Daybreakers

Set in 2019, Ethan Hawke stars as Edward Dalton - a humanitarian vampire scientist trying to invent an alternative to human blood (he's part MacGyver, part Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and part Robert Pattinson, but he keeps his shirt on). See, some sort of virus infected humans in 2009, which led to a conversion of the species to vampires, which sounds enticing, but you know it will have a down side.

As more and more humans become vampires, human blood becomes rarer and rarer. Now, the blood supply is about to run out, and vampires who don't get human blood turn into horrifying monsters (people are cool with becoming sexy, pouty lipped vampires, staying up all night, feeding on humans, immortality and all of that stuff, but no one wants to be ugly, that's where they draw the line).

Will Edward find an alternative before it is too late?

What will happen when he finds some humans?

Surprisingly, Daybreakers is more complex and interesting than you might think upon first glance (or what you have seen in the commercials and trailers). Then, the movie falls apart as if someone in the production screamed out, "Stop! We forgot to blow stuff up! Get the blood!"

Co-directors/co-writers Michael and Peter Spierig have the foundation for a cool movie. It's not The Godfather or something on that level, but they create an interesting world with plenty of intrigue and possibility. Edward works for a mogul, Charles Bromley (Sam Neill), who supports his work for a blood alternative, but might have other motives. Edward refuses to consume human blood and has some sympathy for those who are on the run, yet, his brother is a human hunter in the Army. Most of all, Edward is starting to mutate into one of those monsters, so he is working to save his vampire species as well as himself.

However, Daybreakers starts to run out of steam as the Spierigs try to inject more gore and action. Willem Dafoe shows up almost as a comic relief character as the Spierigs give him what is supposed to be colorful language and dialogue, but it comes across as trying too hard to be funny and quirky. The film becomes weighed down by the various and multiple threads. Then, the intrigue is pushed aside for bloody attacks, people blowing up and lots of vampires getting staked through the heart, so they explode into flames quicker than a recalled Christmas toy.

Sure, some of the action is needed and welcome, but it feels like the Spierigs are inserting more and more action as if they must meet a quota or they are trying to buy some time until they figure out how to end Daybreakers.

It won't be the only movie about vampires this year, but it won't be the worst.

Daybreakers is rated R for strong bloody violence, language and brief nudity.