinting look, but when he finds himself having to face action scenes and duels he is awkward. Michelle Rodriguez and Michael Paré, not new to action roles, defend themselves well even if the script doesn't help them at all. The Loken, an extremely sexy vampire, has that Milla Jovovich air that doesn't spoil and a physique that keeps her always in part, with her blades she reminds the Elektra of Jennifer Garner, less convincing but still credible. Let's draw a compassionate veil over the cameo of Billy Zane in the ennesimi ambiguous roles of Elrich, father of Katarin, viscous and ambitious vampire, actor with the mask of eternal unlikable now at the end of a career far from exciting, as have demonstrated his latest low-budget efforts. If we have to compare this "Bloodrayne" with Boll's previous works, this one comes out a winner, because it does not contain the classic "inserts" extremely kitsch typical of the director, because the characters have a connotation and a purpose, and the screenplay is quite coherent, but the "television" direction and the lack of memorable scenes make it yet another film to watch if we really have nothing else to do. The reason why Boll continues to churn out films despite the lack of talent and the evident hostility of the public is quite simple: he keeps costs low and on DVD it works. Today films are made with the clear intention of capturing the least demanding public of video stores, and by less demanding I do not mean incapable of distinguishing hoaxes from masterpieces, but a public accustomed to renting or viewing anyway a film like Boll's because after all giving it a glance doesn't cost much, and if behind there is some franchise, a star actor, an evocative title and an intriguing cover, the choice is much easier. In conclusion, given the multitude of films about vampires, this could be a rather insipid appetizer waiting for titles of greater substance, if then you have the curiosity to see the Ed Wood of the new millennium a bit more formal and contained than usual, this is the right opportunity. A last curiosity: as proof of the prolificacy of this director in constant motion, "Bloodrayne 2" and "Bloodrayne 3" are on the way, both for the home video market, while in theaters "Postal" is about to arrive, ennesima video game adaptation in which our Boll will not only be screenwriter, producer and director but also... actor!