BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE - Blu-ray review

Everybody loves vampires and zombies nowadays. They used to be nightmarish creatures that have become almost cute and cuddly. As cool as zombies are, vampires have always had a mystique about them that has made the bloodsuckers sex symbols. The baffling phenomenon known as "Twilight" can certainly attest to that. Two of the most popular television dramas currently airing are the vampire-centric "True Blood" and "The Vampire Diaries." "Let the Right One In" was one of the best films of 2008 and one of the best vampire films ever. Vampires aren't just objects of lust and mystery, but they can be serious ass kickers too as evidenced with "Blood: The Last Vampire."

The original "Blood: The Last Vampire" was an anime film made in 2000 by Production I.G., the animation studio behind "Ghost in the Shell." That version of "Blood" was decent enough if somewhat empty at a scant forty-eight minutes. This live-action version may be twice as long, but it's also twice as empty.

Gianna Jun (aka Jun Ji-hyun) won over international audiences as the title character of the South Korean comedy, "My Sassy Girl." Here, she plays Saya, a 400-year old half-human, half-vampire hybrid. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that Saya's father was a renowned samurai who hunted demons until he was murdered by the vampire queen, Onigen (Koyuki). She was raised by one of her father's retainers, Kato (Yasuaki Kurata), until he too was murdered by Onigen's forces. Since then, Saya has spent centuries cutting through the vampire species until she can find Onigen.

Now, it is the 1970's and the Vietnam War rages on. Saya is currently working with a secret organization known as the Council. Hot on Onigen's trail, the Council sends Saya onto an American military base in Tokyo under the guise of a transfer student. Saya battles several vampires who have disguised themselves as soldiers, students, and faculty. Meanwhile, Alice McKee (Allison Miller), the daughter of the base's commanding officer, stumbles onto the clandestine war between the Council and the vampires, becoming a target for both sides. Alice's character is rather superfluous to the paper thin story. She's ostensibly the outsider who triggers the other characters to espouse large chunks of exposition. I also get the feeling Alice was only there to be a pretty white face so the production doesn't become too Asian.

The live-action "Blood" is an international production all the way. The star is South Korean and the cast is primarily American with a little Japanese, British and Irish mixed in. The film's director is Chris Nahon, the Frenchman who also directed the Jet Li actioner "Kiss of the Dragon." Though it's based on an anime feature and set in Japan, the film was shot in Argentina and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong influence continues as the producer for the film was Ronny Yu ("Bride with White Hair"), the screenwriter was Chris Chow ("Jet Li's Fearless"), and the fight choreography was done by Corey Yuen ("Fong Sai Yuk," "The Transporter"). The Hong Kong hand is definitely felt in the action sequences with elaborate acrobatics on display.

As decent as the fight scenes could have been, they are ruined by some of the most absolutely awful special effects I've ever seen. Two vampires transform into CGI gargoyles look about as real as your average porn star's breast implants. Copious amounts of computer generated blood are spilled at the edge of Saya's sword and not a single drop looks authentic. Blockbusters like "Wolverine" and "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" have no excuse for bad visual effects, but "Blood" (with a budget of $30 million) has something of an excuse due to less resources. Yet, I cannot fathom the reasons behind this over reliance on CGI when practical effects would have worked so much better. A sequence where the characters run across rooftops look laughably fake, especially in comparison to one from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" which used plain old wire work.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The transfer is very good though a few shots do look a bit soft. The neon signs of the Tokyo streets stand out in particular and little details in the background come through crystal clear. Unfortunately, the already poor CGI looks even worse in high definition.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 DTS-HD MA. The lossless audio is fantastic and could easily be considered reference quality. The sound is robust. The bass thumps and sound effects such as explosions, gunfire, and body blows are booming.

EXTRAS:
The Making of Blood: The Last Vamprie (19:07) is your standard behind-the-scenes featurette with interviews from the cast and crew as they discuss the characters and the production.

Battling Demons: Behind the Stunts (16:48) is another EPK-style featurette focusing on the stunt work and fight training. During the filming of one fight, Gianna Jun was hanging from a wire rig when she collided head first with the camera crane. Luckily, this was the only major accident on set.

There is also the Blu-Ray exclusive Storyboard Gallery which contains storyboards for three of the action set pieces. You'll also get trailers for other Sony releases such as "Moon."

FILM VALUE:
In terms of presentation, you can't go wrong with "Blood: The Last Vampire" on Blu-Ray. However, the film itself suffers from bad acting, terrible dialogue, and dreadful FX. Gianna Jun, who was wonderful in "My Sassy Girl," gives a stilted performance due to her poor command of the English language. If all you're looking for is the simple experience of watching a cute female in a schoolgirl uniform hack evildoers to pieces with a sword, then "Blood: The Last Vampire" might satisfy your shallow appetites.