BloodRayne

Rating: ***/*****, or 5/10

One of Uwe Boll's best films, though that isn't saying much considering his reputation as one of the worst directors alive. Still, despite its obvious limited budget this is a fairly enjoyable action flick with a surprisingly good cast (how Boll always manages to get such noted actors for his otherwise bad films ever remains a mystery). In 18^th Century Romania, Rayne (Kristanna Loken, Terminator 3), a young Dhampir (vampire/human hybrid), lives a meager life full abuse travelling with a circus as a sideshow attraction, but decides to jump ship, after which she finds out her father, Kagan (Ben Kingsley), the king of vampires, raped her mother. Out for vengeance against her father, she teams up with a group of vampire hunters, including Vladimir (Michael Madsen) and Katarin (Michelle Rodriguez) who are at war with Kagan's sinister forces. Kagan himself however means to destroy humanity and has no qualms killing his daughter if it stops her from interfering with his vile schemes. The plot is a bit of a mess and at times hard to follow or nonsensical, while the visual effects often are of poor quality. However, some fine acting and adequate action scenes keep this film from being a total loss, the fate to which many other Uwe Boll films were condemned. If you expect a faithful adaptation of the original video game this movie is based on, forget it.

Starring: Kristanna Loken, Ben Kingsley, Michael Madsen

Directed by Uwe Boll

USA/Germany: Boll KG Productions, 2005