Daybreakers is Long in the Tooth

Now would be a really good time to bring back "Blade" and I only mention that cause "Blade" like "Daybreakers" revels in neo-noir vampire mythos with childish glee while providing a refreshing spin on the genre that distinguishes it from the factory. "Blade 2" took the mythos to new levels with the introduction of "Reapers" (biologically altered vampires who began to feed on vampires as well as humans). The dicotomy here was a world in which humans were not at the top of the food chain necessarily. The same concept is applied to "Daybreakers" in a brilliant premise that re-imagines the world as run by vampires. But there is only one problem, the food supply is running thin and humans are becoming extinct as the last have been farmed by a corporation run by Sam Niel for blood. Those humans that have not been farmed are on the run in exile as the vampires work on a synthetic cure for their bloodlust. Enter Ethan Hawke as "Edward Dalton" a vampire researcher for the corporation that farms blood who has a certain affinity towards humans.

The catch in "Daybreakers" is that once the vampires go starved, they turn into these hyper aggressive bat like creatures that also feed on vampires. With "Edward" being the most human character in the story as he goes on to help save the human race. Blah blah blah.....if you are a huge fan of the genre like myself then the first and second acts of "Daybreakers" will not disappoint as most if not all of the details about how a world run by vampires operates are fascinating; the subwalk for daytime commuting, the cars equipped with shields and cameras to allow for day driving. However, the premise of the movie is soo good that the movie itself has little faith in how to execute the more specific elements of the plot. The "change" these vampires experience from being starved is never fully investigated which is a shame because this would have proposed another level to the story that would have added some much needed claustrophobic tension to the plot. As well, the whole process for discovering a "cure" for the vampires is so rushed amongst the mindless action that it hardly holds any weight.

Make no doubt, "Daybreakers" is B movie fare with the highest level of affection, but its third act spirals so fast and so far out of control that its hard to forgive it in evaluating the overall experience. Many will leave the theater on a high from the premise alone. And I'm sure that there are sequels and/or prequels in the works. However, I would really love someone to remake "Daybreakers" altogether and explore the more interesting themes of the story that get sorely overlooked. While watching it, I thought of David Fincher or even the Wachowski Brothers, or Timur Bekmambetov who directed the phenomenal Russian vampire epic "Nightwatch". Ohh well, one day genre fans will get the high-brow, high-concept vampire saga we deserve. Until then, there is always "Blade".