Last night the wife and I checked out the newest installment in the 30 Days of Night franchise Dark Days. This time around, the story moves from the dark and cold Barrow, Alaska for sunny California as Stella, one of the original survivors from the original (and not portrayed by the original actress Melissa George) tries to bring the truth about what really happened in Barrow and tell the world that Vampires exist. Clearly the Vamps aren’t pleased by this and they show up at one of her events only to be greeted by a fancy light show. The movie is pretty good with covering some of the main points in the comic but there are some liberties taken for the sake of the release.

Overall the makeup effects are good as the vamps still look the same as they did in the original with their maws filled with razor sharp teeth reminiscent of a piranha, long fingernails that could tear a man apart and the sounds that come out of them are as gutteral and freaky but the blood looked terribly dark and watery. I found the casting of Mia Kirchner (Not Another Teen Movie) in the role of Lilith the Vampire Queen to be a good choice. I liked how she looked and moved in the limited time we actually see her. The opening scene was awesome and then it kind of slowed until the last half of the movie which takes place on a boat filled with humans hung up like cattle in a butchers shop being bled out. It wasn’t a bad movie, by any stretch but it wasn’t nearly as good as the original but that’s not the end of the world.

If you liked the original or just enjoy a popcorn eating adventure, this is a great rental or VOD purchase. Check it out!